Hel is the Norse goddess of the underworld, ruler of the realm also called Hel, where many of the dead dwell. She is the daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrboða, and is often described as having a half-dead appearance—one side of her body is living, the other decayed. Hel governs with a grim but just presence, receiving souls who die of sickness or old age rather than in battle.
