Key Info

- Norse underworld for those who died from illness, old age or a dishonorable fate

- Ruled by the goddess Hel and guarded by Garm

* Depending on the source, Helheim is either it's own realm, not a realm at all, a place located within Niflheima, a coverall term for the underworlds of each of the nine realms or an underworld realm that is itself is composed of nine realms.

Brief Bio

Helheim, also referred to as Hel, is the Norse underworld, a shadowy, cold realm located beneath the roots of the world tree Yggdrasil, ruled by the goddess Hel, the daughter of Loki. Souls go to Hel if they died from illness, old age, or a dishonorable fate, rather than a heroic death in battle. It is a place of stillness and quiet, not necessarily torment, but a stark contrast to Valhalla, and is reached by crossing the river Gjöll. At the entrance to the castle of Hel, a fearsome dog named Garm guards the gate. 

Hel is situated in the lowest part of Norse cosmology, beneath the roots of the massive world tree, Yggdrasil.