The Rotting Goddess

It took me forever to get something decent, and my one-a-day schedule is already screwed up. ): It's nowhere near finished, but I'm still moving on-

Introducing Hel:

(I will scan these properly. In the meantime, forgive the bad photos with no flash.)

This is long, and there's no TL;DR version. Skip if desired.

Goddess of the Norse underworld (Hel also) in Niflheim. She's the daughter of Loki and the giantess,  Angrboða, and sister to Fenrir the wolf and Jörmungandr the serpent. The three children were originally raised in their mother's home, but since the other gods were assholes, the children couldn't live there forever in happiness. Deciding to say "Fuck it if all goes to shit" and listening to prophecies, the gods forced the three siblings from their home. (Since being nice to these "potentially dangerous beings" was too much work, BAAAW.) After all, children always take after their parents because they will never be able to think for themselves; they have shit for brains. /sarcasm

So, yeah. The gods decided to poke the rabid badger and sent the children away. Hel was given authority over souls of those who died of sickness and old age. She was thrilled with this task. Or not. Visitors to her land claim she looks depressed and isn't the most pleasant person to be around. Well, no shit, Sherlock(s). Excellent deduction. You're lucky that she just didn't crush you under her giant foot when you wanted something.

Ahem.

Now onto the image. Hel plays a major part in the death of Balder, god of light. When he is killed "indirectly" by Loki (with mistletoe), he goes to Hel because he didn't die like a warrior but rather as a pussy who apparently can't digest his greens. So no Valhalla for him! Hermod approaches Hel and asks for his brother's spirit to return to the Aesir ("good" gods). Hel tells him that all things must weep for Balder before he may leave. Everything in creation does so, except for a giantess (who is Loki in disguise). So no more light for the Aesir!

In the image, you see an upside-down person. That's Balder. And their hands are tied together with mistletoe. Yipee.

I see this story as Hel's revenge against the bastards who screwed her over, and she devised a plan with her father to stick it to them. So basically, when the gods forced Hel and her brothers out of their childhood home, they (the gods) may as well have stripped nude, bent over, and asked to be screwed in return. The badger, you poked it! Now Ragnarok is upon you, bahahahahaha! Self-fulfilling prophecy much?

Let's see:
-Those "boxes" at the top left are a quicky of Hel's old home, which she looks at as she falls. (with empty eye sockets, no less)

-She falls into the "Grave." "Hel" was thought to mean the state of being that is Death or "the grave," and the personification/goddess came later. And I shaped it like a vagina because what the hell. Oh, and those bones are lining it because supposedly, her realm is made of human bones.

-Hel is said to be half fleshy/half-rotten or half light/half dark. I went with the rotten, but picked random areas to "skeletize." Oh, and her legs are rotting. I originally just sketched in the "kiddy" version of bones, intending to go back and make them more realistic. But I figured that if I'm lazy in the beginning, I may stay that way. So, the bones are better now. They're a bitch to do, but at least the teacher will see I'm being serious and putting forth effort. EFFORT.

-Those eyes on the lower left are Garm's, the hellhound which guard's Hel's entrance. (Not THAT kind of entrance, pervs! Or maybe he does. I dunno; never met him to ask.) He has four eyes and is bloody.I wonder if he enjoys belly rubs.

-Since Hel was the influence for the name of the Christian Hell (I think), I wanted this to look like a Fall of Lucifer sort of event. Okaaaaaaay.

Any suggestions and/or critiques are welcome. Tomorrow will be a busy day for me, trying to catch up.