This may well be my favourite video of yours thus far, or at the very least among my favourites. Hel stands quite firmly at the fore of my hearth cult for a number of reasons, but its been through resources and the community you've helped foster that I've been able to build the praxis I have with her, including last year's online blot to Hel. Beautifully done, Ocean. Thank you for the work you do.
⬆ Tiwaz (Justice) key 11 in the Major Arcana... at the center or (Midgard) 1-11-21 or The Heart Chakra as center of between Primal (Mother) and Crown (Father)... it is a beautiful rune balance between thought and memory.. Odins two crows... as above so below and X (Gebo) unites the two poles between the fire (Kenaz) and Ice (Isa).. Ginnungagap where the darkness and the light touch.. magik happens! X marks that spot... Hel is Memory or the land of the ancestors, the great crystal Mother... and Father time is the moment that connects the world of thought to the world of memory taking a journey across the rainbow bridge. 🍄
I wonder if an interpretation of Hel's request to release Baldur wasn't to refuse the Aesir to return their beloved, but to state in other words that such a thing was impossible. Once death has been reach there is no going back. At the same time, the Aesir taking it as a literal quest might not be because they were dim, but because Baldur was so beloved that they tried to do it anyway, even if they knew it was impossible to begin with.
While a lot of my practice revolves around things other than death, something that I've learned in my own path is that death isn't always physical. For many people like myself, who are queer and choose to change our names, we describe our old names as "deadnames". For us, it can be like the death of who we were known as. But that's just one (personal) example - basically, what I've learned in the short time I've spent meditating on/with Hel, as well as other death gods, is that sometimes an extreme "death" will not be a physical one. It can be heavily emotionally and spiritual, and I think spending time with Hel really helped with me moving into my next life, so to speak, when these "deaths" happened.
I think the nature in which we view her is the very nature of how we view death itself. Fear, reverence, understanding, mystery, comfort and moving on yet uncertainty. Many different views all interwoven into one misunderstood person.
I have been having a draw to hel and the Morrigan of late, both are associated with death. This year for Samhaim i put a small dish of apple cider on my altar and listen to some music associated with her, hel by brotherhood of metal, while in child's pose, the yoga pose, as a form of humility and respect to the forces that these deities represent.
I haven’t called myself Christian since I’ve had a triple heart attack three years ago. I was dead for several seconds and I saw myself walk towards huge doors with a light behind it, but then I got pulled back and I lived. I never studied Norse much and wasn’t really interested until that near death experience. I couldn’t believe that I was walking up Valhalla. It changed everything about my being.
The fact that early Christians painted Hel and her afterlife realm in such a negative, evil, and demonic light is pretty much proof to me that Hel and Helheim are not evil, demonic, or even negative at all. I’m also not convinced the myth of Baldr’s death isn’t HEAVILY corrupted by Christian influence. I think now is a great time of year to honor Hel, when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is at its thinnest. Like her father, I don’t think Hel is evil, just misunderstood.
What if it was corrupted by other mythologies? I wonder sometimes if they were reaching for what is a common trope in other mythologies...the death of a god, someone else visiting the realm of the dead. Perhaps the story is very old. Or written to match classical mythology?
That's a pretty common thing nowadays. Death=bad. Just look at any interpretation of Greek mythology, they ALWAYS paint Hades as bad while Zeus and Poseidon are good even though through a modern lens Hades is kind of more responsible and "good".
"The demon basically says 'Yaass Qween!' and leaves" My teenage son came out of his room to check on me because I was laughing so hard. This is now my favorite UA-cam channel.
My decision to stop calling myself Christian this past year has in large part been due to learning more about Hel and her siblings' stories. The perspective that resonates with me the most is the story of a little girl who wanted to belong. Have a seat at the table with a family that would want her. Instead she is tricked and banished to a place seen as dark, cold, and unwanted. A place that the unworthy go. (At least those Odin and Fam consider unworthy). Yet, despite all this, she builds herself a home. And cares for those who were otherwise abandoned by the other Gods. She comforts the poor, sick, unfavored by fate, and builds a realm in which their efforts from life are rewarded and reciprocated regardless of what Fate had written for them. This adherence to justice in the face of such great betrayal is what draws me the most to Hel.
@@kenny7209 Describing it as belief doesn't feel quite right really. I'm a very logically and scientifically oriented person who has had an interest in philosophy. I don't know if any of the Gods are real or not. There isn't any objectively measurable way to determine if they exist unless they will it. With that said I've never had a spiritual experience like what is described by any 'person of faith'. For me there is no belief, simply what example is worth following. My departure from Christianity has been tenuous, but eventually boiled down to not finding Yahweh's example worth following. Throughout his own scripture he is the perfect example of an abusive narcissist. He abandoned his wife/mother (divine relationships are always weird, so not holding that against him), lied to his human creations, and ejected them from paradise because he wouldn't tolerate equals. He then committed genocide of an entire world because he couldn't keep his help from sleeping with his kids. It really only gets worse from there really. While other Gods have their faults certainly, they don't claim perfection. I hope that answers your question.
@@geislar7682 yeah, it was a great answer to my question. I’m in the same boat as you in that I can’t really see what Christians see in Yahweh. It gets kinda lonely tbh when no one (or rather almost no one) really sees what you see
@@kenny7209 I think what most Christians (the good ones at least) see in their religion is not Yahweh. It was Jesus' message. The historical Jesus (as I've come to understand him as a human of his time) tried to make things better for the people around him. He promoted a world view in which everyone would be seen as equals and all violent conflict would cease. His message really has been what has kept me on the fence about Yahweh. And it very well could be that all the vile parts of the biblical story we read today are the result of the High Priests monopolizing the worship of Yahweh in the temple of Jerusalem during the reign of King Josias, and that Jesus' message was truly Yahweh's attempt to fix that particular blight on his record. But then we have Paul who messed everything up again. Perhaps Marcion was right and that there are 2 different Gods fighting over the name Yahweh. The good Christians in my life are those that oft times cherry pick the honourable lessons from the bible, similarly to how the hateful ones cherry pick the stories to justify their spite. Jesus was a good man for his time, and good Christians recognize the value of those teachings. I do still see value there, but it's like sifting through a tar pit to find diamonds.
Since my matron goddess is Hel, one of my household's traditions is to take black and white flower petals to the top of a local mountain and recite a special prayer to her before throwing them off the side to fly away in the wind.
@@chastonkisting8289 Though these books don't deal with Hel herself, they do deal with The Morrighan. Perhaps you can do what I do and switch out the Morrighan for Hel. Since neither is really talked about or not a lot is known about their ritual practices ect. The first one is called Celtic Lore and Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess: Invoking the Morrigan and the second is Feast of The Morrigan by Christopher Penczak and the last one is Dark Goddess Craft: A journey through the heart of transformation
How would Hel even help you in your daily life in midgård? She has no ability to leave Helheim and serves the purpose of collecting the nails of the dead so they can transport death and decay when ragnarök comes. Sure she isnt evil but she serves a key roll in end of times so its a bit wierd.
@@BeeTriggerBee She's a keeper of rejected, outcast and unwanted people. I am on the road to becoming a death doula, also, and so her presence in my life has particular value. Besides that she has helped me in a lot of ways, many quite personal. Make of your relationship with the gods what you will.
I love the idea of viewing Hel as a caretaker of our ancestors. I think this kind of perspective is often lost when discussing deities related to death and the afterlife. Bringing in a healthy view of death into one's practice is especially important for former Christians who are probably still holding on to a lot of baggage about sin and the afterlife (like me). Thank you for another amazing video!
I’m very eclectic and only worship one goddess at this time, but I feel like a yearly honouring of Hel is something I’d like to do, especially in the present circumstances. Thanks Ocean I loved this video!!
Long before I recognized and embraced my connection to the gods I developed a view of death having nearly died twice myself. Once almost bleeding to death after I fell from my bed and cutting head badly, and once nearly drowning in a lake. Despite such a grim circumstance I didn't feel fear but almost a sense of something trying to comfort me. Whether Hel awaits me tomorrow or decades in the future I know that I will not be seized from this life by a ravenous soul devouring monster, but I will be escorted away from my life's turmoil to be with those who miss me and in time those I have left behind.
This actually is similar to my near death experience. I was dying and could feel my body shutting down, but it was both peaceful and fascinating to me. It didn't really seem like something scary was happening. It was only after I realized that there was still much I wanted to do in life that I ended up panicking. I feel like if not for that change in thought that I would have likely died a peaceful death then and there. This experience is likely one of the reasons why I have no issue with worshipping death gods and gods of the underworld.
I don't know if this would be considered a near death experience, but I did have a quite peculiar experience during a moment where it seemed my death was imminent and unavoidable. I was driving in the passenger seat with a friend of mine and we were turning left off of the highway. Through the lane of oncoming traffic, but they were supposed to stop at the red light. As we were halfway through the turn I saw a very large pickup truck barreling at straight out of through the light at what had to be close to 80 mph. And that brief fraction of a second time came to a near stop for me. In my mind I considered the angle that we were turning at, the speed of the truck coming at me, realize that I was not wearing a seatbelt, doing all the math in my head and realizing that this truck would slam directly into me. And not instant my fear peeked out of crescendo and then suddenly dissipated and I accepted that I was going to die, and that it was okay. My only regret would be the friend that I was with might feel responsible and she was have to deal with this. Explaining to my mother what happened, possibly getting hurt herself. In that instant I had time to analyze and process the entirety of the situation and come to peace with it. Luckily the truck driver noticed us and veered to his left to avoid hitting us. But I always found it very peculiar how much time I had to think about everything in that fraction of a second. Exactly as much as I required to be at peace.
I nearly drowned as a child, and I felt almost as though I were being swaddled. I felt sheltered, calm, and at peace. I was saved by a stranger who dragged me out of the pool, and instantly felt the relief of running to my parents, but I remember the embrace of the water as my eyes closed and my muscles relaxed. Looking back, Hel may very well have been reaching out to me, ready to cradle a lost child in her arms.
i would never see Hel as evil, death itself is not either good nor bad is just a part of life, everything that starts may end, nothing is everlasting, nor must be, otherwise the value on anything would become superfluous. Also beautiful vid Ocean
I've recently lost my mom and not long after I had a dream where she told me she was in Helheim. Was it a simple dream? Maybe, but I'd like to think she was letting me know she was okay. I think Hel is complex; there are many sides to her. She can be terrifying when angered, but does truly care for those who have passed.
Been to Helheim several dreams and wanted to let you know your mom is in good hands, it's a fascinating yet lovely place of joy. I give you my condolences however.
It may be UPG, but I believe that Hela is not only a goddess of death but also of disability. She shows us that disability, illness, frailty, and ultimately death are as much a part of the human experience as being young, strong, and healthy.
Hel has been reaching out to me a great deal of late and I was unable to entirely figure out why, but this makes sense as I’ve been really struggling with my disability lately!
yes!!!! wow!!!!! she first came to me when i became disabled. she said, "there is a lot you will never be able to do. you will not be a warrior. your death will not be glorious, when it happens, but it will be witnessed and honored. you do not need glory to be loved."
