How To Make An Altar For Loki? Top 99 Best Answers

Although it has become a mainstay on certain spiritually-oriented Pinterest boards, an energetic altar is nothing new. The concept of using altars in this way is part of a number of religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Paganism, and Judaism. In the past, altars were used as spiritual hubs where objects of worship rest and you can practice whatever you believe in them. But in the context of home decor, an altar doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with something religious or spiritual – instead, it can capture what you love and what strengthens you.

“An altar is just a deliberate place where you gather signs – magical or otherwise – that help you feel connected to your highest power.” —Erica Feldmann, owner of a metaphysical shop

“An altar is just an intended place where you collect signs – magical or otherwise – that help you feel connected to your highest power,” says Erica Feldmann, owner of metaphysical shop HausWitch and author of HausMagick: Transform Your Home with Witchcraft. “You may even already have a special collection of items like family photos, flowers, and other memorabilia that you enjoy hanging on your bedside table or coat.”

Each of these places where you collect such goods can act as an altar. For example, you may have a corner of your room that is a “friendship altar” filled with concert tickets, dried yellow roses, and photos of your best friend. You can have an “I-altar” on your dresser where old love letters, your favorite consolation and a rose quartz wand coexist in harmony. And yes, it can also include symbolic trinkets from people you value. In essence, a home altar is a collage of items that charge, inspire, and center you.

Therefore, having a home altar is beneficial just as having a Pinterest account is beneficial; Both allow you to cultivate a safe space filled with things that make you feel loved, motivated, and strong. And because it’s so DIY and personalized, there are really only a few specific guidelines to follow when making your own.

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How to build a home altar in 3 easy steps

1. Set an intention for your altar

As you create sacred space in your home, consider what is sacred to you. What is the purpose of setting up your home altar? what do you want to honor What is this celebration? How is it supposed to drive you? Answering these questions can give you clarity on how to design your space and can even extend to where your altar should be placed.

“If your happiest place is in the kitchen, you can build an altar around the cooking magic to encourage culinary creativity,” says Feldmann. “If your bath is the best part of your day, you can build temporary altars at the edge of the tub with candles, crystals, and your favorite things to soak in.”

2. Find a place for your altar

Which leads us to our next point: location, location, location. If your home altar isn’t specifically centered around a specific spot in the home, think about where it might fit well. That panelless record stand in the living room or the empty space on your bedside table are spatial ways to keep a mystical aesthetic.

“Make sure your altar is in a place that feels natural to you — somewhere you want to spend time and can do it comfortably,” Feldmann says.

3. Collect items that inspire and drive you

Again, there are absolutely no rules as to what can or should be included in your home altar. Whether it’s a useful tool for clearing out bad energy or photos of those closest and dearest to you, your mission is to assemble a collection of items that resonate. If you want some concrete examples of what can go well on an altar, I recommend the following, based on the altar Feldman helped me create.

What to put on your home altar

When you’re looking for an easy way to cleanse the air, a classic incense stick and burner exudes feel-good vibes and a smoky, muggy, soulful aroma.

Shop Now: Cedarwood Essential Oil, $16

Any candle that speaks to you makes a good home altar. The candle on my personal altar is topped with mystical touches like crushed petals and crystals, and I recommend this route if you want something that channels a specific energy (like self-love or strength).

Shop Now: Anointing of Love Ritual Spell Candles, $9

And speaking of crystals, it’s always energetically smart (and visually appealing) to use them on an altar. Rose quartz, amethyst and selenite are popular spots, but don’t neglect stunning gems like fluorite, a beautiful aquamarine stone designed to help you focus on your personal path.

Shop Now: Inner Flow Fluorite Prism, $38

If you are practicing any spiritual discipline, your altar is where you would keep your tools. Personally, I use my altar to house my classic Rider-Waite tarot deck, but I love this super-saturated holographic pink rebrand.

Shop Now: The Neo Rider Tarot Collection, $59

Again, these are just food for thought for various articles that include articles that have worked specifically for me. But not everyone has the same taste, style, or spiritual inclinations. With that in mind, remember that as long as you are true to your heart and choose things with joy and intention, you will have an absolutely magical place.

