alaskanlesbian:

Traditionally? I think it’s meant to be a frozen barren wasteland of a realm. It’s not terribly inviting.

In my own practice? It’s the winter wonderland of the North. It has immense forests that cover the land but yield to the frozen lakes and rivers that run through it. The land is alive with animals who have passed on, and the forests themselves are the spirits of dead trees. The snow fall is frequent but it never seems to accumulate beyond a certain level, and that level never really drops. It’s this permanent stasis of everything winter is because it is death but life at the same time. It’s potential and endings. The sky at “night” is alive with auroras, and they come in all colors. Dotted in an amongst the forests are halls, but there is one hall that is massive. It can be seen from nearly all parts of Helheim because it rests on a mountain. Inside this hall, fires burn brightly, tables overflow with food and cups are always full of mead or whatever beverage the spirit desires. 

Hel sits among the spirits and shares in their tales and laughter. She enjoys hearing these stories because it’s the memories of a people and she is the keeper of them. She stores them away and can use them to gently remind those still living of what there is to hold dear. Helheim is the place of gentle death, it’s the place of content housewives who trade their recipes and projects. It’s the place of old men who tell the tales of how they were simple fishermen or crafters. It’s a place where death is the common theme but life is celebrated, from the young to the old, all are welcomed with open arms and a knowing smile.