Aye!!, she stood by my bedside when I got the sickness in 2021. I said to her my body is starting to slip I can feel it. At the time I was running dangerously high fevers and was afraid to go to the hospital. My feeling is if I’m going to die I’m going to go the way that I want to. I hate being sick, I remember dying in past lives because of illness, and so I told her. I remember this and it’s to the point I know I’ll just slip in and out until I stay out and come to you. She said ah yes, yes you can if you choose, and you’ve helped a lot of people in the life you’ve had, and have done great things, but if you stay you can help more people. It was only a few hours after that , that a friend of mine reached out to me, because she lost her son. She had questions and wanted to know if he was ok. So I tuned into the other world and was able to bring her peace and restore faith. After I hung up with her. I looked over at Hel who was still with me and I said ok you win, you win. I’ll get over the fear of taking medication, and I’ll get better. We always have a sovereign choice in wether we want to go on or stay in the physical. She knew how to keep me going lol. I so love her with all my heart.
so i'm a witch as well as a heathen and i work very closely with hel. she's kind and understanding, but can also be strict. she's not the kind of goddess you want to get on your bad side, but when hel is in your corner there is little that can stop you. thank you, ocean, for covering her.
I've always held to the belief that to not at least accept her position is to deny a large portion of the life cycle. All that is living must die. And as someone that grew out of the "Valhalla or nothing" mindset I've come to know a sort of peace with Hel. She waits for most and if she is willing to be the gracious hostess then I am happy to give frith before I knock at the doors
I almost want a slice of life comic where different death deities have to live in the same building. Hel is the intimidating but secretly compassionate one who takes in people with no where else to go and stays in contact with all of them once they leave. She's always got several people over and is very comforting without playing favorites. She doesn't tolerate anyone abusing hospitality or power, and always has a ready ear for anyone who needs to talk. She might be the RA or building super. Satan is the edgy rebel who really just wants freedom and the respect of a father he despises after a childhood of conditional acceptance, but doesn't mess with Hel because she keeps the peace, he looks up to her, and he thinks she's scary. He probably throws wild parties, but still feels very lonely most of the time. He struggles to remember to take care of himself or ask for help, and his arc is focused around self acceptance. Anubis is a nerd who loves math and chemistry and insists the afterlife be kept organized, but always makes time for his pet. He always carries pet treats. He probably keeps some very strange hours and talks on the phone with Thoth every week. Hades is the responsible oldest sibling who is constantly expected to drop everything and clean up after his asshole brothers, but just wants to do his job and come home to his wife and dog in their penthouse. Persephone keeps a greenhouse on the roof, but only her friends know that the beautiful flowers are mostly poisonous, carnivorous, or parasitic. She travels for work, spending the summers with her mom out in the country. She doesn't entirely understand why Hades keeps sticking his neck out for Zeus and Poseidon, but they do own a business together and Hades still sees his baby brothers he couldn't protect. He doesn't know the full extent of how messed up his brothers act. Thanatos is a bit dumb, but has a kind heart and makes amazing cookies. He's constantly behind on his work, but just sort of accepts the chaos. He's always in a good mood, if a bit tired. Hermes probably spends a few days every week crashing on Thanatos' couch. They're coworkers and get along well. He always has twelve things to do and no one understands how he manages to stay on top of it all. He works three jobs, freelances, and has a social life. Dionysus is probably Satan's friend who brings the liquor to the parties, gets absolutely wild, and is a bit of an enabler. He's only a part time death god, but splits his time between his own apartment and his girlfriend's place. He always tells these wild stories that, concerningly, might actually be true.
@@aubreyackermann8432 I love it. But don't you mean slice of death? Here's some more: Ereshkigal is totally a bi cougar who mistakes 'aggressive flirting' for 'sexy confidence' and inadvertently comes across as terrifying. Izanami misses her kids, laments how they had to grow up without her (she always kept tabs on them, but had no way to help them) and just hates men. Sedna also hates men (they share a solidarity). She's a hippy who loves (mostly carnivorous) animals, because of this, nobody suspects she's also an avid hunter and a chronic hoarder. What do you think about Osiris?
@@TheMageOfVoid Osiris is having something like a midlife crisis trying to adapt to his new role as king of the underworld. He starts buying a whole new wardrobe around his new complexion, he's finding tacky quotes to frame on his wall, and he bought a boat. His wife Isis is trying to be supportive, but is concerned he's going off the rails. She tried to get him to take up a number of hobbies, but they don't stick. Wood carving reminds him of the smell of being nailed into a sarcophagus, his potted plants keep dying, and his novel never made it past bullet points. He's trying out the drums, and it's awful. The fates have been in the building the longest. No one's quite sure how long, or what their relationship to each other is. They never answer personal questions with anything more than a knowing smile. They knit sweaters for the other residents, and no one is brave enough to refuse the gift. They always act so sweet, but they make your hair stand on end and no one knows why. They always have the best gossip though, and will invite the other tenants to their place to share it. No one has even considered saying no, even if they had other plans. Odin is the resident know it all. He's always travelling, and when he is home his veteran buddies are with him for some drinks. He likes craft brews and mead, but will always be willing to try something new. His gatherings usually end in a brawl, a sparring match, or trivia games and logic puzzles. He is in an open marriage with Frigg, and they seem to truly love each other. Freyr and Freya are siblings who share an apartment, along with several cats and a potbelly pig. They also participate in the neighborhood allotment gardens, breed and show fancy cats, and enjoy HEMA and larping. Freyr regularly visits the cemetery to clean untended graves and leave offerings. Freya wears her hair down to her ankles and loves to swish it around herself dramatically.
The Morrigan is good friends with Odin, as both keep Ravens and will help each other out with their care. She is also friends with Hecate and spends a lot of time around the fates, as all are triple goddesses. She mostly keeps to herself, but will accompany Freya and Freyr to their larp battles or go paint balling to play strategist. She takes the form of a crow to keep tabs on people, and has quite the jealous streak. No one really knows what to expect from her, and that's just the way she likes it. Hecate has a ferret, an orange cat, a black cat, a beagle, several frogs, a few snakes, a fish tank, and a number of other pets. She is very open about her witchcraft, but doesn't share her recipes or spells. She loves candles, and always has some lit. She spends time with Hades, Persephone, Morrigan, and the fates. I think she might have a rivalry of sorts with Erishkegal? She and Persephone share a love of obscure and poisonous plants.
Ran and Aegir like to host, and light their home with very yellow bulbs and candles. Aegir and Odin particularly share a love of craft brews, though Aegir actually makes them and Odin just drinks. Both Ran and Aegir wear gold jewelry, and expect housewarming gifts from their guests. Their guests often stay overnight or for several days, to the point that various gatherings frequently overlap. Ran, tall and graceful with cold gray eyes, likes to wear mesh fabrics and lace. Their nine daughters visit frequently, and the house is never quiet. Ran in particular can be imposing as her face doesn't show much emotion and she has no hesitation to finish a disagreement. It is hard to see, but her temper is always flaring and soothing, her mind racing then still. She is supremely confident and speaks her mind concisely. Aegir is the expressive one, helping put guests at ease.
I have been wanting this video for SO LONG. This is -chefs kiss-, I love the variety of art, the ambient music, the information, the reading list, your practice notes, spooky ending, everything is immaculate.
Usually I start these comments with a pun, whoops lol. Thank you Ocean for covering Hel. Sadly, this video is very impactful at the current time, due to a loss of a friend. Hearing your perspective and your praxis with Hel has definitely helped put my mind a bit more at ease. Thank you, friend.
Even before I started being experimental with my spirituality very recently, as an atheist, I had a pretty complex view of death. I would normally describe life and death as being equally valuable, as all things that live will eventually die, and it is only through death that life continues. As such I would view the two almost like an arborous. As of right now, I am somewhere between an atheopagan and a Norse polytheist, and because of my previous view, I was pretty much guaranteed to incorporate Hel into my practice. With death being both inevitable and necessary for life, it only make sense for the goddess responsible for the care of the dead to be viewed in high regard for me. Weather death is the end or not for an individual, it is only through death that new life can continue to thrive in our fucked up little blue marble. In short, wonderful video! Gives me alot to ponder as I move into making my alter piece for Hel this month.
It is good to see the Mother of Peace get talked about here, the dead are honored, and have a home with her. As one who has died and has come back, a connection is strong, the dead smile fondly upon you friend. They are always watching
I always love death deities. Hel is amazing I would love to worship her along with others that I love so deeply. And it reminds me of an UPG that I have with that one famous line from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows where in the story of the Deathly Hollows at the end the youngest brother "then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life" I view death deities are always with us but from a distance but always waiting and always there in open arms. Amazing video as always Ocean!
Ive always imagined Helheim as kinda of a "Land of Always Autumn" (Not in the spooky Halloween way... more in the long walks in the forrest way), a place where good people can continue to be good to each other and be happy - and Ive always thought it contradictory that the legions of Hel would be on the side of evil during Ragnarok when its understood that the people who went to Hel where *not* warriors, they were elders, children and people who died of illness. Not much competition against the einherjar
Seen Helheim in several dreams and you are right. There were autumn like elements to it but also a mixture of spring, permeated in a mystical blueish green light. Makes sense because fall is usually the time when things pass, and spring is when things renew themselves. Her hall was also wonderful and happy
I plan to honor Hel once I am out of the hospital that is. For not taking me but also taking care of a cat of my partner’s who has to be put down. I will be the first time worshiping her, but like a lot of people I don’t think I would reach out to her in any other situation. Which might be why she doesn’t have places named after her. Most of my worship is related to Loki and Sigyn so I might have a different viewpoint than most on the subject.
I think the reason she looks both alive and decayed is because death isnt really this thing that's different from life. Death feeds life in numerous ways, and it's not a separate thing its just another step of life. Hel seems scary because death scares us. Hel also seems kind and patient because death can also be a sweet release after a long weary life. Life is about taking the next step, trying not to dwell on the past and keep taking the next step. I think Hel to me at least feels more like a distant mother figure of sorts, claiming lives to feed more life.
Though I look up to Tyr (with a side of Thor) the most for guidance in everyday life, I often find most comfort when my thoughts reflect on Hel. Obviously, death isn't desirable, but it is inevitable. So If I must go somewhere, it'll be to Her care. Amusingly, I was at work the other day thinking to myself "Would be cool If Ocean's next vid was on Hel"... sure enough....
It is good to show respect towards the mistress of the dead, i tend to give offerings to her during Dísablót (Halloween if you will) and Walpurgisnacht, I live in the south hemisphere so we are currently celebrating the latter. "She who conceals" is what i call her, she has always been present in one way or another, she has taken my relatives and will eventually take me too. Death is a process of decay that must take place in order to give birth to new life hence Hel's divided face. You might consider me a soft polytheist since I think she might be the same as Hulda.
