Helhest: The Three-legged Horse of Hel Queen of the Dead

It seems like everyone in Norse mythology had for themselves a type of animal that could carry them everywhere in Nine Worlds. 

The Queen of the Dead, Hel, who was also the daughter of Loki, had for herself a three-legged horse.

The horse was named as Helhest. While the horse Sleipnir of Odin had eight legs, Helhest of Hel had only three legs. “Helhest” simply means “Horse of Hel”.

One cool thing is that the horse of Hel appeared in many of the 19th Danish phrases. For example, “han går som en helhest” means “He walks like the horse of Hel” depicting abnormal footsteps of the man.

In the folklore, Helhest carries Hel along anywhere in Midgard to fetch the dead.

Many people might question why Helhest had only three legs. This is usually explained that he was the ghost of sacrifice from the burial grave. It was a bad luck to be the first to be buried under the grave. So people would cut off a leg of the horse so that it could not escape.

Also read: Hel, Norse Goddess of the Underworld

“Skeleton Flowers” become transparent when it rains

Say hello to the Skeleton Flower, a white woodland blossom whose petals turn crystal clear when they make contact with water.

Diphylleia grayi, the scientific name of the transparent flower, can be found in only three parts of the world. The plant grows on moist, wooded mountainsides in colder regions of Japan, China and the Appalachian Mountains in the United States, and is instantly recognizable by the rare flowers’ large, umbrella-like leaves. 

Skeleton flowers are unique flowers which turn translucent upon exposure to water and rain. Its white petals become completely clear, then transform back to their original milky white color once dry. The fading of the color in the petals when wet happens because of a loose cell structure present in the white flowers and not due to the pigment being washed out. 

After pollination, the flowers turn into blueberries.

Also read:

• Snapdragon flower seed pod looks like a human skull
• These "Galaxy Flowers" hold the universe in their petals
• Black flowers to add mystery to your garden 
• Plant your own magical moon garden