It‘s insane, I once met an entity in a trance state. It was a pale, beautiful but somehow glooming and cold young woman, tall with fair hair. She showed me the way to some of my dead ancestors in different environments. I only later identified her as Hel, and I was equally mesmerised and fascinated. She taught me that her realm is a place to find protection, peace and comfort. She was a really caring, loving figure, especially towards stillborn and aborted children, people who suicided, and people who died through murder.
That Intro! Speechless. And the ideas and info that follow are wonderful, thank you very much for your work. Hope you are doing better now, looking forward for your perspective about Hel.
Not boring at all. I have not thought of that perspective before and it makes a lot of sense. I appreciate the shorter videos they're easier to fit in on my schedule
would "LOVE" it more if there were some explanation, even if that explanation is that they are random scenes with no real meaning specifically. It is a big "turn-off" to constantly be shown confusing things without explanation or knowledge gained
Beautiful reality that I myself after just visiting a cave makes perfect sense and My life with Giddess Hel and her presence in my life.. Thanku Arith for affirmation and resonance in my being Much love to u and your work here on this earth and your wisdom
Thank you for the fantastically researched information. You are my favorite when it comes to Norse history and education. Bravo! I was wondering if you might create a video on the history of Lachlann, where half Norse, half Irish/Scottish offspring were sent? I think that is where a lot of my ancestors came from.
Thank you Arith, this video opens such an important, interesting and huge part for me. I am fascinated by prehistorical caves, I have recently seen a film documentary made about Chauvet cave in France and I have been reading a book about shamanism and shapeshifting painted in caves as prehistorical art and rappresentation of shamanic ceremonies. Lovee this topic!
When I first got into Norse Paganism, I tried to build a relationship with Odin, Thor, Tyr etc. but nothing, Hel called out to me, I remember as a kid I would have dreams of a tall slender lady, with long black hair, She was very comforting to me, when I was sick she would come to me and hold me. I remember in my early 20’s when I was married to my first wife I dreamed of her again, she told me she was waiting for me, that someday I would take her hand, and I would be with her. I told my wife about the dream and she said I don’t want to lose you to some strange woman, We both had no idea of who she was, decades later when I became a Norse Pagan I heard about the Goddess Hel, I was like that lady of my dreams was you. In my dreams & meditation she has told me she has been with me my whole life and she will be there when this life ends, and she will offer me her hand, And I will take it.
The concept of caves is a very important one, as it provided the ultimate protection, like the womb of a mother. Not at all boring, I was able to actually travel back in my imagination to that period. Very insightful. I feel very connected to Hel, and all Proto Germanic and Proto Norse gods, so this is a very important insight for someone interested in our true heritage. Thank you!
I've seen some insight of Hel (the Goddess) as being Jotun, not Aesir. I also see some Heathens nowadays working with her in ritual when pertaining to matters of the afterlife.
I could give it a try, although it's very hard for me for a variety of reasons, one of which is that I was too small when I met the last (and very very old) pagan ancestors of mine. They didn't pass on to me any knowledge, it's just the memories I have and I try to put the puzzle back together, but as I've said, I was too small and some memories are not very clear. Still, it seems to me their cult to Hel was similar to the Greek cult to Hekate, well in fact, similar to any European cult to a death deity related to magic/black magic.
Its ok if you end up finding it too difficult to put into a video. I have great respect for Hel and its hard to find information online about worship for her. Thank you for replying
Thank you for a most interesting and very well presented video. It is nice to see your representation of Hel as not being 'evil', simply one who had responsibility for the dead, taking them into her realm, which is the way she would have been seen by the Norse people, not feared or disliked but probably worshiped just the same as other gods, and frequently invoked during a blot to honour the dead. She has suffered too much from the Christian slant put onto her, and of course by those dreadful Thor comics and movies. Thank you again for your videos.