Originally published November 9, 2015. Updated March 15, 2021.

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Runes were ancient letters used primarily for magic and divination, and many were closely associated with specific figures in Norse mythology. The rune corresponding to Loki is the sixth rune, Kaunaz (also romanized as Kennaz, Kenaz), the rune of enlightenment, knowledge and kinship. Kaunaz had both positive and negative effects, similar to Loki’s propensity for mischief and help.

Kaunaz is translated as torch and is also associated with the hearth, as was Loki in his earlier role in mythology. It was an indication of sudden intuition and understanding, insight, cunning and creative thinking – Loki’s most outstanding qualities. It also represented many aspects of Loki’s personality: enthusiasm, opportunism, mischievousness, transformation, arrogance, and passion. On a more physical level, it would indicate improved health, but could also symbolize burning pain, fever, or ulcers.

› Operations › Loki in Grafana

Loki in Grafana

Grafana 6.0 and newer versions have built-in support for Grafana Loki. Use Grafana 6.3 or a newer version to use LogQL functionality.

Sign in to your Grafana instance. When you run Grafana for the first time, both the username and password are set to admin by default. In Grafana, go to Configuration > Data Sources using the gear icon in the left sidebar. Click the big + Add Data Source button. Choose Loki from the list. The http url field should be the address of your Loki server. For example, if you’re running locally or with Docker with port mapping, the address is probably http://localhost:3100 . When running with docker-compose or Kubernetes, the address is likely http://loki:3100 . To view the logs, click Browse in the sidebar, select the Loki data source in the top left drop-down list, and then select a log stream using the Log Labels button. Learn more about queries by reading about Loki’s LogQL query language.

Read more about Grafana’s Explore feature in the Grafana documentation and how to use Loki to search and filter for logs.

For information on configuring Loki as a data source via deployment, see Configure Grafana via deployment. Set the URL in the deployment.

Norse deity

Reginsmál), as depicted in an 18th-century Icelandic manuscript (SÁM 66) Loki with a fishing net (per), as depicted in an 18th-century Icelandic manuscript (SÁM 66)

Loki ( ) is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Rundey (mentioned as a goddess) and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi and Nari or Váli. At Jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir and the world serpent Jörmungandr. In mare form, Loki was impregnated by the stallion Svaðilfari and gave birth to the eight-legged horse Sleipnir.

Loki’s relationship with the gods varies by source; Sometimes he helps the gods and sometimes behaves maliciously towards them. Loki is a shapeshifter and appears in various incidents in the form of a salmon, a mare, a fly, and possibly an elderly woman named Þökk (Old Norse “thank you”). Loki’s positive relationships with the gods end with his role in planning the death of the god Baldr, and eventually Odin’s specially conceived son Váli binds Loki with the entrails of one of his sons. in the Prose Edda this son, Nari or Narfi, is killed by another son of Loki, also named Váli. In both the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda, the goddess Skaði is responsible for placing a snake over him while he is bound. The snake drips venom from above him, which Sigyn collects in a bowl; However, she must empty the bowl when it is full, and the poison that drips in the meantime makes Loki writhe in pain, causing earthquakes as a result. With the onset of Ragnarök, Loki is foretold that he will break free of his bonds and fight the gods among the forces of the jötnar, at which time he will encounter the god Heimdallr and the two will kill each other.

Loki is mentioned in the Poetic Edda compiled from earlier traditional sources in the 13th century; the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; the Norwegian runic poems, in the poetry of the skalds and in Scandinavian folklore. Loki may be depicted on the Snaptun Stone, the Kirkby Stephen Stone, and the Gosforth Cross. Scholars have debated Loki’s origin and role in Norse mythology, which some have described as that of a trickster god. Loki has been depicted or referenced in a variety of modern popular culture media.