I was actually considering holding a kind of Helblot this year around Halloween but I’ve been on the fence about it. Not sure if there was any historical precedent for it at that time of year. Ocean you have given me the confidence to get over that fence and I love the idea about offering letters. Idk if you would have the time this year but I would greatly appreciate a video on some of rituals you do on various blóts that you hold. Or just an entire video dedicated to your Helblot would be cool.
@@OceanKeltoi I would definitely appreciate this as well for some context and inspiration, but I can imagine a lot of things are private between you and the Gods, and that's perfectly understandable and okay too 💚
There are many deities that can be associated with disability. Tyr is missing his hand. Odin is missing an eye. Heimdallr is missing an ear. Many of the Gods have very different perspectives as a result of these limitations explained in myth.
She is my favorite goddess. I adore Freyja as well and feel a connection to her too, as well as a couple deities outside of Norse myths. But Hel is special to me. I’ve never seen her as some wicked being, but literally what she is, a caretaker of the dead. When my grandmother passed I started to think about Hel and Helheim a lot and how according to those legends my grandmother would be under Hel’s care. I don’t imagine we would be suffering in a frozen wasteland for eternity just because we didn’t die as great warriors with many kills under our belts. Or children who have died, why would they be sent to suffer? Thinking of Ragnar and Lagertha’s daughter in Vikings made me think of that as well back when I was watching it. Death is life. To live is to die. But people fear death so they always paint death deities as these dark beings to fear. When you look at very old traditions from other cultures, they don’t see death like we do in westernized cultures and practices. I’m quite positive her story has just been washed to fit a narrative like many of the stories were. I am not sure what I believe, I feel like an atheist but I also feel energies from the earth I can’t explain, I have experienced things as a practicing witch that I can’t explain, though I tried to deny them. If we do get an afterlife, I think I would be just fine spending mine in her realm. But on a more shallow side I also just relate to her because the whole being cast away by those around her and trying to make a home out of her situation, and being the person who will take in the sort of people who wouldn’t go to Valhalla or Folkvangr. Like I see her father similarly as the patron of outcasts. I aspire to that as well. I feel more pull towards animals that often are rejected by “normal” people like black cats, “aggressive” dog breeds, crows, wolves, foxes, possums, etc. But the half and half body thing as well. I was born crooked, with only half the space of my mother’s uterus, with an underdeveloped right hand, crooked right hip, this weird anomaly in my ankle I had surgery to fix, I have scoliosis and I didn’t understand what was said because I was around 10 but I remember hearing “15% on the right” when the doctor talked about my spine to my parents. My left side is perfectly normal. Any time things go wrong it’s always that same side. I had grown up feeling half right and half defected. When I found her, I immediately was so drawn to her. Atheist or not, I still like to pay my respects to her and collect art of her and she still influences me. Besides…she just looks cool!
Demonic Queen? Caretaker of the Dead? Why not both! That's the way of left hand path paganism. Seriously though I am here for this and I intend to wait in line.
Hel has struck me obviously as a deeply misunderstood deity. Odin trusted her enough and valued her enough to give her a huge responsibility. One that he knew would be desisive. I have had my fair share of experience with death, and knowing that I have a relationship with the goddess of Helheim eases my heart when I sit next to somone as they pass on, or as I try to face the mortality we all share. I see Hel as a woman who is respected for her duties, and takes them very seriously. Hel embodies an intensity that could be misconstrued as malice. But in my mind, and how she shows up in my practice, is a woman who is busy but compassionate for the people in her care.
I've always been drawn to the "darker" deities, moreso the deities of the dead. I believe the distinction between Hel and the other death deities lies in that distinction. I've never once come across mention of her killing anyone, causing illness, being the instrument of age, etc. She is, however, a goddess of the dead (not death). The rooster being resurrected after being chucked over the gate of Helheim, to me, makes me think of a phoenix, though not in the sense of it becoming one, but more that it has passed into the influence of one. I'm not trying to compare Hel to a phoenix either, though. What I'm trying to explain is why, in my worldview, there are no place names, idols, temples, etc, for Hel, why her depictions seem all over the place, and why it makes perfect sense to me. This isn't historically or mythologically accurate by any means, and I can't really call it UPG either. Dead and rotting things break down into nutrients for other things to live, grow, and make more life before they, too, die and rot.. Leave a human body on the ground under the right conditions and other things will find life in it, usually by eating it, or eating what it eventually breaks down into; the human body in question has become the life-giver. I don't know enough of any sort of biology, medicine, or whatever to guess at whether or not an aged human body would break down at a different rate to a younger one, so I won't go there. I specified a human in this example but everything else goes through this same process if it is left alone long enough (or tended to correctly if it's a compost pile). I, personally, believe that Hel has dominion over these rotting and decaying processes, as well as the spirits/energies that once inhabited the rotting/decaying things. I feel this is why there are no worldly remains of Hel's worship apart from stories with mixed meanings, that no one felt the need to build or record them because wherever there was rot and decay (which are natural parts of an organic thing's existence), she or at least her domain, was there. Throw that whole thing at any cycle in nature and you might even be able to say that the universe is Hel's temple, and that she is the agent of massive change, even if it's so slow most of us don't give it the attention it deserves. When Hel acquiesces to allow Baldr to return so long as everything alive and dead mourn him, it always reminds me of about mid-February-ish (in the northern hemisphere, specifically midwestern US because that's where I live and I've never traveled) when everything's so disgustingly cold and icy that damn near everything seems to hunger fiercely for spring. The story turns out differently than the year, but I find myself drawing the comparison anyways. Winter being vital for new spring growth only amplifies this for me. Sorry for the text wall, stuff like this is so difficult to explain.
My assumption would be that rituals to Hel in the past if they existed would be held at funerals asking for Hel to guide their now dead relative or friend safely to Helheim
This really spoke to me as my first experience with a deity and my intro to heathenry was through Hel. I definitely see her as more of a welcoming comforting goddess who welcomes those of us who have had shall we say less exciting deaths. Was also interesting this experience happened during the pandemic and I improvised my first Helblot last Halloween. It was a powerful experience. The story of Baldr sounds alot like a story about the stages of grief which I think is a tale all people can relate to. Oh and there is also the fun part when Christians tell me I am going to hell I just tell them they spelled her name wrong and watch the confusion with amusement.
Always love hearing your, Wolf's and Beofeld's takes on Hel. The concept of Hel as caretaker, balanced with keeping her at a distance, really gives me much to think about and reflect on. Also, love the music and art of Hel you used in the video! They really helped facilitate my understanding of the complex description of Hel you provided.
The lack of idols and dedicated temples to Hel has a parallell in Hellenism, with Hades having no known temples (with one possible exception). Due to much the same reason as for Hel - you honour death, but don't invite it. The one possible exception to the rule of "no Hades temples allowed" is an archaeological site in Turkey called Hierapolis. It's a site famous in antiquity for its mineral baths, a result of geothermal activity underneath the town. It hit major news headlines with the discovery of an ancient church, where a tomb were found, thought by many, including some of the archaeologists, to be the mortal remains of the Apostle St. Philip. With all the (understandable) frenzy around this discovery, one major piece of the history of this place was almost forgotten: like many ancient churches, it was built on top of a pagan shrine or temple. There is obviously not much left of this temple, but its peculiar location (right over a foul-smelling geothermal vent, which was also noticeable in the church built atop it) had some archaeologists actually believe that if ever there was an actual Hades temple, this would be it. Sadly this got mostly forgotten when the biblical archaeologists basically commandeered the site, so you will probably have to do a lot of digging to find any papers on it. But at least it is a real possibility. I don't find it particularly hard to believe there haven't at least been shrines or just altars to Hel placed in locations thought to be gates to the Underworld. And there are quite a few such locations in Iceland. But probably nothing permanent, as said sites are usually volcanoes, and if there ever was any permanent structures there to begin with, they would have been destroyed as soon as the volcano erupted. Again, if they even existed in the first place.
I can see precisely what you're talking about Ocean, as I've similarly felt that same way about Hel, but also about Fenris Wolf and Jormungandr. All of Loki's children have some place in my own practice, as I feel they're a part, without necessarily being beings one would associate with things one would want to get close to. But at the same time, I've felt a sort of kinship with especially Fenrir so, giving his siblings their own attention seems right
Hel has usually had a gentle energy when I've encountered Her. In my experience, She is a powerful healer, which makes sense, because most death deities had birth/regeneration aspects in their earlier stories. She is older than our current mythology- we haven't always known our pantheon by just their current names and stories. An excellent short book about her is Hel: The Sun Facing Goddess by Bryan Wilton.
I’m really intrigued by her being half dead half alive. Doesn’t this indicate she is more than just a goddess over the dead, but also of life? I wish we could know, but I also believe we are creating a new thing for our time.
I often think of the image of Hell as indicating at the spirit peeling away from the corpse. So as the body decomposes the spirit is released to inhabit its next incarnation (hamr) or to its afterlife. Perhaps cremation was often favoured because through cremation the 'spirit' (for want of a better word) is released much more quickly.
I plan to do a yearly blot dedicated to the goddess on July 3rd every year. This is due to my grandmother having passed that day, and so that day is when the concept of death effects me most.
Thank you so much for this. I am an atheist personally but something about Hel has really deeply resonated with me ever since I found out about her. Tbh she's one of the main things that inspired me to learn more about norse mythology.
I recently was introduced by a co-worker to the concept of Hel as a caretaker and one to be worshipped. After this video I think I will start making offerings to her in thanks of what she does and for her favor in the afterlife
Yes, but there's also so much to make videos about. I've talked about them briefly in other vids. But yeah, some more focused videos at some point would make sense.
So Hel gets the same sh^t-talking that Hades and Thanatos do, and she's more like those Greek gods... Hades the overseer, Thanatos being the one who tries to bring peace and comfort to the dying. Personally, I wrote a lot of fan fiction about Thanatos when I was young painting him as a virtual angel of mercy... the god who even escorts those who returned from death via life-saving medicine to life, protecting that person from those who would stop that. Death gods don't need worshippers nor do they actually want them. They get their faith energy from the hierarchy (the pantheon) that they serve. They do get irked or sad by the sh^t talking they get about them... it also makes their job more stressful when they must greet souls from newly ended lives. I guess that's why Marvel again tweaked Norse mythology to have their Hela instead of OG Hel, so they can stick to Christian misinformation about the myth as their inspiration without ruffling as many feathers. I suspect that's why Marvel has their death servant be insane space alien Thanos instead of gentle Greek mythology Thanatos.
After watching this video It changed my view on the goddess maybe I will add her to my personal practice P.S. that jumpscare at the end almost got me pissing myself 😂
It's not a place of suffering, it a place of well earned peace, I also heard that each person has a hall where they get to meet each and every ancestor all the way to the beginning. My question is I've heard there's a certain part of hel that's meant for those that have done very bad deeds and that is where they go for punishment
Yes it's called Nastrond (Corpse Shore). Those who are evil, particularly murderers, oathbreakers and those unfaithful in romance wind up here; where they will be tormented and eaten over and over by a sinister dragon like creature
Hope you don't mind me offering advice- maybe start by just talking to Her. I sometimes sense Her presence stronger if I talk to her near a tree. Eventually, I asked what she liked for offerings and what colors she preferred in Her devotional area (in my case, she seems to enjoy pastels more than the blacks and greys we associate with Her). I've found it works better to actually ask deities/spirits what they like, rather than copying ideas from the internet or books. Some of those associations were meant for a specific person, based on their relationship with Her, or were assigned to Her by people making assumptions about death.
