Hel is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the Goddess and misunderstood in history. She has been very misrepresented over the years by the patriarchal domination and ultimately used by the early Christian church as a scare tactic to scare t ... he masses "righteous" acts. For the real story, we must go back to the first people that Nordic Goddess and look death in the face. According to Norse tradition, Hel is one of three children of Loki, the trickster, and Angrboda, the giantess. His body and face were described as half-light and darkness. She was half dead and half alive. His face was as beautiful to look at and horrible way. His brothers were Fenrir, the wolf who would destroy Asgard during Ragnarok, and Jormungand, the serpent Midhgard that is on the ocean floor around the world with his tail in his mouth (he is holding the world together). His kingdom is named for its Hel or Helheim. Because she accepts everything to Helheim, she also becomes the judge to determine the fate of each soul in the afterlife. The Evil Dead are banished to the realm of icy death (a fate that the Nordic peoples found much worse to say that a lake of fire) and torture. This particular aspect of the realm of Hel was the basis for the Judeo-Christian "hell" that sinners are banished and tortured for all eternity. Unlike the Judeo-Christian concept, Helheim also served as a shelter and meeting place for souls to be reincarnated. Hel watches over those who died peacefully of old age or disease. She cares for children and women dying in childbirth. It guides not those souls who chose the path of war and violence through the circle of death to rebirth.