Chapters 44-95 - Germanic Mythology

Vindofnir among Vanir ,
Uppheim among giants,
Fagraræfur (fair-roof) among elves,
Drjúpur salur (dripping-hall) among dwarves.
In this manner, thirteen objects are mentioned, each one with its six names. In all
of the thirteen cases, man has his own manner of naming the objects. Likewise the giants.
No other class of beings has any of the thirteen appellations in common with them. On
the other hand, the Aesir and Vanir have the same name for two objects (moon and sun);
elves and dwarves have names in common for no less than six objects (cloud, wind, fire,
tree, seed, mead); the dwarves and the inhabitants of the lower world for three (heaven,
sea, and calm). Nine times it is stated how those in the lower world express themselves.
In six of these nine cases Alvíssmál refers to the inhabitants of the lower world by the
general expression "those in Hel"; in three cases the poem lets "those in Hel" be
represented by some one of those classes of beings that reside in Hel. These three are
uppregin (10), ásasynir (16), and halir (28).
The name uppregin suggests that it refers to beings of a very certain divine rank
(the Vanir are in Alvíssmál called ginnregin, 20, 30) that have their sphere of activity in
the upper world. As they nevertheless dwell in the lower world, the appellation must have
reference to beings which have their homes and abiding places in Hel when they are not
occupied with their affairs in the world above. These beings are Nott, Dag, Mani, Sol.
Ásasynir has the same signification as ásmegir. As this is the case, and as the
ásmegir dwell in the lower world and the ásasynir likewise, then they must be identical,
unless we should be credulous enough to assume that there were two categories of beings
in the lower world, both called sons of Aesir.
Halir, when the question is about the lower world, means the souls of the dead
(Vafþrúðnismál 43; see above).
From this, we find that Alvíssmál employs the word Hel in such a manner that it
embraces those regions where Nott and Dag, Mani and Sol, the living human inhabitants
of Mimir's grove, and the souls of departed human beings dwell. Among the last-named
are included also souls of the damned, which are found in the abodes of torture below
Niflhel, and it is within the limits of possibility that the author of the poem also had them
in mind, though there is not much probability that he should conceive them as having a
nomenclature in common with gods, ásmegir, and the happy departed. At all events, he
has particularly -- and probably exclusively -- had in his mind the regions of bliss when
he used the word Hel, in which case he has conformed in the use of the word to Völuspá,
Vafþrúðnismál, Grímnismál, Skírnismál, Vegtamskviða, and Þórsdrápa.
63.
THE WORD HEL IN OTHER PASSAGES. THE RESULT OF THE
INVESTIGATION FOR THE COSMOGRAPHY AND FOR THE MEANING OF THE
WORD HEL. HEL IN A LOCAL SENSE THE KINGDOM OF DEATH,
PARTICULARLY ITS REALMS OF BLISS. HEL IN A PERSONAL SENSE
IDENTICAL WITH THE GODDESS OF FATE AND DEATH, THAT IS, URD.