Hela Rite of Unbinding
by Raven Kaldera
Hela, the Goddess of Death, is compassionate but completely implacable, and her rites are not convenient or merciful, but cut straight to the heart. Usually they are ordeal rituals of some sort, and usually they are intensely personal to the individual doing the ritual. However, this rite was general enough that I felt it could be used by a wider variety of participants. It is designed for someone who feels that there are many things binding them and holding them back, and wants – at any cost – to be able to let go. This rite is not for someone who is only beginning to consider the idea; it is for someone who cannot go any further. Hela is a Goddess called on in extremity.
Thus, this ritual may take hours, or even more than a day. Set aside a good deal of time, because it will not be convenient or merciful. It requires a minimum of three participants – the individual who needs to be unbound, a second one who has experience with divination, and a third individual who has skill and experience at tying ropes on people’s bodies in a comfortable manner that will not cut off any circulation. The first one should come naked to the rite, and the second two should be swathed and veiled in black or grey, all features unseen. (It would be best if there was one other person present, whose job was to look after the vital signs of the central individual.) Since the seeker will be naked for some time, thought should be given to their warmth.
The following items are needed and should be laid out on a black-draped altar:
-A diabetic lancet, with an alcohol wipe if needed.
-A tiny bit of white linen or cotton.
-A cup of tea made with healthy but bitter medicinal herbs.
-A skull figurine, to remind one of Death.
-A single black candle, preferably long-burning.
-Nine pieces of black rope, about five feet long.
-A dark-colored blanket or large piece of cloth.
-Three stones – one black, one white, one grey – in a cup.
The three stones are a divinatory system and mean: Black is Yes, you speak full truth, and you may pass. White is You do not speak the truth. You may not pass. Grey is You speak truth, but this is not the most important thing. We ask for a different answer. Try again.
The diviner shall first ground and center before the altar, and will not be moving from that spot for the length of the rite. The binder shall ask the seeker, as they approach the altar: “Would you make a deal with Death?”
The seeker says: “I would.”
The diviner says: “Would you ask Hela to take from you these things that chain you?”
The seeker says: “I would.”
The binder says: “And if She chooses to take other things from you as well, things that you no longer need, will you relinquish them as payment?”
The seeker says: “I will.” Obviously, if they are not ready for this, the ritual should not be happening.
The binder says: “Kneel, and ask Her yourself.” The seeker kneels before the altar and asks Hela to bless them with Her touch. Then a drop of blood is taken from the seeker’s finger with the lancet, by themselves or one of the others, and the blood is wiped on the bit of cloth. The cloth is held in the candle flame until it burns up, and the bargain is agreed upon.
The diviner says: “Drink of the bitter draught of Life, and yet know that it heals you and bears you up.” The seeker drinks from the cup of tea, and then lays down before the altar. Next the binder takes the twelve pieces of black rope and ties some part of their body. As they tie each one, the diviner leads the seeker through a meditation that is a trip through Helheim.
1) First the binder ties their ankles together – firmly but not tightly, this should be comfortable – and the diviner says, “You walk the Road to Hel. Your feet cannot swerve from this path. Speak of the path that you walk against your will, that you would leave, only you cannot find a way.” The seeker speaks of this in their life. After they have finished speaking, the diviner draws a stone forth, and speaks its message to the seeker. If it is black, they go on. If it is grey or white, the seeker must try again until they get it right. The diviner and seeker may agree beforehand to try three times and then abandon the rite, or try three times and move ahead even if the spirits are not satisfied (knowing that Hela may ask a price), or some other action. Whatever is chosen, it must be agreed on ahead of time. (For the next steps of the rite, I will recount the part that differs. The speaker’s words, the diviner’s reading, and the results will be assumed.)
2) Next the binder ties their knees together, and the diviner says, “You pass the great well Hvergelmir, the torrent and tempest, and its blast drops you to your knees. Water is emotion, and this is the primal wave of emotion. Speak of what deep emotion in you is bound against your will, that you wish to release but cannot touch.”
3) Next the binder ties a rope around their thighs – perhaps just above the knees where the last rope goes below – and the diviner says, “You stand before the Helgrind, the Bridge of Knives over the rushing river Gjoll. Now you are bound like the serpent, and you cannot run, but must keep inexorably moving. Speak of that which pursues you, and which you cannot outrun no matter how hard you try.”
4) The binder ties a rope around the seeker’s waist, and the diviner says, “You have crossed the bridge, and now you come to Mordgud’s Tower, the great pillar by the Gates of Helheim. Your belly is bound, and you may not nourish yourself. She will not let you pass until you speak to Her of how you starve yourself for nurturing, and do not take care of your bodily urges.”
5) The binder ties a rope around the seeker’s wrists, binding them together behind their back, and the diviner says, “Next to the great black Gate of Helheim is the lowest root of the World Tree. Here the dragon Nidhogg gnaws away the old, rotten parts of Yggdrasil so that new growth may come. You approach the great root and see the dragon. Your limbs are now all bound, and you must crawl on your belly as She does. She heaves herself into your path, and She will not let you pass until you speak to Her of the rotten parts within you that you will not let go of, that keep you from reaching for your goals.”