Etymology and alternative names

The etymology of the name Loki has been debated at length. The name has at times been associated with the Old Norse word logi (‘flame’), but there does not appear to be any solid linguistic basis for this. Rather, the later Scandinavian variants of the name (such as Faroese Lokki, Danish Lokkemand, Norwegian Loke and Lokke, Swedish Luki and Luku) indicate an origin in the Germanic root *luk-, which denoted things that were tied with loops (like knots). had to do, hooks, locked rooms and locks). This corresponds to usages such as Swedish lockanät and Faroese lokkanet (‘spider’s web’, lit. ‘Lokke’s web’) and Faroese lokki~grindalokki~grindalokkur, ‘long-legged daddy’, which refers to both gnats and harvestmen, dem modern Swedish lockespindlar (“locke-spiders”). Some East Swedish traditions referring to the same figure use forms in n- such as Nokk(e), but this corresponds to *luketymology in that these dialects consistently have a different root, Germanic, in contexts where Western varieties have been used *hnuk-, used *luk-: “nokke corresponds to nøkkel” (“key” in East Scandinavian) “like loki~lokke lykil” (“key” in West Scandinavian).[1]

While it has been suggested that this association with closing may point to Loki’s apocalyptic role in Ragnarok, “there is a fair amount of evidence that in pre-modern society Loki was thought to be the maker of knots/tangles/loops, or a knot himself / Confusion/Loop So it’s natural that Loki is the inventor of the fishing net, made up of loops and knots, and that the word Loki (lokke, lokki, loke, luki) is a term for makers of cobwebs: spiders and the like .”[3] Although not prominent in the oldest sources, this identity as “Tangler” may be the etymological meaning of Loki’s name.

In various poems from the Poetic Edda (stanza 2 of Lokasenna, stanza 41 of Hyndluljóð and stanza 26 of Fjölsvinnsmál) and sections of the Prose Edda (chapter 32 of Gylfaginning, stanza 8 of Haustlöng and stanza 1 of Þórsdrápa) Loki is alternatively mentioned as Loptr denoted, which is generally considered to be derived from the Old Norse lopt, meaning “air”, and therefore indicating an association with the air.

The name Hveðrungr (Old Norse “?roarer”) is also used in reference to Loki, which appears in names for Hel (as in Ynglingatal, where she is called hveðrungs mær) and in reference to Fenrir (as in Völuspa).

certificates

Poetic Edda

In the Poetic Edda, Loki appears (or is referred to) in the poems Völuspá, Lokasenna, Þrymskviða, Reginsmál, Baldrs draumar, and Hyndluljóð.

Voluspa

In stanza 35 of the poetic Edda poem Völuspá, a Völva tells Odin that among other things she sees Sigyn very unhappy sitting with her bound husband Loki under a “grove of hot springs”. In stanza 51, during the events of Ragnarök, Loki appears free from his bonds and is referred to as the “brother of Býleistr” (transcribed here as Byleist):

A ship sails from the east, Muspell’s people come,

over the waves, and Loki controls

There’s the monstrous spawn with all the robbers

Byleist’s brother is with them.

In stanza 54, after consuming Odin and being killed by Odin’s son Víðarr, Fenrir is described as “Loki’s kinsman”.

Lokasenna

The poem Lokasenna (Old Norse “Loki’s Flies”) revolves around Loki flying with other gods; Loki utters two stanzas of insults while the receiving character responds with a single stanza, and then another character joins in. The poem begins with a prose introduction detailing that Ægir, a character associated with the sea, is having a feast in his hall, a series of gods and elves. There the gods praise Ægir’s servants Fimafeng and Eldir. Loki “couldn’t bear to hear that” and kills the servant Fimafeng. In response, the gods grab their shields and yell at Loki, chasing him out of the hall and into the forest. The gods then return to the hall and continue drinking.

receipt and rejection

Loki comes out of the forest and meets Eldir outside the hall. Loki greets Eldir (and the poem itself begins) by asking Eldir to tell him what the gods are discussing over their ale in the hall. Eldir replies that they talk about their “weapons and their prowess in war” and yet no one has anything kind to say about Loki. Loki says that he will go into the feast and that before the feast is over he will stir up strife among the gods and “mix their mead with malice”. Eldir replies that “if you douse yourself with screams and fights” to the gods, “they will wipe it off on you”. Loki then enters the hall and everyone there falls silent upon noticing him.

reentry and insults

Loki breaks the silence and says that he came thirsty from afar to these halls to ask the gods for a drink of “the famous mead”. Loki calls the gods arrogant and asks why they cannot speak and demands that they assign him a seat and a place for him at the feast or tell him to leave. The skaldic god Bragi is the first to respond to Loki by telling him that Loki will not have a seat and seat allotted to him by the gods at the feast, for the gods know which men to invite. Loki doesn’t answer Bragi directly, instead turning his attention to Odin and saying:

Do you remember Odin than in days gone by

We mixed our blood?

