Gjöll

Gjöll is a river in Norse mythology. It is described as flowing in the vicinity of Hel, the realm of the dead, and is commonly associated with the boundary between the world of the living and the underworld. In some accounts, the dead who depart from the world of the living must cross Gjöll to reach Hel.

The river’s name comes from Old Norse gjöll, meaning "noise" or "clamor," a term linguistically linked to words such as gjallar, the sound of horns and gates. This etymology has led scholars to connect Gjöll with ideas of sound, commotion, or crossing, themes often associated with death and the afterlife in Norse poetry and lore.

Gjöll is attested in medieval Norse literature, notably the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda, where it is presented as one of the rivers linked to the underworld. Across sources, the exact geography and role of Gjöll vary, and the surrounding topography—such as entrances to Hel and the guardians who oversee them—differs by account. Despite these variations, Gjöll functions within Norse cosmology as part of the system of rivers, wells, and gates that delineate realms and mark transitions between the world of the living and the dead.