Hel is not only a place but also the name of the Underworld’s sinister queen. She is the third of the monstrous children Loki fathered with the giantess Angrboda. When the gods discovered Loki’s abandoned daughter they were horrified, and promptly threw Hel down into Niflheim. One side of her body was badly hurt in the fall, and ever since then she has become even more disfigured – half black-blue, half deathly pale. Her back is twisted from the injuries she received, and she resembles a vulture, hunched and shuffling when she moves. Odin appointed Hel to watch over the world of the dead, and gave her power over the souls that ended up in her realm.
The illustration is from the book Norse Gods.
The art print is in A3 format (29,7 x 42 cm / 11.7 x 16.5") and is printed on fine art paper, Munken Pure 300 gsm. The print is signed by the artist. Click the image to see the layout of the print, the print does not fill up the whole sheet of paper.