Norse Hel versus Christian Hell

In Norse mythology, Hel is both a place and a goddess. The goddess Hel, daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrboda, rules over the realm also called Hel (or Helheim) in Niflheim, where many of the dead reside. The term "Hel" itself is cognate with the Old English hell, but Norse Hel and the Christian concept of hell diverge in significant ways.

Here are a few points of overlap and distinction:

1. Role and Rulership of the Dead

• Hel (Norse): Hel is a realm for those who do not die in battle, including those who pass from old age, illness, or other natural causes. It is often depicted as a cold, misty, and shadowy place rather than a fiery one. Hel, the goddess, presides over this underworld, and unlike in Christian hell, her role is more administrative than punitive. Hel’s realm is not depicted as a place of eternal torment, but more as a neutral afterlife.
  
  
• Hell (Christianity): In Christianity, hell is traditionally the realm of punishment for the wicked after death. It is overseen by no specific god, as it is often considered a place where God is absent, and it is typically depicted as a fiery, agonizing place of eternal suffering.

1. Moral Judgment and the Afterlife

• Hel (Norse): Norse Hel does not imply moral judgment in the same way. Admission to Hel is not a punishment but rather a natural destination for those who didn’t fall heroically in battle. The Norse afterlife is based more on the manner of death than on personal virtue or vice.
  
  
• Hell (Christianity): Christian hell is deeply intertwined with the concept of divine judgment, where individuals are sent based on their sins or lack of repentance, and/or their refusal to accept Jesus Christ as their savior. This introduces a moral dimension to the afterlife that is central to Christian doctrine.

1. Imagery and Depictions

• Hel (Norse): Helheim is described as a cold, dark place, often located at the lowest level of the Norse cosmology, in the realm of Niflheim. The goddess Hel herself is portrayed with a half-living, half-dead appearance, reflecting the nature of her domain. She is not seen as evil but rather as a somber figure who dutifully governs her realm.
  
  
• Hell (Christianity): Christian hell is typically fiery and associated with demons, intense suffering, and everlasting flames—a stark contrast to the cold and misty Norse Hel. This fiery depiction of hell draws heavily on Greco-Roman and Zoroastrian influences, as well as early Christian theological interpretations.

1. Impact on Later Christian Conceptualization

• Some scholars believe that Norse concepts of the afterlife may have influenced local Christian ideas about hell, especially in regions like Scandinavia, where pagan beliefs persisted for some time. While the two are distinct, Norse Hel's association with the underworld and the dead created an overlap that may have contributed to the local Christian notion of hell as a place of separation from the divine.

Could Christians Claim Their 'Hell' Came First?

The Christian concept of hell, drawing from Jewish, Greco-Roman, and Zoroastrian influences, predates the written records of Norse mythology by several centuries. By the time the Norse sagas were recorded, Christianity’s concept of a punitive afterlife had already spread widely. So the answer would be yes.

However, it’s also essential to recognize that while Christian writers recorded Norse mythology, the Norse people had oral traditions regarding Hel and the afterlife long before Christianization. So, while Christians could argue that their concept of hell was recorded first, the Norse concept of Hel likely developed independently as part of the broader Germanic worldview.