Leather Works
Maria A. Wolff
Give ‘em Hel, 2024
In Norse Mythology, Hel was a mysterious and formidable word representing both a deity and one of the places for the dead. The other places for the dead, such as Valhalla or the fields of Freyja, may be better known to us but Hel’s realm was just as important governing those who died due to old age, childbirth or disease. The Indo-European root Kel, meaning To Cover, helping allude to the death practice of shrouding and burying the deceased, feels closer to the Norse meaning of the word Hel as opposed to the Christian Hell of damnation and suffering. With this piece I hope to shed some light on the subject.
There isn’t any notation of Hel(l) and its evil nature in writing anywhere until Christianity found an opportunity to take this benevolent Norse deity and use it to their advantage to convert the incoming pagan Norsemen with fear. Hel(l) wasn’t even used in Biblical translations until around 725AD. Funny how this occurred just as Viking age raiders came to England. Hel, as formerly spelled in Norse Mythology, was a ‘powerful female’ figure personifying the human condition around death with her own ‘afterlife realm’ and the patriarchal Christians weren’t having it!
Hel was highly regarded by the Norse as the protector and care-giver of the dead. She is noted as being half beautiful of skin and half dead in decay. I designed and created this neck piece to illuminate Hel’s story for this exhibition, pertaining to the many flaws of her very existence and tampering of folklore. I chose leather to carve a rendition of this striking Norse deity into a large armor-like breastplate element. The hand woven viking style chain and the peaceful quartz crystal piece add an icy contrast to the warmth of the leather further illustrating her Schrödinger nature of being both living and dead at the same time.
To me, Hel was just as important to humanity as the protector of the dead as Thor was as the protector of the living. I’d like to reimagine and honor her place at the end of our road, wherever we may land, as a place of peace and clear understanding, as we are all destined for death. She is also a nice reminder to live well in the life given. May this piece create conversations to come with the wearer & viewer in this misty light as a new comfort and for those still in fear of Hell, give ‘em This Hel!