I was wondering if you were considering doing a video on Ullr. I know there isnt much information on him, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on him as he seems to mean a lot to me
When I was first working out which Goddess was reaching out to me I did look at Hel. She is not the one that I was connected to but I have a soft spot for her and still honour her amongst others .
I haven’t incorporated Hel into my practice yet, I intend to at some point, perhaps Halloween is a good time to do so. Though I am uncertain and cautious to do so. It feels sad to me that people worship Hel but do so at a distance so as not to invite death into their lives, perhaps meaning you cannot have as personal or reciprocal a connection with her as other Gods. However I decide to go about it, I personally believe I’ll end up in Helheim, and hold Hel in great respect
I'm not pagan or a heathen (at least not in the religious sense, lol), but I appreciate the idea of Hel being a being just a goddess who's doing a job. Not evil, not necessarily good, just someone who is doing a job.
While I was Catholic, I would always get death dreams (Just ones where I died over and over again). And those dreams always ended very similarly I was doing something I die or was killed and I wake up. But once I was starting to become a Heathen, I got a dream where I was dead and I was in front of my friend trying to ask him what was wrong with no success. And behind me was a bright light and woman's voice that came from that light and said "Emily, come on it's time to go" I turn to my friend one last time told him to not cry that I was okay now and followed the voice only to wake back up again Looking back at it, I don't think I had another death dream since then
I would Love to see a video on your interpretations/general interpretations of Polytheist myths! There’s very little info from other pagans, and it would be really cool to see more helpful info!
Very excited for this one! I’ve been going through daily and watching some of the debates that Ocean’s had and I have to say I would love to see another one soon.
I did wind up going on a show hosted by a Muslim friend of mine and we went through some debate discussions. It wasn't a competitive environment, just a bunch of people who love philosophy talking to each other about various ideas. You might enjoy it. ua-cam.com/video/tp8aiDc6uRE/v-deo.html
A great video, very informative and concise. Though I can't help but need out about the image from the cover of my -FAVORITE- album! Skalmold's Born Loka, it's worth listening to in full as it's pretty much an opera, and if you can find clips of the live show with the full orchestra and choirs (especially Narfi) I'd recommend those too.
As a fairly new Heathen, only for about a year, I’ve realized that there was a lot about Hel that I haven’t even studied or considered. Thanks for this video, Ocean. I really enjoyed it.
Absolutely amazing content, Keltoi. New subscriber and novice to learning about your religion. As an atheist (and unlikely to ever be anything else) I find your religion, and your views about it fascinating and enriching. From watching your content so far, there is no preaching, no fear-mongering, no proselytizing.. Even though I'm just watching recordings you've made, through your content and the community you seem to foster, I do not feel unwelcome despite being godless. Having been raised around Christianity my entire life, feeling unwelcome in the presence of the religious has been my only experience. I cannot even begin to describe how unfathomably heartwarming it is to watch and listen to you passionately speak about your religion, your gods, and not feel judged or feel like an outcast. It's.. it's emotionally moving and I don't even share your belief. It's world-shattering, honestly. But.. in a good way? It's hard to describe. What I mean to say - put simply - is thank you. This video was particularly moving for me, as I have always felt a strange connection to the dark, even to death. To me, all of this was beautiful.
So firstly, that pun had me cackling. Secondly, loved this video. Hel is a very comforting diety in my experience and I always find rituals I do in veneration and thanks to her have refreshed me and helped me process often complicated feelings around grief. I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on her.
Hel is the first and primary deities I work with. I find her to be very calming and Maternal. Peaceful. In my work with her she's helped me come to terms with my mortality and given wisdom and kindness to me in my communion with her. At this point, I even have a prayer written in her honor that I plan to use in ritual soon.
I will admit, I find myself intrigued by the idea of offering Hel messages for those who have gone on before us. At the least it might be a way to deal with some of my lingering issues surrounding the loss of my father quite a few year ago. He was adamantly Mormon, though, so I don't know that he'd be with Hel or if she could even get through to him. But if it would help me... it might be worth doing. For myself, I like the idea of a maternal caretaker of Death. One worthy of honor and respect, but who we really shouldn't be in any great hurry to meet. She'll be there when we get there, but in the meantime, life has so many things to offer us and she's in no hurry, so we shouldn't be either.
My beloved is in a hospital to protect from suicide after a very long and difficult day yesterday of supporting her the best I could, relieved when she was willing to go and be admitted. Watching this after a restless night of non-sleep brought me a soothing inspiration and I’m making a respectfully cautious offering to Hel. Thank you 🌳💚
In my studies of various mythologies, I have found that death has a special place in my sphere. The Greek term, "chthōn," is the basis for the term Chthonic, which means 'concerning, belonging to, or inhabiting the Underworld.' Chthonic deities are often feared or misunderstood because of their connections to dying and whatever comes after, but I see them more akin to caretakers. Beings that have chosen to care for mortal souls. To me, many death gods are in fact deities of LOVE, who do not represent the fleeting love of mortal life, but ETERNAL love for a thing which lives forever: the soul. In my personal philosophy, death being peaceful is a VERY important piece of the overall puzzle. I just don't see how beautiful creatures, such as beloved pets, or wonderful human souls could be condemned to a terrible place at the end of their life. It's one of many things that makes me uncomfortable about certain monotheistic religions: if you're not perfect, you're damned. There's no place for 'good people who aren't {whatever},' only 'the good place for the perfect people' and 'the torture pit for everyone else.' It seems cruel. But death isn't cruel. The afterlife, if there is one, surely is not cruel. Hades in Greek, Hel in Norse culture, Osiris in Egyptian - these are but three gods who, in my eyes, are first and foremost the caretakers of the departed. They're not torturers or demons, and oftentimes they are not even the ones who take life. Usually, the deity that controls the afterlife is NOT the same as the deity who controls death. As you said in the video, "[people] guide souls to Hel." Hel doesn't come climbing out of Helheim to snatch up the last breath of life, she waits to welcome souls which are brought to her. As always, your storytelling and narration is engaging and the information is truly fascinating!
I’m still collecting information on the gods and waiting until I get my own place to actively worship them but I’m definitely going to incorporate Hel into my practice. I have a rather strange outlook on death it seems as I tend to be happy (depending on the circumstance) for those who have passed since they are no longer suffering and get to move on into the afterlife so I think I should definitely form a relationship with Hel. I didn’t articulate that quite how I wanted to but I think I got my point across? I hope so.
death is a natural part of life, rejoice and celebrate their life " tell me how he died" "I'll tell u how he lived" those lines were always my favorite from the last samurai movie
Love this and the music is beautiful! Hel is the only Norse goddess I can seem to feel a connection with, and a dream involving her is the reason I was able to finally throw off Christianity and go over to the pagan side. I would love to see videos about Loki and the rest of his children. Right now I really only work with them, though I do feel some vague love towards Thor as well. Hel feels very comforting to me. And somewhat... Innocent or like a watcher over the innocent.
Even before I found myself more in this faith, I've never managed to see hel in a bad light, as a demon or a an evil diety, I want to live yet I dont fear the day of my death, I know that whatever place or temple I go after my death, being valhalla, helheim, with freyja or any other, I'll gladly enjoy my stay. I might most likely go to helheim, but I'm not fearful of that idea, I just hope she will be happy to recieve me as much as I will be of meeting her and my loved ones, if thats the place I'll be going to.
I rly love the myth about Hel. Her two sides, the flesh and the dead or in my opinion the light and the dark are representivly for our own behaviors in the real world. We can see so much dark around us but sometimes there is a lighted place where we can settle. I know so many people who believe that Hel is the hell, but that is in fact not true and even if that is controverse i believe that Hel is a caretaker to who it deserve it an a punisher to who who deserve it. Please excuse my english it´s not my native language. Many greetings from Germany - Hannover
hello if someone gets this plz answer this.🙏 What had Baldur done that has made him go to Helhiem with his wife, bcuz people say “Baldur was similar or like Jesus
This may well be my favourite video of yours thus far, or at the very least among my favourites. Hel stands quite firmly at the fore of my hearth cult for a number of reasons, but its been through resources and the community you've helped foster that I've been able to build the praxis I have with her, including last year's online blot to Hel.
Beautifully done, Ocean. Thank you for the work you do.
⬆ Tiwaz (Justice) key 11 in the Major Arcana... at the center or (Midgard) 1-11-21 or The Heart Chakra as center of between Primal (Mother) and Crown (Father)... it is a beautiful rune balance between thought and memory.. Odins two crows... as above so below and X (Gebo) unites the two poles between the fire (Kenaz) and Ice (Isa).. Ginnungagap where the darkness and the light touch.. magik happens! X marks that spot... Hel is Memory or the land of the ancestors, the great crystal Mother... and Father time is the moment that connects the world of thought to the world of memory taking a journey across the rainbow bridge. 🍄
As a suicide survivor, I have Hel on my altar as a solemn patron.
Glad you're still here 😊
i recently purchased my Hel statue. i'm plagued with mental illness & trauma & she has always intrigued me greatly
so very happy you are here
I am a survivor as well and Hel played a part in keeping me here.
You have helped open my young pagan eyes. I never thought hel to be evil just really good at her job.
I wonder if an interpretation of Hel's request to release Baldur wasn't to refuse the Aesir to return their beloved, but to state in other words that such a thing was impossible. Once death has been reach there is no going back. At the same time, the Aesir taking it as a literal quest might not be because they were dim, but because Baldur was so beloved that they tried to do it anyway, even if they knew it was impossible to begin with.
While a lot of my practice revolves around things other than death, something that I've learned in my own path is that death isn't always physical. For many people like myself, who are queer and choose to change our names, we describe our old names as "deadnames". For us, it can be like the death of who we were known as. But that's just one (personal) example - basically, what I've learned in the short time I've spent meditating on/with Hel, as well as other death gods, is that sometimes an extreme "death" will not be a physical one. It can be heavily emotionally and spiritual, and I think spending time with Hel really helped with me moving into my next life, so to speak, when these "deaths" happened.
I think the nature in which we view her is the very nature of how we view death itself. Fear, reverence, understanding, mystery, comfort and moving on yet uncertainty. Many different views all interwoven into one misunderstood person.
I have been having a draw to hel and the Morrigan of late, both are associated with death. This year for Samhaim i put a small dish of apple cider on my altar and listen to some music associated with her, hel by brotherhood of metal, while in child's pose, the yoga pose, as a form of humility and respect to the forces that these deities represent.
I haven’t called myself Christian since I’ve had a triple heart attack three years ago. I was dead for several seconds and I saw myself walk towards huge doors with a light behind it, but then I got pulled back and I lived. I never studied Norse much and wasn’t really interested until that near death experience. I couldn’t believe that I was walking up Valhalla. It changed everything about my being.