6) The binder ties a rope around the seeker’s upper arms, binding them together – gently and loosely, so as not to cut off any circulation. The diviner says, “You have passed the great black Gate of Helheim and passed into the Land of the Dead. You see before you autumn trees and orchards filled with fruit, and a lake with an island in the center. You walk across the water, over the bones of many Dead, to that island full of mists and ghosts. They swarm around you, and they will not let you pass until you speak to them of the places where you feel helpless and insubstantial, little more than a ghost in the waking world.”
7) The binder ties a rope around the seeker’s neck – loosely, as it is not meant to choke but only to be a reminder. The diviner says, “You now come to Nastrond, Dead Men’s Shore, where the corpses are piled on the beach for the dragon to recycle. The great hall of Nastrond is filled with tortured screaming souls, writhing in agony as venom drips down onto them from snakes poised in the rafters. Yet the door to Nastrond’s hall is always open; they are there by their own will, to torment themselves. They will not let you pass until you speak to them of the ways in which you needlessly torment yourself.”
8) The binder wraps a rope a couple of turns around the seeker’s head, so that it holds their eyes closed, and the diviner says, “Now you come to a cottage in the forest, the place where dwell Baldur the God of Light, and his faithful wife Nanna. Yet your eyes are darkened, so that you cannot see his light and her devotion. They ask you to speak to them of the lights that shine in your darkness that you are ignoring, and of those who care for you whose gifts you do not value.”
9) The binder ties a rope around the seeker’s forehead, and the diviner says, “In darkness, then, you pass into the Mound of the Ancestors, all who lived and struggled that you might live and have the world. They will not let you pass unless you speak to them of the negative patterns that you learned from your family, the inheritance of pain and limitations.”
10) The binder wraps the last rope around the lower part of the seeker’s head, so that the turns of rope go between their lips and stop their speech. The diviner says, “Now you come to the end of the road. You stand before Elvidnir, the great hall of Hela that is half great castle and half rubble. She stands in the doorway, half beautiful woman and half rotting corpse, and holds out her left hand to you. She bids you to speak to her of your deepest humiliation, the one you have never spoken before now. As your lips are bound, speak it to Her in your heart, and She will hear you.” Then, after the seeker has been silent for a minute, the binder says, “Rest now, and incubate in the darkness, and meditate on all these things, until you are ready to walk from the Land of the Dead.” The binder covers the seeker with the blanket for warmth and sensory deprivation, leaving only their nose and mouth exposed. If there is an assistant, they stay with the seeker, watching their breath to make sure that it is regular and not distressed.
11) When the seeker has meditated, and gives the signal – perhaps something unmistakable like three evenly spaced grunts – the binder unbinds the rope around their mouth and the diviner says, “Now it is time to go forth from Elvidnir, but Hela asks you to speak to her of one thing. What compassion has your great and secret flaw given you for others?” The seeker speaks, and is not challenged; challenges are only for the way in. Instead, all present say, “Be blessed.” This will happen after each step.
12) The binder unties the rope around the seeker’s forehead, and the diviner says, “You pass beyond the Mound of the Ancestors. Speak to them, as you pass, of the good things that your family has given you.”
13) The binder unties the rope around the seeker’s eyes, and the diviner says, “You pass by the dwelling place of Baldur and Nanna, Light and Devotion. Speak to them, as you pass, of the light and love that can be found even in the darkest places.”
14) The binder unties the rope around the seeker’s throat, and the diviner says, “You pass beyond Dead Man’s Shore. Speak to those tormented within of how you have walked out of the hall, and what you will no longer permit yourself to do to yourself.”
15) The binder unties the rope around the seeker’s upper arms, and the diviner says, “You pass beyond the Island of Ghosts. Speak to them, as you pass, of how you will find a way to be active instead of passive in your life.”
16) The binder unties the rope around the seeker’s wrists, and the diviner says, “You pass beyond the great black Gate, and come again to the root of the World Tree and the great Dragon. Speak to Her, as you pass, of what rotten thing within yourself you will let go of, that you will give a decent burial, mourn, and be done with it.”
17) The binder unties the rope around the seeker’s belly, and the diviner says, “You come again to Mordgud’s Tower, and She lets you pass. As you go by, speak to her of how you will nurture yourself in the future.”
18) The binder unties the rope from around the seeker’s thighs, and the diviner says, “You cross the Helgrind, and this time there are no knives, but only a sturdy bridge. Speak of what fear you will turn and face instead of running away.”
19) The binder unties the rope from around the seeker’s knees, and the diviner says, “You cross over Hvergelmir, the Boiling Cauldron. Speak of the emotion that you will no longer repress, but will release into the light of day.”
20) The binder unties the final rope from around the seeker’s ankles, and the diviner says, “You walk with both feet upon the Hel Road, but in the other direction – toward Life. Walk forward and embrace Life, and ask the Gods to put your feet upon the right road.” The binder and the assistant help the seeker to their feet. The diviner comes forth and gives them a sip of the medicinal tea, saying, “This is bitter, but healing often is. Go forth from this place a little more healed.” The rest of the tea is poured out by the seeker as a libation for Hela; the seeker thanks Hela for Her wisdom and the privilege of entering Her land and being allowed to leave it, and the rite is over.