I am really intrested to know where it says she has been all black. The only thing i've read, where she is all black, is in vexiors gullveigarbok. And that seemed more like a theoretical philosophical point of view. Maria Kvilhaug wrote an good article, were she brought up some sagas were she seems to depicted as beautiful. As, when dying, a man says that he's going to lay with her, or lay in her bed (wich isn't really a new concept in our mythology, what i know of). Really liked this and the other, Hel has been an sort of center for me in my spiritual life for awhile. Keep up the good work. Best, Niklas
Thank you for this video--I don't see Hel as evil, either. (Also, that opening was wonderfully creepy!) Would it be possible, in the future, to have a video on the goddess herself--her personality, her family, etc.? It's okay if you don't have time, but it never hurts to ask!
When the winter comes and much on earth dies, followed by spring, it could be seen as life being birthed from a goddess, as well as vegetation gods and goddesses from this mother goddess. When things die, it's like they go back to the womb, to caves and underground, to regenerate forth again, possibly in other forms, such as vegetation or animals. I believe the realm of hel would be as a winter to your soul, a slumber beneath the earth.
Arith you do not need to apologise for explaining about where beliefs of the ancestors may have arisen. Another first class video that helps to explain to people that only know these myths through Marvel and gaming (makes me squirm as I write it!). Going back to the Ice Age, could this be the root of the origin of the World inthe Norse beliefs? The ancestors would know a world of ice which eventually thawed to reveal the fertile Earth and plants and animals would then thrive. Maybe their concept of Niffelheim was from their obsevations of the polar regions? I would welcome your thoughts on this before I consign the ideas to the crackpot theory bin.
colin Paterson Your crackpot theory bin should be handed over to the masses who really need one right now! Lol. I totally agree with what you have written Colin.
Hello my dear friend how are you? Sorry I've been quite ill this past week and I'm slowly recovering. I'm not 100% (well, who is right? :P). The creation of the world in Norse mythology seems a lot like a medieval invention because it seems to be a description of what Icelanders were used to, the contact they had with their land, Iceland being precisely the land of Ice and Fire, Niflheim and Muspelheim, coming together to create all things. Other Scandinavians surely had a different perception of the creation of the world, if we take into consideration that such myths were influenced by the observance of the landscape. On the other hand, It could well be a prehistoric myth when much of the northern hemisphere was covered with ice, I mean, our ancestors could literally walk from Scandinavia to the Americas, there were polar bears in souther Portugal for goodness sake lol, so our European ancestors were very much used to ice and the only thing that could melt it was fire and the power of the sun itself, so it could well be a prehistoric myth. I'm sorry if in any point I haven't made much sense but I'm still with fever
You say sorry but thank you for the part about caves at the beginning! Once again the timing in life is amazing--I've recently in my anthropology studies been studying the beliefs of many of the native peoples of the Americas, in which I repeatedly see a theme of groups of people emerging from caves to form civilizations and groups. Now that you say it it seems obvious, but I hadn't given much though to that why that is such a widespread commonality is perhaps when ancient peoples started to leave the shelter of caves and form societies in the open world for good. So thank you for the thoughts, and for something more to consider. And as always, thank you for eloquent and intelligent thoughts on the Norse gods, and I hope you're well!
Hilsner! First, I hope you are doing well friend, and secondly This was a really excellent video Arith! Hel is so overlooked and just misjudged (as you said) as Evil, this to me has just always been nonsense, where do Christians get this insane idea that all dead things are evil? It's hypocrisy for a start their prefect imaginary Jesus climbed out of his own grave has that made him evil? It's unbalanced. As someone who's had a near death experience I can tell you 100% it's not all about angels playing harps but it certainly wasn't evil either!
Thank you my dear friend. Oh yeah, near-death-experiences aren't quite angelic it's true lol. It certainly is scary, but there is a big difference between being scary and evil. I think that's how our collective social mind works most of the time, what is ugly and scary and very inconvenient we put it on the "evil list" and what is appealing we add it to the "good list". We still have this very dualistic point of view on everything and we tend to divide everything into these 2 sides. Hard to let go this cultural way of thinking and I try my best to show that to people and to try to set them free from a dualistic view of the world, which in fact I too keep struggling with that.
snowflake obsidian or obsidian and selenite or astrophyllite firework or any crystal thats white or black and/or with a hint of blue, soft blue like ice not strong blue like water but anything thats black or white is fine i also think dragons blood sage is fine honstly idk
Why did you apologise my friend. I just woke up and watched your video. When my son wakes up, I'll be showing it to him, And I know he'll be begging me to go find a cave he he he. Once again your video me out of the water.