Great Video
Thats a damn good practice 💯 To respect Hel.
(Norse Norwegian Goddess Of The Dead)
isfp 1w2
(Human Race:White)
Hel was the protector of those who suffered the straw death meaning died at home in bed. It was not an honourary death. Hel is both corpse and alive:
The fact that early Christians painted Hel and her afterlife realm in such a negative, evil, and demonic light is pretty much proof to me that Hel and Helheim are not evil, demonic, or even negative at all. I’m also not convinced the myth of Baldr’s death isn’t HEAVILY corrupted by Christian influence. I think now is a great time of year to honor Hel, when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is at its thinnest. Like her father, I don’t think Hel is evil, just misunderstood.
What if it was corrupted by other mythologies? I wonder sometimes if they were reaching for what is a common trope in other mythologies...the death of a god, someone else visiting the realm of the dead. Perhaps the story is very old. Or written to match classical mythology?
Christianity has done a lot of harm to other beliefs, painting them as evil, all the while causing harm throughout the world themselves.
@@Lupinemancer87 And making their religion out to look like the good one
That's a pretty common thing nowadays. Death=bad. Just look at any interpretation of Greek mythology, they ALWAYS paint Hades as bad while Zeus and Poseidon are good even though through a modern lens Hades is kind of more responsible and "good".
@@chunwubajulio9953 Interesting
"The demon basically says 'Yaass Qween!' and leaves"
My teenage son came out of his room to check on me because I was laughing so hard. This is now my favorite UA-cam channel.
My decision to stop calling myself Christian this past year has in large part been due to learning more about Hel and her siblings' stories. The perspective that resonates with me the most is the story of a little girl who wanted to belong. Have a seat at the table with a family that would want her. Instead she is tricked and banished to a place seen as dark, cold, and unwanted. A place that the unworthy go. (At least those Odin and Fam consider unworthy). Yet, despite all this, she builds herself a home. And cares for those who were otherwise abandoned by the other Gods. She comforts the poor, sick, unfavored by fate, and builds a realm in which their efforts from life are rewarded and reciprocated regardless of what Fate had written for them. This adherence to justice in the face of such great betrayal is what draws me the most to Hel.
So do you believe in Norse mythology now?
@@kenny7209 Describing it as belief doesn't feel quite right really. I'm a very logically and scientifically oriented person who has had an interest in philosophy. I don't know if any of the Gods are real or not. There isn't any objectively measurable way to determine if they exist unless they will it. With that said I've never had a spiritual experience like what is described by any 'person of faith'. For me there is no belief, simply what example is worth following. My departure from Christianity has been tenuous, but eventually boiled down to not finding Yahweh's example worth following. Throughout his own scripture he is the perfect example of an abusive narcissist. He abandoned his wife/mother (divine relationships are always weird, so not holding that against him), lied to his human creations, and ejected them from paradise because he wouldn't tolerate equals. He then committed genocide of an entire world because he couldn't keep his help from sleeping with his kids. It really only gets worse from there really. While other Gods have their faults certainly, they don't claim perfection. I hope that answers your question.
@@geislar7682 yeah, it was a great answer to my question. I’m in the same boat as you in that I can’t really see what Christians see in Yahweh. It gets kinda lonely tbh when no one (or rather almost no one) really sees what you see
@@kenny7209 I think what most Christians (the good ones at least) see in their religion is not Yahweh. It was Jesus' message. The historical Jesus (as I've come to understand him as a human of his time) tried to make things better for the people around him. He promoted a world view in which everyone would be seen as equals and all violent conflict would cease. His message really has been what has kept me on the fence about Yahweh. And it very well could be that all the vile parts of the biblical story we read today are the result of the High Priests monopolizing the worship of Yahweh in the temple of Jerusalem during the reign of King Josias, and that Jesus' message was truly Yahweh's attempt to fix that particular blight on his record. But then we have Paul who messed everything up again. Perhaps Marcion was right and that there are 2 different Gods fighting over the name Yahweh. The good Christians in my life are those that oft times cherry pick the honourable lessons from the bible, similarly to how the hateful ones cherry pick the stories to justify their spite. Jesus was a good man for his time, and good Christians recognize the value of those teachings. I do still see value there, but it's like sifting through a tar pit to find diamonds.
@@geislar7682 tar pit to find diamonds made me wheeze
I find Hel to be the most comforting of the deities for me. She feels like a source of peace in an afterlife rest.
I was not prepared for that YAS QUEEN. 💀
Hel is not evil. She just is. 🖤🖤🖤
All things come to She Who Waits
Since my matron goddess is Hel, one of my household's traditions is to take black and white flower petals to the top of a local mountain and recite a special prayer to her before throwing them off the side to fly away in the wind.
Been very interested in using her as my matron. Tho I can figure out how to work my magick and rituals around her. Any resources you could recommend?
@@chastonkisting8289 Though these books don't deal with Hel herself, they do deal with The Morrighan. Perhaps you can do what I do and switch out the Morrighan for Hel. Since neither is really talked about or not a lot is known about their ritual practices ect.
The first one is called Celtic Lore and Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess: Invoking the Morrigan and the second is Feast of The Morrigan by Christopher Penczak and the last one is
Dark Goddess Craft: A journey through the heart of transformation
How would Hel even help you in your daily life in midgård? She has no ability to leave Helheim and serves the purpose of collecting the nails of the dead so they can transport death and decay when ragnarök comes. Sure she isnt evil but she serves a key roll in end of times so its a bit wierd.
Can I ask how you chose hel, I'm new to all of this and I'm trying to figure it out, I don't know what it is but I feel drawn to her
@@BeeTriggerBee She's a keeper of rejected, outcast and unwanted people. I am on the road to becoming a death doula, also, and so her presence in my life has particular value. Besides that she has helped me in a lot of ways, many quite personal. Make of your relationship with the gods what you will.
I love the idea of viewing Hel as a caretaker of our ancestors. I think this kind of perspective is often lost when discussing deities related to death and the afterlife. Bringing in a healthy view of death into one's practice is especially important for former Christians who are probably still holding on to a lot of baggage about sin and the afterlife (like me). Thank you for another amazing video!
I’m very eclectic and only worship one goddess at this time, but I feel like a yearly honouring of Hel is something I’d like to do, especially in the present circumstances. Thanks Ocean I loved this video!!
Now is the time of the year to do such honoring. It is the season of Samhain (Gaelic), and the veil between the living and dead is thinned.
Long before I recognized and embraced my connection to the gods I developed a view of death having nearly died twice myself. Once almost bleeding to death after I fell from my bed and cutting head badly, and once nearly drowning in a lake. Despite such a grim circumstance I didn't feel fear but almost a sense of something trying to comfort me. Whether Hel awaits me tomorrow or decades in the future I know that I will not be seized from this life by a ravenous soul devouring monster, but I will be escorted away from my life's turmoil to be with those who miss me and in time those I have left behind.
I almost drowned when I was a child, it is surprisingly calm, seeing the darkness slowly closing in on you.
This actually is similar to my near death experience. I was dying and could feel my body shutting down, but it was both peaceful and fascinating to me. It didn't really seem like something scary was happening. It was only after I realized that there was still much I wanted to do in life that I ended up panicking. I feel like if not for that change in thought that I would have likely died a peaceful death then and there. This experience is likely one of the reasons why I have no issue with worshipping death gods and gods of the underworld.
I don't know if this would be considered a near death experience, but I did have a quite peculiar experience during a moment where it seemed my death was imminent and unavoidable.
I was driving in the passenger seat with a friend of mine and we were turning left off of the highway. Through the lane of oncoming traffic, but they were supposed to stop at the red light. As we were halfway through the turn I saw a very large pickup truck barreling at straight out of through the light at what had to be close to 80 mph.
And that brief fraction of a second time came to a near stop for me. In my mind I considered the angle that we were turning at, the speed of the truck coming at me, realize that I was not wearing a seatbelt, doing all the math in my head and realizing that this truck would slam directly into me. And not instant my fear peeked out of crescendo and then suddenly dissipated and I accepted that I was going to die, and that it was okay. My only regret would be the friend that I was with might feel responsible and she was have to deal with this. Explaining to my mother what happened, possibly getting hurt herself. In that instant I had time to analyze and process the entirety of the situation and come to peace with it.
Luckily the truck driver noticed us and veered to his left to avoid hitting us. But I always found it very peculiar how much time I had to think about everything in that fraction of a second. Exactly as much as I required to be at peace.
I nearly drowned as a child, and I felt almost as though I were being swaddled. I felt sheltered, calm, and at peace. I was saved by a stranger who dragged me out of the pool, and instantly felt the relief of running to my parents, but I remember the embrace of the water as my eyes closed and my muscles relaxed. Looking back, Hel may very well have been reaching out to me, ready to cradle a lost child in her arms.
Beautifully written
i would never see Hel as evil, death itself is not either good nor bad is just a part of life, everything that starts may end, nothing is everlasting, nor must be, otherwise the value on anything would become superfluous.
Also beautiful vid Ocean
"Hel" there is only one L in her name.
@@Lupinemancer87 right, sorry, autocorrector
Well if there's an afterlife then existence is eternal
I've recently lost my mom and not long after I had a dream where she told me she was in Helheim. Was it a simple dream? Maybe, but I'd like to think she was letting me know she was okay. I think Hel is complex; there are many sides to her. She can be terrifying when angered, but does truly care for those who have passed.
Been to Helheim several dreams and wanted to let you know your mom is in good hands, it's a fascinating yet lovely place of joy. I give you my condolences however.
It may be UPG, but I believe that Hela is not only a goddess of death but also of disability. She shows us that disability, illness, frailty, and ultimately death are as much a part of the human experience as being young, strong, and healthy.
Hel has been reaching out to me a great deal of late and I was unable to entirely figure out why, but this makes sense as I’ve been really struggling with my disability lately!
Yes. Wonderfully put💙
yes!!!! wow!!!!! she first came to me when i became disabled. she said, "there is a lot you will never be able to do. you will not be a warrior. your death will not be glorious, when it happens, but it will be witnessed and honored. you do not need glory to be loved."
Tyr is disabled, Odin is disabled, but Hel is complete as she is supposed to be. I don't know where you got such a silly idea
Aye!!, she stood by my bedside when I got the sickness in 2021. I said to her my body is starting to slip I can feel it. At the time I was running dangerously high fevers and was afraid to go to the hospital. My feeling is if I’m going to die I’m going to go the way that I want to. I hate being sick, I remember dying in past lives because of illness, and so I told her. I remember this and it’s to the point I know I’ll just slip in and out until I stay out and come to you. She said ah yes, yes you can if you choose, and you’ve helped a lot of people in the life you’ve had, and have done great things, but if you stay you can help more people. It was only a few hours after that , that a friend of mine reached out to me, because she lost her son. She had questions and wanted to know if he was ok. So I tuned into the other world and was able to bring her peace and restore faith. After I hung up with her. I looked over at Hel who was still with me and I said ok you win, you win. I’ll get over the fear of taking medication, and I’ll get better. We always have a sovereign choice in wether we want to go on or stay in the physical. She knew how to keep me going lol. I so love her with all my heart.
so i'm a witch as well as a heathen and i work very closely with hel. she's kind and understanding, but can also be strict. she's not the kind of goddess you want to get on your bad side, but when hel is in your corner there is little that can stop you. thank you, ocean, for covering her.
