Hella-phobia......

[mdehners]

One thing that has both amused and annoyed me in my experiences with Modern Heathens is their reaction to Hel(la). I couldn't go to a moot or gathering without running into a devotee of Laufey's Childe but I have NEVER run into one for Her(though I admit, if I had a Patron(ess) it would be Her). This "Hellaphobia" goes so far as to create some of the most convoluted discussions I've EVER been apart of....and I dated a Theosophist for 3 yrs;>! Some of the discussions about redefining Einharyar (basically so that the speaker would be counted as)once lead me to qualify by 3:A Nurse, An Out Gay man and as a Person With Aids;>! As an Army brat, MPO is the traditional with a caveat; Vets who die in bed are as well. One thing I felt amused with was that everyone was focused on redefining Einheryar so that they could be destined for Valhalla, completely ignoring Sessrymnir(since Freya gets half the Fallen).Maybe folks need more work on their Christian upbringing that the idea of a female-run afterlife is inconceivable?
Putting aside the evidence in the Lore that there are more than 3 locations for thwe Dead(and the possibility of Mound/Mountain dwelling or Reincarnation), what's so wrong with Hel? Baldr's having a good time! And with Snorri's obvious distain for anything "Common" as well as his need to make the Lore acceptable to a Christian Upperclass audience I take is description's of Her realm with a small Siberian Salt mine;>.....
Even if Snorri's wrong, She still holds the regular person and deserves Respect and Honor, not treated like last week's fish.....
Cheers,
Pat

Comments

[arlie]

Strong agreement from me.

I suspect part of the problem is that most modern Americans have even more disdain for the common person than Snorri had. We're all "special snowflakes". That seems to require preferring Odin to Thor, let alone to Hel.

[mdehners]

I hadn't thought of that angle;>. Like all those Past Life Rememberers who are always major historical(or literary;>) characters. That's probably why I give mine a bit more credence: the highest socially was the equivalent of a sergeant in some French lord's militia;>....
My personal "take" is that if you have a Patron(ess) AND They consider you Worthy, that's where you go. Otherwise, the "Default Setting" is Hel....unless you die in combat, then you may not have a choice. At least in the case of The Old Man.
Cheers,
Pat