Arith, I wonder if you play video games. And if so, have you ever played Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. You play as a female Pict warrior traveling to Hel to rescue the soul of her friend. It is without a doubt an amazing psycho-cinematic experience. Just incredible. You can watch people play the game on youtube. It is just an incredible game - and especially impactful to those familiar with Norse mythology.
Isn't she called and pronounced Hel, as in Norwegian 'whole'?, with a long é, related to Norwegian helse- wholesome, Norwegian hel-whole, háil Mary etc as opposed to you stretching it to hell pronunciation?, for obvious reasons?
our ancestors gathered in safe places beside warm fires, where everywhere else was death. food & drink were scarce. the cloth had to be made by hand by the women. they discussed reality; family, events, life & death, nature. like today those old men at the hardware store, having coffee & talking shop. in the old days & nights... they had to scare the children to make them behave.
Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. She vowed to kill death. The Father is her father and she is the small child that will led us. Loki ate her heart after cannibals ate her, tried many ways to kill her. Hung her on a tree and the SUN God ate her/burnt her face. She is jesus,the light the womb, the heart, the "ARM" of God and No one found her because they told you she was a dude, and made her evil. She is the one that saves and saves herself. Egyptian. Love your work, it's great. Hel was never loki's daughter, he just ate her heart, he found it on the ground after the tree burnt down. Thanks
Hel was not seen as only putrid and rotten...half of her was most beautiful, the other rotting....unfortunately this is where I finally disagree with Mr. Harger. Hel ruled over Hel itself (not helheim as it's been bastardized) and the mid ground before going to whatever hall suited your mortal life... this is a horribly inaccurate cideo
Thank you Arith, this video opens such an important, interesting and huge part for me. I am fascinated by prehistorical caves, I have recently seen a film documentary made about Chauvet cave in France and I have been reading a book about shamanism and shapeshifting painted in caves as prehistorical art and rappresentation of shamanic ceremonies. Lovee this topic!
It‘s insane, I once met an entity in a trance state. It was a pale, beautiful but somehow glooming and cold young woman, tall with fair hair. She showed me the way to some of my dead ancestors in different environments. I only later identified her as Hel, and I was equally mesmerised and fascinated. She taught me that her realm is a place to find protection, peace and comfort. She was a really caring, loving figure, especially towards stillborn and aborted children, people who suicided, and people who died through murder.
I really don't understand why there are any 'thumbs down' on this video.
There is a vast lack of information on Hél. I appreciate this video.
That Intro! Speechless.
And the ideas and info that follow are wonderful, thank you very much for your work.
Hope you are doing better now, looking forward for your perspective about Hel.
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it. I had fun making the intro :p see you on the next video hehe :p
Wow! What an opening! I was spellbound immediately! Great video, Arith! Tack så mycket!
Not boring at all. I have not thought of that perspective before and it makes a lot of sense. I appreciate the shorter videos they're easier to fit in on my schedule
LOVE the introduction! Interesting concepts.
thank you so much my friend ^^
would "LOVE" it more if there were some explanation, even if that explanation is that they are random scenes with no real meaning specifically. It is a big "turn-off" to constantly be shown confusing things without explanation or knowledge gained
I agree! His introductions are by far the best.
Your work is awsome Arith
thank you very much! :D
Arith you are a Living Blessing from the Old Ones !
Thank you friend :)
You have some craft in making dark concepts appearing so brightly. Thanks a lot, mesmerising intro!
