In Norse mythology, Angrboða is the mother of Hel, the ruler of the realm of the dead. She is a jötunn, or giantess, associated with the Ironwood and is best known as the partner of Loki.
Angrboða and Loki have three famous children: Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. Because these children are linked to major threats against the gods, the Æsir separate them or attempt to control them. Hel is sent to govern the dead, Fenrir is bound, and Jörmungandr is cast into the sea surrounding Midgard.
Angrboða is less prominent in surviving myths than her children. The Prose Edda identifies her as a giantess in Járnviðr and names her offspring with Loki. Her name is often translated as “she who offers sorrow” or “the one who brings grief,” although translations vary.
She is sometimes confused with Loki’s wife Sigyn, who is the mother of different children in surviving Norse sources.