You said you would never drink beer

unless it was brought to both of us.

Odin then asks his mute son Víðarr to sit up so that Loki (referred to here as “Father of the Wolf”) can sit at the feast and so he doesn’t blame the gods in Ægir’s hall. Víðarr gets up and pours Loki a drink. Before drinking, Loki pronounces a toast to the gods, with a special exception for Bragi. Bragi replies that he will give a horse, a sword, and a ring from his possession lest he repay the gods “with hatred”. Loki replies that Bragi will always be short of all those things, accusing him of being “cautious of war” and “shy of shooting”. Bragi replies that if they were outside of Ægir’s hall, Bragi would hold Loki’s head as a reward for his lies. Loki replies that Bragi is brave when he sits, calling him a “bench ornament” and that Bragi would run away if troubled by an angry, temperamental man.

The goddess Iðunn interrupts and asks Bragi, as a service to his kin and adopted kin, not to blame Loki in Ægir’s hall. Loki tells Iðunn to keep quiet, calls her the “most man-crazy” of women, and says she wrapped her washed, bright arms around her brother’s slayer. Iðunn says that she will not utter any reproachful words in Ægir’s hall, and assures that she has calmed down Bragi, who was made talkative by beer, and that she does not want the two to fight. The goddess Gefjun asks why the two gods must fight, saying that Loki knows he is joking and that “all living things love him”. Loki replies to Gefjun by stating that Gefjun’s heart was once seduced by a “white boy” who gave her a jewel and over which Gefjun placed her thigh.

Odin says that Loki must be insane to make Gefjun his enemy, since her wisdom about the fate of men could equal Odin’s own. Loki says that Odin does a poor job of giving honor to men in war and often bestows victory on the faint-hearted. Odin replies that even if this is true, Loki (in an otherwise untested tale) once spent eight winters underground as a woman milking cows, and bore children during that time. Odin declares this to be perverted. Loki counters that Odin once practiced seiðr (a type of sorcery) on the island of Samsey (now Samsø, Denmark) and traveled among humans as a magician, which Loki condemns as perverted.

Frigg, a major deity who is married to Odin, says that what Loki and Odin did in the ancient past should not be discussed in front of others and that ancient matters should always be kept hidden. Loki mentions that Frigg is the daughter of Fjörgyn, a personification of Earth, and that she once embraced Odin’s brothers Vili and Vé. Frigg replies that Loki would not be able to escape the wrath of the gods if a boy like her now deceased son Baldr were in the hall. Loki reminds Frigg that he is responsible for the death of their son Baldr.

The goddess Freyja explains that Loki must be crazy and explains that Frigg knows all destiny, but she doesn’t speak it. Loki claims that each of the gods and elves present were Freyja’s lovers. Freyja replies that Loki is lying, that he just wants to “howl about evil things”, that gods and goddesses are angry with him, and that he will go home frustrated. In response, Loki calls Freyja a malicious witch and claims that Freyja was once sitting on top of her brother Freyr when all the other laughing gods surprised her and Freyja then farted. This scenario is otherwise unconfirmed. Njörðr (father of Freyja and Freyr) says that it is harmless for a woman to have a lover or “someone else” besides her husband and that it is surprising that a “perverted god come here who has borne children” .

Loki tells Njörðr to be silent, recalling Njörðr’s status as the Vanir hostage to the Æsir during the Æsir-Vanir War, that the “daughters of Hymir” once used Njörðr “as a piss pot” and urinated in his mouth (an otherwise unconfirmed comment). Njörðr replies that this was his reward when he was sent as a hostage to the Æsir, and that he fathered his son (Freyr), whom nobody hates and is considered the prince of the Æsir. Loki tells Njörðr to maintain his moderation and that he will no longer keep it a secret that Njörðr fathered this son with his sister (unnamed), although one would expect him to be worse than he turned out to be.