Beautiful reality that I myself after just visiting a cave makes perfect sense and My life with Giddess Hel and her presence in my life.. Thanku Arith for affirmation and resonance in my being Much love to u and your work here on this earth and your wisdom
Wow brother, you bring joy to me with your videos
Another brilliant video. Thank you Arith. 🙂
thank you :D
Wonderful. Your summary at the end was amazing
Thank you ^^
I love the beginning of your videos it's very spiritual and also the I think the caves was a good concept definitely enjoyed your videos thank you
Thank you for the fantastically researched information. You are my favorite when it comes to Norse history and education. Bravo! I was wondering if you might create a video on the history of Lachlann, where half Norse, half Irish/Scottish offspring were sent? I think that is where a lot of my ancestors came from.
This was your best intro
Thank you Arith, this video opens such an important, interesting and huge part for me. I am fascinated by prehistorical caves, I have recently seen a film documentary made about Chauvet cave in France and I have been reading a book about shamanism and shapeshifting painted in caves as prehistorical art and rappresentation of shamanic ceremonies. Lovee this topic!
Helvegen 🙂 Great video. I really appreciate your love for the details.
When I first got into Norse Paganism, I tried to build a relationship with Odin, Thor, Tyr etc. but nothing, Hel called out to me, I remember as a kid I would have dreams of a tall slender lady, with long black hair, She was very comforting to me, when I was sick she would come to me and hold me.
I remember in my early 20’s when I was married to my first wife I dreamed of her again, she told me she was waiting for me, that someday I would take her hand, and I would be with her.
I told my wife about the dream and she said I don’t want to lose you to some strange woman, We both had no idea of who she was, decades later when I became a Norse Pagan I heard about the Goddess Hel, I was like that lady of my dreams was you.
In my dreams & meditation she has told me she has been with me my whole life and she will be there when this life ends, and she will offer me her hand, And I will take it.
The concept of caves is a very important one, as it provided the ultimate protection, like the womb of a mother. Not at all boring, I was able to actually travel back in my imagination to that period. Very insightful. I feel very connected to Hel, and all Proto Germanic and Proto Norse gods, so this is a very important insight for someone interested in our true heritage. Thank you!
I've seen some insight of Hel (the Goddess) as being Jotun, not Aesir. I also see some Heathens nowadays working with her in ritual when pertaining to matters of the afterlife.
Is she not Jotun as a daughter of Loki? Also, what are the modern heathens trying to do about the afterlife? Secure a nice spot in Hel? Lol
Stunning Presentation Arith You have Surpassed Your High Standards in Posts !
Thank you very much :D
The introduction was awesome. Very profound analysis.
The concept about caves was not boring at all! It makes perfect sense.
Would you write about or make a video about how your ancestors worshiped Hel?
Lord Dranek I second that!! Thanks Lord Dranek, I had meant to ask that also.
I could give it a try, although it's very hard for me for a variety of reasons, one of which is that I was too small when I met the last (and very very old) pagan ancestors of mine. They didn't pass on to me any knowledge, it's just the memories I have and I try to put the puzzle back together, but as I've said, I was too small and some memories are not very clear. Still, it seems to me their cult to Hel was similar to the Greek cult to Hekate, well in fact, similar to any European cult to a death deity related to magic/black magic.
Its ok if you end up finding it too difficult to put into a video. I have great respect for Hel and its hard to find information online about worship for her. Thank you for replying
Thank you for another great video!
and thank you for watching it and for the feedback ^^
Love the intro!! Excelent work
Ah ganda JP!
Awesome intro 🖤 A darkness that draws you in... just like Hella
És muito simpático, adoro ouvir-te! Maravilhoso!
teresa branquinho figueiredo obrigadinho obrigadinho 😝
very well explained 🌻
Thank you for a most interesting and very well presented video. It is nice to see your representation of Hel as not being 'evil', simply one who had responsibility for the dead, taking them into her realm, which is the way she would have been seen by the Norse people, not feared or disliked but probably worshiped just the same as other gods, and frequently invoked during a blot to honour the dead. She has suffered too much from the Christian slant put onto her, and of course by those dreadful Thor comics and movies. Thank you again for your videos.
I would like to see an episode about norns!!!
