 Proto-Germanic *"xalja-wītjan" (or *"halja-wītjan") is reconstructed from Old Norse "hel-víti" 'hell', Old English "helle-wíte" 'hell-torment, hell', Old Saxon "helli-wīti" 'hell', and the Middle High German feminine noun "helle-wīze".The compound is a compound of *"xaljō" (discussed above) and *"wītjan" (reconstructed from forms such as Old English "witt" 'right mind, wits', Old Saxon "gewit" 'understanding', and Gothic "un-witi" 'foolishness, understanding').In reference to Hel, in the poem "Völuspá", a völva states that Hel will play an important role in Ragnarök.