The god Tyr defends Freyr, to which Loki replies that Tyr should be silent since Tyr “can’t deal directly with humans”, pointing out that it was Loki’s son, the wolf Fenrir, who tore off Tyr’s hand. (According to the prose introduction to the poem, Tyr is now single-handed when Loki’s son Fenrir bit off his arm while Fenrir was bound.) Tyr replies that while he lost a hand, Loki lost the wolf and trouble came to both of them. Also, Fenrir now has to wait in shackles until Ragnarök starts. Loki tells Tyr to be silent a second time, stating that Tyr’s wife (otherwise unconfirmed) had a son by Loki and that Tyr never received any compensation for this “injury”, further calling him a “miserable”.

Freyr himself interrupts at this point and says that he sees a wolf lying in front of an estuary and that if Loki does not immediately remain silent, like the wolf, Loki too is to be bound until Ragnarök. Loki replies that Freyr bought his wife Gerðr with gold after giving away his sword, which he will miss in Ragnarök. Byggvir (referred to as Freyr’s servant in the poem’s prose introduction) says that if he were of as noble a lineage and as honored a seat as Freyr, he would crush Loki and paralyze all his limbs. Referring to Byggvir in reference to a dog, Loki says that Byggvir can always be found by Freyr’s ears or chirping under a whetstone. Byggvir says he’s proud to be here with all gods and men and he should be quick. Loki tells him to keep quiet that Byggvir doesn’t know how to divide food among men and that he hides between straw and dais when men go into battle.

The god Heimdallr says that Loki is drunk and mindless and asks Loki why he won’t stop talking. Loki tells Heimdallr to keep quiet that a “hateful life” is in store for him, that Heimdallr must always have a muddy back and serve as the guardian of the gods. The goddess Skaði says that while Loki now appears carefree and “plays” with his “tail wagging”, he is soon bound by the gods with the entrails of his freezing son to a sharp rock. Loki says that even if this is his destiny, when Skaði’s father Þjazi was murdered, he was “first and foremost” with the other gods. Skaði says that in light of these events, Loki will always receive “ominous advice” from their “sanctuaries and planes”. Loki says that Skaði once spoke more gently to him (he referred to himself as “Son of Rundey”) when Skaði once invited him to her bed (an event not attested elsewhere), and that such events must be mentioned, when they are to remember “shameful deeds”.

Sif goes out and, in a prose tale, pours Loki a glass of mead into a crystal goblet. Continuing the poem, Sif welcomes Loki and invites him to take a crystal goblet filled with ancient mead, saying that she is uniquely innocent among the Children of the Æsir. Loki “takes the horn”, drinks it and says she would be if it were, stating that Sif and Loki were lovers despite her marriage to Thor (an affair otherwise unconfirmed). Beyla (referred to as Freyr’s servant in the poem’s prose introduction) says that all mountains tremble, that she thinks Thor must be on his way home, and when Thor arrives he will bring peace to those who quarrel there. Loki tells Beyla to keep quiet, that she is “very steeped in malice”, that there has never been a worse woman among the “Æsir children”, and call her a bad “servant”.

The Arrival of Thor and the Bondage of Loki

Loki threatens the Æsir with fire (1895) from (1895) by Lorenz Frølich

The Punishment of Loki by Louis Huard by Louis Huard

Thor arrives and tells Loki to be silent, referring to him as an “evil creature” and stating that he will use his hammer Mjöllnir to silence Loki by pounding his head off his shoulders. Loki acknowledges that Thor has arrived and asks Thor why he is angry, saying that Thor will not be brave enough to fight the wolf if he swallows Odin in Ragnarok. Thor again tells Loki to be silent and threatens him with Mjöllnir, adding that he will throw Loki “onto the streets to the east” and after that no one will be able to see Loki. Loki states that Thor should never brag about his voyages to the East, claiming that Thor crouched there in the thumb of a gauntlet, derisively calling him a “hero”, adding that such behavior was unlike Thor. Thor responds by telling Loki to be silent, threatening him with Mjöllnir, and adding that it will break every one of Loki’s bones. Loki says that he intends to live long despite Thor’s threats and taunts Thor about an encounter Thor once had with the Skrýmir (Útgarða-Loki in disguise). Thor orders Loki to be silent again, threatens Loki with Mjöllnir, and says he will send Loki to Hel, below the gates of Nágrind.