Have you spoken to hel before?
I prayed to her recently and feel comforted after I just did. my pet rabbit passed away.
Fking weirdos
How to invoke her ,plz tell me ❤❤
Can we be able to contact each other? I would love to learn more of those ways and i do plan to be a follower of Hel at heart.
I've always held to the belief that to not at least accept her position is to deny a large portion of the life cycle. All that is living must die. And as someone that grew out of the "Valhalla or nothing" mindset I've come to know a sort of peace with Hel. She waits for most and if she is willing to be the gracious hostess then I am happy to give frith before I knock at the doors
While inaccurate, I do love the idea of Hel as a lord of Hell that even Satan doesn't want to mess with.
I almost want a slice of life comic where different death deities have to live in the same building. Hel is the intimidating but secretly compassionate one who takes in people with no where else to go and stays in contact with all of them once they leave. She's always got several people over and is very comforting without playing favorites. She doesn't tolerate anyone abusing hospitality or power, and always has a ready ear for anyone who needs to talk. She might be the RA or building super.
Satan is the edgy rebel who really just wants freedom and the respect of a father he despises after a childhood of conditional acceptance, but doesn't mess with Hel because she keeps the peace, he looks up to her, and he thinks she's scary. He probably throws wild parties, but still feels very lonely most of the time. He struggles to remember to take care of himself or ask for help, and his arc is focused around self acceptance.
Anubis is a nerd who loves math and chemistry and insists the afterlife be kept organized, but always makes time for his pet. He always carries pet treats. He probably keeps some very strange hours and talks on the phone with Thoth every week.
Hades is the responsible oldest sibling who is constantly expected to drop everything and clean up after his asshole brothers, but just wants to do his job and come home to his wife and dog in their penthouse. Persephone keeps a greenhouse on the roof, but only her friends know that the beautiful flowers are mostly poisonous, carnivorous, or parasitic. She travels for work, spending the summers with her mom out in the country. She doesn't entirely understand why Hades keeps sticking his neck out for Zeus and Poseidon, but they do own a business together and Hades still sees his baby brothers he couldn't protect. He doesn't know the full extent of how messed up his brothers act.
Thanatos is a bit dumb, but has a kind heart and makes amazing cookies. He's constantly behind on his work, but just sort of accepts the chaos. He's always in a good mood, if a bit tired.
Hermes probably spends a few days every week crashing on Thanatos' couch. They're coworkers and get along well. He always has twelve things to do and no one understands how he manages to stay on top of it all. He works three jobs, freelances, and has a social life.
Dionysus is probably Satan's friend who brings the liquor to the parties, gets absolutely wild, and is a bit of an enabler. He's only a part time death god, but splits his time between his own apartment and his girlfriend's place. He always tells these wild stories that, concerningly, might actually be true.
@@aubreyackermann8432 I love it. But don't you mean slice of death?
Here's some more:
Ereshkigal is totally a bi cougar who mistakes 'aggressive flirting' for 'sexy confidence' and inadvertently comes across as terrifying.
Izanami misses her kids, laments how they had to grow up without her (she always kept tabs on them, but had no way to help them) and just hates men.
Sedna also hates men (they share a solidarity). She's a hippy who loves (mostly carnivorous) animals, because of this, nobody suspects she's also an avid hunter and a chronic hoarder.
What do you think about Osiris?
@@TheMageOfVoid Osiris is having something like a midlife crisis trying to adapt to his new role as king of the underworld. He starts buying a whole new wardrobe around his new complexion, he's finding tacky quotes to frame on his wall, and he bought a boat. His wife Isis is trying to be supportive, but is concerned he's going off the rails. She tried to get him to take up a number of hobbies, but they don't stick. Wood carving reminds him of the smell of being nailed into a sarcophagus, his potted plants keep dying, and his novel never made it past bullet points. He's trying out the drums, and it's awful.
The fates have been in the building the longest. No one's quite sure how long, or what their relationship to each other is. They never answer personal questions with anything more than a knowing smile. They knit sweaters for the other residents, and no one is brave enough to refuse the gift. They always act so sweet, but they make your hair stand on end and no one knows why. They always have the best gossip though, and will invite the other tenants to their place to share it. No one has even considered saying no, even if they had other plans.
Odin is the resident know it all. He's always travelling, and when he is home his veteran buddies are with him for some drinks. He likes craft brews and mead, but will always be willing to try something new. His gatherings usually end in a brawl, a sparring match, or trivia games and logic puzzles. He is in an open marriage with Frigg, and they seem to truly love each other.
Freyr and Freya are siblings who share an apartment, along with several cats and a potbelly pig. They also participate in the neighborhood allotment gardens, breed and show fancy cats, and enjoy HEMA and larping. Freyr regularly visits the cemetery to clean untended graves and leave offerings. Freya wears her hair down to her ankles and loves to swish it around herself dramatically.
The Morrigan is good friends with Odin, as both keep Ravens and will help each other out with their care. She is also friends with Hecate and spends a lot of time around the fates, as all are triple goddesses. She mostly keeps to herself, but will accompany Freya and Freyr to their larp battles or go paint balling to play strategist. She takes the form of a crow to keep tabs on people, and has quite the jealous streak. No one really knows what to expect from her, and that's just the way she likes it.
Hecate has a ferret, an orange cat, a black cat, a beagle, several frogs, a few snakes, a fish tank, and a number of other pets. She is very open about her witchcraft, but doesn't share her recipes or spells. She loves candles, and always has some lit. She spends time with Hades, Persephone, Morrigan, and the fates. I think she might have a rivalry of sorts with Erishkegal? She and Persephone share a love of obscure and poisonous plants.
Ran and Aegir like to host, and light their home with very yellow bulbs and candles. Aegir and Odin particularly share a love of craft brews, though Aegir actually makes them and Odin just drinks. Both Ran and Aegir wear gold jewelry, and expect housewarming gifts from their guests. Their guests often stay overnight or for several days, to the point that various gatherings frequently overlap. Ran, tall and graceful with cold gray eyes, likes to wear mesh fabrics and lace. Their nine daughters visit frequently, and the house is never quiet. Ran in particular can be imposing as her face doesn't show much emotion and she has no hesitation to finish a disagreement. It is hard to see, but her temper is always flaring and soothing, her mind racing then still. She is supremely confident and speaks her mind concisely. Aegir is the expressive one, helping put guests at ease.
I have been wanting this video for SO LONG. This is -chefs kiss-, I love the variety of art, the ambient music, the information, the reading list, your practice notes, spooky ending, everything is immaculate.
Usually I start these comments with a pun, whoops lol.
Thank you Ocean for covering Hel. Sadly, this video is very impactful at the current time, due to a loss of a friend. Hearing your perspective and your praxis with Hel has definitely helped put my mind a bit more at ease. Thank you, friend.
Sorry for your loss
Even before I started being experimental with my spirituality very recently, as an atheist, I had a pretty complex view of death. I would normally describe life and death as being equally valuable, as all things that live will eventually die, and it is only through death that life continues. As such I would view the two almost like an arborous. As of right now, I am somewhere between an atheopagan and a Norse polytheist, and because of my previous view, I was pretty much guaranteed to incorporate Hel into my practice.
With death being both inevitable and necessary for life, it only make sense for the goddess responsible for the care of the dead to be viewed in high regard for me. Weather death is the end or not for an individual, it is only through death that new life can continue to thrive in our fucked up little blue marble. In short, wonderful video! Gives me alot to ponder as I move into making my alter piece for Hel this month.
It is good to see the Mother of Peace get talked about here, the dead are honored, and have a home with her. As one who has died and has come back, a connection is strong, the dead smile fondly upon you friend. They are always watching
I always love death deities. Hel is amazing I would love to worship her along with others that I love so deeply. And it reminds me of an UPG that I have with that one famous line from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows where in the story of the Deathly Hollows at the end the youngest brother "then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life"
I view death deities are always with us but from a distance but always waiting and always there in open arms.
Amazing video as always Ocean!
I’m guessing making this video was a HELuva good time?
Ive always imagined Helheim as kinda of a "Land of Always Autumn" (Not in the spooky Halloween way... more in the long walks in the forrest way), a place where good people can continue to be good to each other and be happy - and Ive always thought it contradictory that the legions of Hel would be on the side of evil during Ragnarok when its understood that the people who went to Hel where *not* warriors, they were elders, children and people who died of illness. Not much competition against the einherjar
Seen Helheim in several dreams and you are right. There were autumn like elements to it but also a mixture of spring, permeated in a mystical blueish green light. Makes sense because fall is usually the time when things pass, and spring is when things renew themselves. Her hall was also wonderful and happy
She's my matron and I absolutely love her. She is hauntingly beautiful ❤️
As are you x
@@lliamthrumble who?
@@neirakhepera4043 you
@@lliamthrumble aww thank you!
I plan to honor Hel once I am out of the hospital that is. For not taking me but also taking care of a cat of my partner’s who has to be put down.
I will be the first time worshiping her, but like a lot of people I don’t think I would reach out to her in any other situation. Which might be why she doesn’t have places named after her.
Most of my worship is related to Loki and Sigyn so I might have a different viewpoint than most on the subject.
Hel was who I actually started worshipping first when i decided to convert. It great to see someone put into words how i feel, because i cant
I think the reason she looks both alive and decayed is because death isnt really this thing that's different from life. Death feeds life in numerous ways, and it's not a separate thing its just another step of life. Hel seems scary because death scares us. Hel also seems kind and patient because death can also be a sweet release after a long weary life. Life is about taking the next step, trying not to dwell on the past and keep taking the next step. I think Hel to me at least feels more like a distant mother figure of sorts, claiming lives to feed more life.
Though I look up to Tyr (with a side of Thor) the most for guidance in everyday life, I often find most comfort when my thoughts reflect on Hel. Obviously, death isn't desirable, but it is inevitable. So If I must go somewhere, it'll be to Her care.
Amusingly, I was at work the other day thinking to myself "Would be cool If Ocean's next vid was on Hel"... sure enough....
It is good to show respect towards the mistress of the dead, i tend to give offerings to her during Dísablót (Halloween if you will) and Walpurgisnacht, I live in the south hemisphere so we are currently celebrating the latter. "She who conceals" is what i call her, she has always been present in one way or another, she has taken my relatives and will eventually take me too. Death is a process of decay that must take place in order to give birth to new life hence Hel's divided face. You might consider me a soft polytheist since I think she might be the same as Hulda.