Lagg en episode om nornar vær så snill!!!! :)
I am really intrested to know where it says she has been all black. The only thing i've read, where she is all black, is in vexiors gullveigarbok. And that seemed more like a theoretical philosophical point of view.
Maria Kvilhaug wrote an good article, were she brought up some sagas were she seems to depicted as beautiful. As, when dying, a man says that he's going to lay with her, or lay in her bed (wich isn't really a new concept in our mythology, what i know of). Really liked this and the other, Hel has been an sort of center for me in my spiritual life for awhile. Keep up the good work. Best, Niklas
Thank you for this video--I don't see Hel as evil, either. (Also, that opening was wonderfully creepy!)
Would it be possible, in the future, to have a video on the goddess herself--her personality, her family, etc.? It's okay if you don't have time, but it never hurts to ask!
When the winter comes and much on earth dies, followed by spring, it could be seen as life being birthed from a goddess, as well as vegetation gods and goddesses from this mother goddess. When things die, it's like they go back to the womb, to caves and underground, to regenerate forth again, possibly in other forms, such as vegetation or animals. I believe the realm of hel would be as a winter to your soul, a slumber beneath the earth.
Arith you do not need to apologise for explaining about where beliefs of the ancestors may have arisen. Another first class video that helps to explain to people that only know these myths through Marvel and gaming (makes me squirm as I write it!).
Going back to the Ice Age, could this be the root of the origin of the World inthe Norse beliefs? The ancestors would know a world of ice which eventually thawed to reveal the fertile Earth and plants and animals would then thrive. Maybe their concept of Niffelheim was from their obsevations of the polar regions? I would welcome your thoughts on this before I consign the ideas to the crackpot theory bin.
colin Paterson Your crackpot theory bin should be handed over to the masses who really need one right now! Lol. I totally agree with what you have written Colin.
Hello my dear friend how are you? Sorry I've been quite ill this past week and I'm slowly recovering. I'm not 100% (well, who is right? :P). The creation of the world in Norse mythology seems a lot like a medieval invention because it seems to be a description of what Icelanders were used to, the contact they had with their land, Iceland being precisely the land of Ice and Fire, Niflheim and Muspelheim, coming together to create all things. Other Scandinavians surely had a different perception of the creation of the world, if we take into consideration that such myths were influenced by the observance of the landscape. On the other hand, It could well be a prehistoric myth when much of the northern hemisphere was covered with ice, I mean, our ancestors could literally walk from Scandinavia to the Americas, there were polar bears in souther Portugal for goodness sake lol, so our European ancestors were very much used to ice and the only thing that could melt it was fire and the power of the sun itself, so it could well be a prehistoric myth. I'm sorry if in any point I haven't made much sense but I'm still with fever
Thanks for that Arith you are making sense to me. Is your fever Macieira related?
I wish! lol
i enjoyed it. thank yew arith
You say sorry but thank you for the part about caves at the beginning! Once again the timing in life is amazing--I've recently in my anthropology studies been studying the beliefs of many of the native peoples of the Americas, in which I repeatedly see a theme of groups of people emerging from caves to form civilizations and groups. Now that you say it it seems obvious, but I hadn't given much though to that why that is such a widespread commonality is perhaps when ancient peoples started to leave the shelter of caves and form societies in the open world for good. So thank you for the thoughts, and for something more to consider. And as always, thank you for eloquent and intelligent thoughts on the Norse gods, and I hope you're well!
Hey! Thank you so much ^^ I'm really happy to read your feedback hehe. Thank you so much for your support, cheers!
Hilsner! First, I hope you are doing well friend, and secondly This was a really excellent video Arith! Hel is so overlooked and just misjudged (as you said) as Evil, this to me has just always been nonsense, where do Christians get this insane idea that all dead things are evil? It's hypocrisy for a start their prefect imaginary Jesus climbed out of his own grave has that made him evil? It's unbalanced. As someone who's had a near death experience I can tell you 100% it's not all about angels playing harps but it certainly wasn't evil either!
