In Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology, Loki is the father of Hel.
Gaiman’s 2017 book retells stories from Norse mythology in modern English prose. In the traditional myths, Loki has three notable children with the giantess Angrboda: Fenrir, the Midgard Serpent Jörmungandr, and Hel, the ruler of the realm associated with many of the dead.
The book follows the gods from the creation of the world through conflicts among the Æsir and giants and onward to Ragnarök. Gaiman’s narration makes the stories accessible while retaining major plot elements from the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda.
Hel is often confused with the name of her realm. In Old Norse, Hel can refer both to the female figure and to the underworld or realm she governs. Loki’s parenthood is also sometimes simplified in retellings, but the mythological tradition identifies Angrboda as the children’s mother.