English is a Germanic language - the final public of our words (which contain 'God' and 'Heaven') come from previous English, that's a factor of the Germanic sub-team of Indo-eu languages. Why maximum of theologically-proper words in English could have Anglo-Saxon roots is an thrilling question, and doubtless has lots to do with the cost with which Christianity unfold between the pagan Anglo-Saxons. however most of the great kingdoms switched over particularly rapidly interior the century after 597, pagan practices and ideology could desire to have persisted to flourish for it sluggish after this, and Christian missionaries like Augustine and Aidan little doubt stumbled on it easiest to translate distant places religious concepts into the language of the triumphing ceremony. with the help of the Synod of Whitby in 664, there grew to become into already a strongly identifiable English strand of Catholic Christianity, and Anglo-Saxon missionaries had themselves spark off to transform the pagan Germans. right it quite is the etymology given with the help of the yankee background Dictionary, which - i think of - unduly stresses the Norse address 'hell' on the rate of the previous English concept: "Hell incorporates us quickly from previous English hel. because of the fact the Roman Church prevailed in England from an early date, the Roman—that's, Mediterranean—thought that hell grew to become into warm prevailed there too; in previous English hel is a black and fiery place of eternal torment for the damned. yet because of the fact the Vikings have been switched over to Christianity centuries after the Anglo-Saxons, the previous Norse hel, from the comparable source as previous English hel, retained its previously pagan senses as the two a place and a guy or woman. As a place, hel is the homestead of oathbreakers, different evil persons, and those unlucky sufficient to no longer have died in conflict. It contrasts sharply with Valhalla, the corridor of slain heroes. no longer in easy terms like the Mediterranean hell, the previous Norse hel is amazingly chilly. Hel is likewise the call of the goddess or giantess who presides in hel, the a million/2 blue-black, a million/2 white daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrbotha. The Indo-eu root at the back of those Germanic words is *kel–, “to cover, hide” (so hell is the “hid place”); it additionally provides us corridor, hollow, hollow, and helmet."