In response to Thor, Loki says he spoke “before the Æsir” and “before the sons of the Æsir” which his “spirit” urged him to do, but before Thor will go alone he will go, knowing that Thor strikes. Loki ends the poetic verses of Lokasenna with a final stanza:

Ale you have brewed, Ægir, and you will never celebrate again;

all your possessions that are in here –

may flames play over them,

and may your back be burned!

After this last stanza, a passage of prose describes that after Loki left the hall, he disguised himself as a salmon and hid in the waterfall at Franangrsfors, where the Æsir caught him. The narration continues that Loki was bound with his son Nari’s entrails and his son Narfi turned into a wolf. Skaði attached a venomous snake over Loki’s face and venom dripped from it. Sigyn his wife sat with him and held a bowl under the dripping poison, but when the bowl was full she carried the poison away; and during this time the poison dripped onto Loki, causing him to convulse with such violence that the whole earth was shaken by the force, resulting in what is now known as an earthquake.

Þrymskviða

In the poem Þrymskviða, Thor wakes up to find his powerful hammer Mjöllnir missing. Thor turns to Loki first and tells him that nobody knows the hammer was stolen. The two then go to the goddess Freyja’s court and Thor asks her if he can borrow her feather cloak so he can try to find Mjöllnir. Freyja agrees, saying she would borrow it even if it were silver and gold, and Loki flies off, the feather cloak whistling.

In Jötunheimr, the jötunn Þrymr sits on a burial mound, weaving golden collars for his bitches and trimming the manes of his horses. Þrymr sees Loki and asks what could be wrong among the Æsir and the Elves; Why is Loki alone in Jötunheimr? Loki replies that he has bad news for both the elves and the Æsir: that Thor’s hammer, Mjöllnir, is gone. Þrymr says he hid Mjöllnir eight miles underground, from which it will be retrieved if Freyja is tricked into marrying him. Loki flies away, feather cloak whistling, away from Jötunheimr and back to the court of the gods.

Thor asks Loki if his efforts were successful and for Loki to tell him while he’s still airborne, since “stories often escape a sitting man, and the man who lies down often barks lies”. Loki states that it was indeed an effort and also a success as he discovered that Þrymr has the hammer but that it cannot be retrieved unless Freyja is made to marry Þrymr. The two return to Freyja and tell her to put on a bridal headdress as they will be driving her to Jötunheimr. Freyja, outraged and enraged, flies into a rage causing all the halls of the Æsir to tremble with rage, and her necklace, the famous Brísingamen, falls from her. Freyja demonstratively refuses.

As a result, the gods and goddesses meet and hold something to discuss and debate the matter. At the thing, the god Heimdallr suggests that instead of Freyja, Thor should be dressed as a bride, complete with jewels, women’s clothing to the knees, a bride’s headdress, and the necklace Brísingamen. Thor rejects the idea, and Loki (referred to here as “Son of Rundey”) interjects that this is the only way to get Mjollnir back, pointing out that without Mjollnir, the jötnar will be able to invade Asgard and settle there. The gods dress Thor as a bride and Loki declares that he will go with Thor as his maid and that the two should go to Jötunheimr together.

After riding together in Thor’s goat-driven chariot, the two arrive in Jötunheimr in disguise. Þrymr commands the jötnar in his hall to spread straw on the benches, for Freyja has come to marry him. Þrymr tells of his valuable animals and objects and explains that Freyja was all he lacked in his wealth.

