HEL

For my second blog post, here is a drawing I created of the Norse Goddess of the Underworld, Hel. This misunderstood Goddess has been a muse-like, inspirational element in many of my written works, my Bloodsong Trilogy, for example, and my HWA Stoker Award finalist short story in 2007, "The Death Wagon Rolls on By."

The Goddess Hel is described in old Norse lore as being half living, half dead. Also described as half light, half dark, the dark half is usually thought of as the dead half. But in the oldest of Earth's Goddess-oriented cultures, it is believed by some authorities that white was representative of death, being the color of bones. Dark was therefore considered representative of life, being the color of rich earth from which living things grew. So, my portrait of Hel in this drawing shows the living half of her face as black and featureless, in total shadow, and the dead half of Her face as skeletal white and skullish.

Hel's hair I have made serpentine, Medusa-like, as is appropriate for Underworld Goddesses, serpents being an ancient symbol of wisdom and power rooted deep in the Earth. I gave Her another ancient power symbol with the horns upon Her head. An eclipsed Sun (which was also a female power, the Goddess Sunna, in Norse lore) tops it all off, sunlight hidden, momentarily, by the orb of the Moon.

I have been encouraged by many readers to continue my work with Hel and with my Bloodsong warrior woman character. A significant encouragement came from a reader who read Bloodsong's original trilogy (Warrior Witch of Hel, Death Riders of Hel, and Werebeasts of Hel) in their Russian language hardback editions (2002 from Alpha-Kniga). The reader in question, Cornelia Queen, attracted my attention on a facebook page-- Fan Club of the Goddess Hel --where Ms. Queen posted drawings she had done of Hel, from what was, it seemed to me, a totally original viewpoint, concentrating on aspects of Hel's life usually ignored by the myths, such as Hel's childhood with Her mother, the trauma of Her physical appearance, the childhood loneliness of being separated from Her mother (and brothers) by the Gods under Odin's rule, and the loves of Her later life, in particular with Ullr, God of Winter, Who could only be with Her half of the year, returning to the Underworld to be with Hel each Spring (Spring Equinox, when, in Ullr's absence, warmth returns to the surface of the Earth), and leaving Hel each Autumn (Autumn Equinox, when, with Ullr's return, winter comes again to the world of humankind). Here is a link to a poem about Hel and Ullr that Ms. Queen (yes, she is also a poet) posted on the web. I wish I could read it in its original Russian, but it is still extraordinarily effective, in my opinion, in her own English translation. "Hel to Ullr," a poem by Cornelia Queen

I would therefore like to consider my drawing of Hel posted here, in my second blog, as a token of my appreciation to Cornelia Queen's work with Hel in helping me see Hel (and my future work with this enigmatic Norse Goddess) in new and unexpected ways. Here is a link to one of Ms. Queen's Hel-art creations, this one concerning Hel's lover, King Dyggvi, who probably predated Her love with Ullr. Hel and Dyggvi, "Night of Love" by Cornelia Queen  

In my Bloodsong novels, I used an "old saying" that I invented (as far as I know), "Hel Laughs Last." If so, might She not also laugh at the beginning and in the middle? For all I know, She might even take a moment from Her busy schedule caring for the Homeless Dead to grin at a drawing posted in a blog. So! Here's to You, Queen Hel, and here's hoping we can all laugh last at the end!

--original U.S. editions' cover paintings for the Bloodsong Trilogy were by Boris Vallejo.