Hel is the Norse goddess of the underworld.
In her underworld realm of Helheim, Hel rules the souls of the wicked and those who die of disease or old age.
She is the black hag who straddles the threshold between
life and death, blurring the barrier between realms.
Odin is given his twin ravens of prophecy and knowledge by
Hel.
Hel, the patroness of Nordic shamans, is represented as
half-alive and half-dead, with decaying flesh on her lower body and a living
woman's face and torso.