I was actually considering holding a kind of Helblot this year around Halloween but I’ve been on the fence about it. Not sure if there was any historical precedent for it at that time of year. Ocean you have given me the confidence to get over that fence and I love the idea about offering letters. Idk if you would have the time this year but I would greatly appreciate a video on some of rituals you do on various blóts that you hold. Or just an entire video dedicated to your Helblot would be cool.
Eventual projects, definitely.
@@OceanKeltoi I would definitely appreciate this as well for some context and inspiration, but I can imagine a lot of things are private between you and the Gods, and that's perfectly understandable and okay too 💚
Very nice look at Hel. Makes me so happy to see all these barely-anything-is-known-about-them gods. Gives me hope for my lil boi, Hodr.
There are many deities that can be associated with disability. Tyr is missing his hand. Odin is missing an eye. Heimdallr is missing an ear. Many of the Gods have very different perspectives as a result of these limitations explained in myth.
@@OceanKeltoi I was going to make a joke about Osiris but decided against it.
Your way of talking plus that calming background music and the theme of afterlife is a ... strangely calming combination.
She is my favorite goddess. I adore Freyja as well and feel a connection to her too, as well as a couple deities outside of Norse myths. But Hel is special to me. I’ve never seen her as some wicked being, but literally what she is, a caretaker of the dead. When my grandmother passed I started to think about Hel and Helheim a lot and how according to those legends my grandmother would be under Hel’s care. I don’t imagine we would be suffering in a frozen wasteland for eternity just because we didn’t die as great warriors with many kills under our belts. Or children who have died, why would they be sent to suffer? Thinking of Ragnar and Lagertha’s daughter in Vikings made me think of that as well back when I was watching it. Death is life. To live is to die. But people fear death so they always paint death deities as these dark beings to fear. When you look at very old traditions from other cultures, they don’t see death like we do in westernized cultures and practices. I’m quite positive her story has just been washed to fit a narrative like many of the stories were. I am not sure what I believe, I feel like an atheist but I also feel energies from the earth I can’t explain, I have experienced things as a practicing witch that I can’t explain, though I tried to deny them. If we do get an afterlife, I think I would be just fine spending mine in her realm.
But on a more shallow side I also just relate to her because the whole being cast away by those around her and trying to make a home out of her situation, and being the person who will take in the sort of people who wouldn’t go to Valhalla or Folkvangr. Like I see her father similarly as the patron of outcasts. I aspire to that as well. I feel more pull towards animals that often are rejected by “normal” people like black cats, “aggressive” dog breeds, crows, wolves, foxes, possums, etc. But the half and half body thing as well. I was born crooked, with only half the space of my mother’s uterus, with an underdeveloped right hand, crooked right hip, this weird anomaly in my ankle I had surgery to fix, I have scoliosis and I didn’t understand what was said because I was around 10 but I remember hearing “15% on the right” when the doctor talked about my spine to my parents. My left side is perfectly normal. Any time things go wrong it’s always that same side. I had grown up feeling half right and half defected. When I found her, I immediately was so drawn to her. Atheist or not, I still like to pay my respects to her and collect art of her and she still influences me. Besides…she just looks cool!
I Always thought of Hel as a caretaker,
a gatekeeper to Home.
Right now I am asking myself why I never did a Blot for her at Helloween before
Love this Hel like other gods and goddesses of death aren't evil they care for the dead nice to see them represented in unbiased light
Christians: "You're going to Hell." Me: "I know. Thank you. That's the nicest thing a Christian has ever said to me. I can't wait to meet her."
Demonic Queen? Caretaker of the Dead? Why not both! That's the way of left hand path paganism.
Seriously though I am here for this and I intend to wait in line.
Hel has struck me obviously as a deeply misunderstood deity. Odin trusted her enough and valued her enough to give her a huge responsibility. One that he knew would be desisive.
I have had my fair share of experience with death, and knowing that I have a relationship with the goddess of Helheim eases my heart when I sit next to somone as they pass on, or as I try to face the mortality we all share.
I see Hel as a woman who is respected for her duties, and takes them very seriously.
Hel embodies an intensity that could be misconstrued as malice. But in my mind, and how she shows up in my practice, is a woman who is busy but compassionate for the people in her care.
I've always been drawn to the "darker" deities, moreso the deities of the dead. I believe the distinction between Hel and the other death deities lies in that distinction. I've never once come across mention of her killing anyone, causing illness, being the instrument of age, etc. She is, however, a goddess of the dead (not death).
The rooster being resurrected after being chucked over the gate of Helheim, to me, makes me think of a phoenix, though not in the sense of it becoming one, but more that it has passed into the influence of one. I'm not trying to compare Hel to a phoenix either, though.
What I'm trying to explain is why, in my worldview, there are no place names, idols, temples, etc, for Hel, why her depictions seem all over the place, and why it makes perfect sense to me. This isn't historically or mythologically accurate by any means, and I can't really call it UPG either.
Dead and rotting things break down into nutrients for other things to live, grow, and make more life before they, too, die and rot.. Leave a human body on the ground under the right conditions and other things will find life in it, usually by eating it, or eating what it eventually breaks down into; the human body in question has become the life-giver. I don't know enough of any sort of biology, medicine, or whatever to guess at whether or not an aged human body would break down at a different rate to a younger one, so I won't go there. I specified a human in this example but everything else goes through this same process if it is left alone long enough (or tended to correctly if it's a compost pile).
I, personally, believe that Hel has dominion over these rotting and decaying processes, as well as the spirits/energies that once inhabited the rotting/decaying things. I feel this is why there are no worldly remains of Hel's worship apart from stories with mixed meanings, that no one felt the need to build or record them because wherever there was rot and decay (which are natural parts of an organic thing's existence), she or at least her domain, was there.
Throw that whole thing at any cycle in nature and you might even be able to say that the universe is Hel's temple, and that she is the agent of massive change, even if it's so slow most of us don't give it the attention it deserves.
When Hel acquiesces to allow Baldr to return so long as everything alive and dead mourn him, it always reminds me of about mid-February-ish (in the northern hemisphere, specifically midwestern US because that's where I live and I've never traveled) when everything's so disgustingly cold and icy that damn near everything seems to hunger fiercely for spring. The story turns out differently than the year, but I find myself drawing the comparison anyways. Winter being vital for new spring growth only amplifies this for me.
Sorry for the text wall, stuff like this is so difficult to explain.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟comment!
My assumption would be that rituals to Hel in the past if they existed would be held at funerals asking for Hel to guide their now dead relative or friend safely to Helheim
This really spoke to me as my first experience with a deity and my intro to heathenry was through Hel. I definitely see her as more of a welcoming comforting goddess who welcomes those of us who have had shall we say less exciting deaths. Was also interesting this experience happened during the pandemic and I improvised my first Helblot last Halloween. It was a powerful experience. The story of Baldr sounds alot like a story about the stages of grief which I think is a tale all people can relate to.
Oh and there is also the fun part when Christians tell me I am going to hell I just tell them they spelled her name wrong and watch the confusion with amusement.
Lol, I do the same thing and feign confusion: "Of course I'm going to Hel. Where else would I go?"
@@nachobidness2553 Same, lol
Always love hearing your, Wolf's and Beofeld's takes on Hel. The concept of Hel as caretaker, balanced with keeping her at a distance, really gives me much to think about and reflect on.
Also, love the music and art of Hel you used in the video! They really helped facilitate my understanding of the complex description of Hel you provided.
The lack of idols and dedicated temples to Hel has a parallell in Hellenism, with Hades having no known temples (with one possible exception). Due to much the same reason as for Hel - you honour death, but don't invite it.
The one possible exception to the rule of "no Hades temples allowed" is an archaeological site in Turkey called Hierapolis. It's a site famous in antiquity for its mineral baths, a result of geothermal activity underneath the town. It hit major news headlines with the discovery of an ancient church, where a tomb were found, thought by many, including some of the archaeologists, to be the mortal remains of the Apostle St. Philip. With all the (understandable) frenzy around this discovery, one major piece of the history of this place was almost forgotten: like many ancient churches, it was built on top of a pagan shrine or temple. There is obviously not much left of this temple, but its peculiar location (right over a foul-smelling geothermal vent, which was also noticeable in the church built atop it) had some archaeologists actually believe that if ever there was an actual Hades temple, this would be it. Sadly this got mostly forgotten when the biblical archaeologists basically commandeered the site, so you will probably have to do a lot of digging to find any papers on it. But at least it is a real possibility.
I don't find it particularly hard to believe there haven't at least been shrines or just altars to Hel placed in locations thought to be gates to the Underworld. And there are quite a few such locations in Iceland. But probably nothing permanent, as said sites are usually volcanoes, and if there ever was any permanent structures there to begin with, they would have been destroyed as soon as the volcano erupted. Again, if they even existed in the first place.
I have always been fascinated by the similarities between Norse Goddess Hel and Celtic Goddess Morrigan.
"I will not make a pun about Hel, goddess of Death." Proceed to joke about getting Bolder (Baldr) each time he makes a joke about death gods :D
I can see precisely what you're talking about Ocean, as I've similarly felt that same way about Hel, but also about Fenris Wolf and Jormungandr. All of Loki's children have some place in my own practice, as I feel they're a part, without necessarily being beings one would associate with things one would want to get close to. But at the same time, I've felt a sort of kinship with especially Fenrir so, giving his siblings their own attention seems right
This was beautiful, everything from your storytelling to the music was perfect.
Absolutely. Ocean's music choices are always top notch, but this time was especially remarkable.
Hel has usually had a gentle energy when I've encountered Her. In my experience, She is a powerful healer, which makes sense, because most death deities had birth/regeneration aspects in their earlier stories. She is older than our current mythology- we haven't always known our pantheon by just their current names and stories.
An excellent short book about her is Hel: The Sun Facing Goddess by Bryan Wilton.
I’m really intrigued by her being half dead half alive. Doesn’t this indicate she is more than just a goddess over the dead, but also of life? I wish we could know, but I also believe we are creating a new thing for our time.
I often think of the image of Hell as indicating at the spirit peeling away from the corpse. So as the body decomposes the spirit is released to inhabit its next incarnation (hamr) or to its afterlife.
Perhaps cremation was often favoured because through cremation the 'spirit' (for want of a better word) is released much more quickly.
I plan to do a yearly blot dedicated to the goddess on July 3rd every year. This is due to my grandmother having passed that day, and so that day is when the concept of death effects me most.
Death is truly the only thing in life that's guaranteed therefore the death gods/goddesses are both neccessary and vital to the earth's equilibrium
Thank you so much for this. I am an atheist personally but something about Hel has really deeply resonated with me ever since I found out about her. Tbh she's one of the main things that inspired me to learn more about norse mythology.
I recently was introduced by a co-worker to the concept of Hel as a caretaker and one to be worshipped. After this video I think I will start making offerings to her in thanks of what she does and for her favor in the afterlife
Waiting for this is gonna be the Death of me.
Ever thought about talking about the Dwarves or the Elves?
Yes, but there's also so much to make videos about. I've talked about them briefly in other vids. But yeah, some more focused videos at some point would make sense.
@@OceanKeltoi Ok then. It's up to you.