Thank you my dear friend. Oh yeah, near-death-experiences aren't quite angelic it's true lol. It certainly is scary, but there is a big difference between being scary and evil. I think that's how our collective social mind works most of the time, what is ugly and scary and very inconvenient we put it on the "evil list" and what is appealing we add it to the "good list". We still have this very dualistic point of view on everything and we tend to divide everything into these 2 sides. Hard to let go this cultural way of thinking and I try my best to show that to people and to try to set them free from a dualistic view of the world, which in fact I too keep struggling with that.
History Buffs video about Vikings: Vikings Historical Accuracy and Season 4 Predictions
Would agree that Hel is like a Mary Nightingale type figure?
I love Hel and would love to worship her but don’t know what to give her for an offering. Good video as usual
snowflake obsidian or obsidian and selenite or astrophyllite firework or any crystal thats white or black and/or with a hint of blue, soft blue like ice not strong blue like water
but anything thats black or white is fine i also think dragons blood sage is fine honstly idk
dead leaves can also be an offering
The first words in Danish I learned were "for helvede!" My dad said it a lot when we were growing up. 🤣
Queria que todos os vídeos tivessem legenda em português, gostei do conteúdo, infelizmente ainda não domino o inglês. 😢
1:05 corn syrup and food coloring makes great fake blood, thick and opaque. Love your vids!
So I've been told and must give it a try :p thank you!
the final statement you shared, is just poetic, thank you Arith
Arith I am convinced that the German Frau Holle or Holda is Hel.
She certainly is an underworld deity
Why did you apologise my friend. I just woke up and watched your video. When my son wakes up, I'll be showing it to him, And I know he'll be begging me to go find a cave he he he. Once again your video me out of the water.
Sorry I've been quite ill lately. So did you like it? Your son already watched it? What did he think about it? ^^
Arith, I wonder if you play video games. And if so, have you ever played Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. You play as a female Pict warrior traveling to Hel to rescue the soul of her friend. It is without a doubt an amazing psycho-cinematic experience. Just incredible. You can watch people play the game on youtube. It is just an incredible game - and especially impactful to those familiar with Norse mythology.
That intro was sweet
🖤
Isn't she called and pronounced Hel, as in Norwegian 'whole'?, with a long é, related to Norwegian helse- wholesome, Norwegian hel-whole, háil Mary etc as opposed to you stretching it to hell pronunciation?, for obvious reasons?
💜💜💜🐍🤘🔥🔥
Definitely want to add H'el to my altar.
Slight nit pick, Lord Tartoros is the lowest part of King Haides realm, not the entirety.
our ancestors gathered in safe places beside warm fires, where everywhere else was death. food & drink were scarce. the cloth had to be made by hand by the women. they discussed reality; family, events, life & death, nature. like today those old men at the hardware store, having coffee & talking shop. in the old days & nights... they had to scare the children to make them behave.
spelunking is fun
Volcanos
Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. She vowed to kill death. The Father is her father and she is the small child that will led us. Loki ate her heart after cannibals ate her, tried many ways to kill her. Hung her on a tree and the SUN God ate her/burnt her face. She is jesus,the light the womb, the heart, the "ARM" of God and No one found her because they told you she was a dude, and made her evil. She is the one that saves and saves herself. Egyptian. Love your work, it's great. Hel was never loki's daughter, he just ate her heart, he found it on the ground after the tree burnt down. Thanks
Hel was not seen as only putrid and rotten...half of her was most beautiful, the other rotting....unfortunately this is where I finally disagree with Mr. Harger. Hel ruled over Hel itself (not helheim as it's been bastardized) and the mid ground before going to whatever hall suited your mortal life... this is a horribly inaccurate cideo
Hel got a raw deal from the start. Feel bad for her.
Thank you Arith, this video opens such an important, interesting and huge part for me. I am fascinated by prehistorical caves, I have recently seen a film documentary made about Chauvet cave in France and I have been reading a book about shamanism and shapeshifting painted in caves as prehistorical art and rappresentation of shamanic ceremonies. Lovee this topic!