@@OceanKeltoi BTW, about my comment in the live premiere of Hel making zombies, I think it'd make an interesting zombie movie.
So Hel gets the same sh^t-talking that Hades and Thanatos do, and she's more like those Greek gods... Hades the overseer, Thanatos being the one who tries to bring peace and comfort to the dying. Personally, I wrote a lot of fan fiction about Thanatos when I was young painting him as a virtual angel of mercy... the god who even escorts those who returned from death via life-saving medicine to life, protecting that person from those who would stop that. Death gods don't need worshippers nor do they actually want them. They get their faith energy from the hierarchy (the pantheon) that they serve. They do get irked or sad by the sh^t talking they get about them... it also makes their job more stressful when they must greet souls from newly ended lives.
I guess that's why Marvel again tweaked Norse mythology to have their Hela instead of OG Hel, so they can stick to Christian misinformation about the myth as their inspiration without ruffling as many feathers. I suspect that's why Marvel has their death servant be insane space alien Thanos instead of gentle Greek mythology Thanatos.
After watching this video It changed my view on the goddess maybe I will add her to my personal practice
P.S. that jumpscare at the end almost got me pissing myself 😂
It's not a place of suffering, it a place of well earned peace, I also heard that each person has a hall where they get to meet each and every ancestor all the way to the beginning. My question is I've heard there's a certain part of hel that's meant for those that have done very bad deeds and that is where they go for punishment
Yes it's called Nastrond (Corpse Shore). Those who are evil, particularly murderers, oathbreakers and those unfaithful in romance wind up here; where they will be tormented and eaten over and over by a sinister dragon like creature
This has been one of my favorite videos. I have for a while been wanting to work with Hel but was unsure of how to approach her.
Hope you don't mind me offering advice- maybe start by just talking to Her. I sometimes sense Her presence stronger if I talk to her near a tree.
Eventually, I asked what she liked for offerings and what colors she preferred in Her devotional area (in my case, she seems to enjoy pastels more than the blacks and greys we associate with Her). I've found it works better to actually ask deities/spirits what they like, rather than copying ideas from the internet or books. Some of those associations were meant for a specific person, based on their relationship with Her, or were assigned to Her by people making assumptions about death.
@@nachobidness2553 Thank you!
@@thompsonlc88 You're welcome.
I was wondering if you were considering doing a video on Ullr. I know there isnt much information on him, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on him as he seems to mean a lot to me
When I was first working out which Goddess was reaching out to me I did look at Hel. She is not the one that I was connected to but I have a soft spot for her and still honour her amongst others .
I haven’t incorporated Hel into my practice yet, I intend to at some point, perhaps Halloween is a good time to do so. Though I am uncertain and cautious to do so. It feels sad to me that people worship Hel but do so at a distance so as not to invite death into their lives, perhaps meaning you cannot have as personal or reciprocal a connection with her as other Gods. However I decide to go about it, I personally believe I’ll end up in Helheim, and hold Hel in great respect
I'm not pagan or a heathen (at least not in the religious sense, lol), but I appreciate the idea of Hel being a being just a goddess who's doing a job. Not evil, not necessarily good, just someone who is doing a job.
While I was Catholic, I would always get death dreams (Just ones where I died over and over again). And those dreams always ended very similarly I was doing something I die or was killed and I wake up. But once I was starting to become a Heathen, I got a dream where I was dead and I was in front of my friend trying to ask him what was wrong with no success. And behind me was a bright light and woman's voice that came from that light and said
"Emily, come on it's time to go"
I turn to my friend one last time told him to not cry that I was okay now and followed the voice only to wake back up again
Looking back at it, I don't think I had another death dream since then
I would Love to see a video on your interpretations/general interpretations of Polytheist myths! There’s very little info from other pagans, and it would be really cool to see more helpful info!
Very excited for this one!
I’ve been going through daily and watching some of the debates that Ocean’s had and I have to say I would love to see another one soon.
I did wind up going on a show hosted by a Muslim friend of mine and we went through some debate discussions. It wasn't a competitive environment, just a bunch of people who love philosophy talking to each other about various ideas. You might enjoy it.
ua-cam.com/video/tp8aiDc6uRE/v-deo.html
@@OceanKeltoi I greatly appreciate that!! I will 100% check it out.
A great video, very informative and concise. Though I can't help but need out about the image from the cover of my -FAVORITE- album!
Skalmold's Born Loka, it's worth listening to in full as it's pretty much an opera, and if you can find clips of the live show with the full orchestra and choirs (especially Narfi) I'd recommend those too.
As a fairly new Heathen, only for about a year, I’ve realized that there was a lot about Hel that I haven’t even studied or considered. Thanks for this video, Ocean. I really enjoyed it.
Death 💀 smiles upon us all , All we can do is smile back. Marcus Aurelius 💀
Absolutely amazing content, Keltoi. New subscriber and novice to learning about your religion. As an atheist (and unlikely to ever be anything else) I find your religion, and your views about it fascinating and enriching. From watching your content so far, there is no preaching, no fear-mongering, no proselytizing..
Even though I'm just watching recordings you've made, through your content and the community you seem to foster, I do not feel unwelcome despite being godless. Having been raised around Christianity my entire life, feeling unwelcome in the presence of the religious has been my only experience. I cannot even begin to describe how unfathomably heartwarming it is to watch and listen to you passionately speak about your religion, your gods, and not feel judged or feel like an outcast. It's.. it's emotionally moving and I don't even share your belief.
It's world-shattering, honestly. But.. in a good way? It's hard to describe.
What I mean to say - put simply - is thank you.
This video was particularly moving for me, as I have always felt a strange connection to the dark, even to death. To me, all of this was beautiful.
Engaging in reciprocity with the goddess of death means that there will be Hel to pay.
So firstly, that pun had me cackling. Secondly, loved this video. Hel is a very comforting diety in my experience and I always find rituals I do in veneration and thanks to her have refreshed me and helped me process often complicated feelings around grief. I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on her.
Thank you for the video on the Goddess Hel Ocean
Hel is the first and primary deities I work with. I find her to be very calming and Maternal. Peaceful. In my work with her she's helped me come to terms with my mortality and given wisdom and kindness to me in my communion with her. At this point, I even have a prayer written in her honor that I plan to use in ritual soon.
Really liked this video. Resonates with me in some way.
I will admit, I find myself intrigued by the idea of offering Hel messages for those who have gone on before us. At the least it might be a way to deal with some of my lingering issues surrounding the loss of my father quite a few year ago. He was adamantly Mormon, though, so I don't know that he'd be with Hel or if she could even get through to him. But if it would help me... it might be worth doing.
For myself, I like the idea of a maternal caretaker of Death. One worthy of honor and respect, but who we really shouldn't be in any great hurry to meet. She'll be there when we get there, but in the meantime, life has so many things to offer us and she's in no hurry, so we shouldn't be either.
My beloved is in a hospital to protect from suicide after a very long and difficult day yesterday of supporting her the best I could, relieved when she was willing to go and be admitted. Watching this after a restless night of non-sleep brought me a soothing inspiration and I’m making a respectfully cautious offering to Hel. Thank you 🌳💚
In my studies of various mythologies, I have found that death has a special place in my sphere. The Greek term, "chthōn," is the basis for the term Chthonic, which means 'concerning, belonging to, or inhabiting the Underworld.' Chthonic deities are often feared or misunderstood because of their connections to dying and whatever comes after, but I see them more akin to caretakers. Beings that have chosen to care for mortal souls. To me, many death gods are in fact deities of LOVE, who do not represent the fleeting love of mortal life, but ETERNAL love for a thing which lives forever: the soul.
In my personal philosophy, death being peaceful is a VERY important piece of the overall puzzle. I just don't see how beautiful creatures, such as beloved pets, or wonderful human souls could be condemned to a terrible place at the end of their life. It's one of many things that makes me uncomfortable about certain monotheistic religions: if you're not perfect, you're damned. There's no place for 'good people who aren't {whatever},' only 'the good place for the perfect people' and 'the torture pit for everyone else.' It seems cruel. But death isn't cruel. The afterlife, if there is one, surely is not cruel.
Hades in Greek, Hel in Norse culture, Osiris in Egyptian - these are but three gods who, in my eyes, are first and foremost the caretakers of the departed. They're not torturers or demons, and oftentimes they are not even the ones who take life. Usually, the deity that controls the afterlife is NOT the same as the deity who controls death. As you said in the video, "[people] guide souls to Hel." Hel doesn't come climbing out of Helheim to snatch up the last breath of life, she waits to welcome souls which are brought to her.
As always, your storytelling and narration is engaging and the information is truly fascinating!
This one is for you, Ocean:
I wanted to make a joke about death, but... I realized it was the Rán time to do so.
I’m still collecting information on the gods and waiting until I get my own place to actively worship them but I’m definitely going to incorporate Hel into my practice. I have a rather strange outlook on death it seems as I tend to be happy (depending on the circumstance) for those who have passed since they are no longer suffering and get to move on into the afterlife so I think I should definitely form a relationship with Hel. I didn’t articulate that quite how I wanted to but I think I got my point across? I hope so.
death is a natural part of life, rejoice and celebrate their life
" tell me how he died"
"I'll tell u how he lived"
those lines were always my favorite from the last samurai movie
I would love to see a book written by you. every time i watch a video i feel like i am learning something new about the norse Gods. thank you .
Love this and the music is beautiful! Hel is the only Norse goddess I can seem to feel a connection with, and a dream involving her is the reason I was able to finally throw off Christianity and go over to the pagan side. I would love to see videos about Loki and the rest of his children. Right now I really only work with them, though I do feel some vague love towards Thor as well.
Hel feels very comforting to me. And somewhat... Innocent or like a watcher over the innocent.
Even before I found myself more in this faith, I've never managed to see hel in a bad light, as a demon or a an evil diety, I want to live yet I dont fear the day of my death, I know that whatever place or temple I go after my death, being valhalla, helheim, with freyja or any other, I'll gladly enjoy my stay. I might most likely go to helheim, but I'm not fearful of that idea, I just hope she will be happy to recieve me as much as I will be of meeting her and my loved ones, if thats the place I'll be going to.
I rly love the myth about Hel. Her two sides, the flesh and the dead or in my opinion the light and the dark are representivly for our own behaviors in the real world. We can see so much dark around us but sometimes there is a lighted place where we can settle.
I know so many people who believe that Hel is the hell, but that is in fact not true and even if that is controverse i believe that Hel is a caretaker to who it deserve it an a punisher to who who deserve it.
Please excuse my english it´s not my native language.
Many greetings from Germany - Hannover
Super stoked to watch
For Alfablot my wife is dressing ad Hel and I am dressing as Loki and we are putting on a play for our daughters about her.
I absolutely appreciate your humor
Thank you for this video. I am a follower of Hel, she is my goddess. You did her justice. Beautifully done.
hello if someone gets this plz answer this.🙏
What had Baldur done that has made him go to Helhiem with his wife, bcuz people say “Baldur was similar or like Jesus
Hel ya! I can’t wait for this to drop!