In the early evening, Loki and Thor in disguise meet with Þrymr and the assembled jötnar. Thor eats and drinks wildly, consuming whole animals and three barrels of mead. Þrymr finds the behavior at odds with his impression of Freyja, and Loki, sitting in front of Þrymr and appearing to be a “very clever maid”, apologizes for “Freyja’s” behavior is due to the fact that she did not consume anything for eight whole days before her arrival due to her eagerness to arrive. Þrymr then lifts “Freyja’s” veil and is about to kiss “her” until he catches the terrifying eyes staring at him, seemingly burning with fire. Loki states that this is because “Freyja” hasn’t slept for eight nights out of eagerness.

The jötnar’s “miserable sister” appears, asking for a bridal gift from “Freyja”, and the jötnar brings out Mjöllnir to “sanctify the bride”, placing her on her lap and marrying the two by “the hand” of the goddess Var. Thor chuckles as he sees the hammer, grabs it, hits Þrymr, hits all the jötnar and kills the jötnar’s “elder sister”.

Reginsmal

Loki appears in both the prose and the first six stanzas of the poem Reginsmál. The prose introduction to Reginsmál describes that while the hero Sigurd was being fostered by Regin son of Hreidmar, Regin tells him that the gods Odin, Hœnir and Loki once went to the Andvara Falls, which contained many fish. Regin, a dwarf, had two brothers; Andvari, who in the form of a pike obtained food by staying at Andvara Falls, and Ótr, who often went to Andvara Falls in the form of an otter.

While the three gods are at the falls, Ótr (in the form of an otter) catches a salmon and is eating it on a river bank with his eyes closed when Loki hits him with a rock and kills him. The gods think it’s great and peel off the otter’s skin to make a bag out of it. That night, the three gods stay with Hreidmar (the father of Regin, Andvari, and the now deceased Ótr) and show him their fangs, including the otter’s skin. When Regin and Hreidmar saw the skin, they “seized hold of it and made it ransom their lives” in exchange for filling the otter-skin bag made by the gods with gold and covering the outside of the bag with red gold.

Loki is sent to retrieve the gold, and Loki goes to the goddess Rán, borrows her web, and then returns to Andvara Falls. At the falls, Loki spreads his net in front of Andvari (which is in the shape of a pike), which Andvari jumps into. The poem’s stanzas then begin: Loki taunts Andvari, telling him that he can save his head by telling Loki where his gold is. Andvari gives some background information about himself, including that he was cursed by a “norn of misfortune” in his “early days”. Loki responds by asking Andvari “what retribution” humanity gets if “they hurt each other with words”. Andvari replies that lying men will receive a “terrible retribution”: they will have to wade in the Vadgelmir River and will suffer for a long time.

Loki looks over the gold Andvari owns, and after Andvari surrenders all his gold, Andvari only keeps a single ring; the ring Andvarinaut, which Loki also takes. Andvari, now in the form of a dwarf, goes into a rock and tells Loki that the gold will lead to the death of two brothers, cause strife among eight princes, and be useless to all.

Loki returns, and the three gods give Hreidmar the money from the pot of gold and smooth the otters skin, stretching out their legs and heaping gold on them to cover them. Hreidmar looks at it and notices a single hair that is uncovered. Hreidmar demands that she too be covered. Odin brings forth the ring Andvarinaut covering the single hair.

Loki explains that they have now handed over the gold and that gold is cursed like Andvari and that it will be the deaths of Hreidmar and Regin. Hreidmar replies that if he had known this beforehand, he would have taken their lives, but that he believes those for whom the curse is intended are not yet born, and that he does not believe him. Also, with the treasure he will have red gold for the rest of his life. Hreidmar tells her to leave and the poem continues with no further mention of Loki.

Baldr’s dreamar

In Baldr draumar, Odin has awakened a deceased Völva in Hel and repeatedly questions her about his son Baldr’s bad dreams. Loki is mentioned in stanza 14, the last stanza of the poem, where the völva tells Odin to ride home, be proud of himself and that no one else will come to visit until “Loki is loose, escape his bonds” and the Beginning of Ragnarok.

Hyndluljoð

Loki eating a roasted heart in a painting (1911) by John Bauer

Loki is mentioned in two stanzas in Völuspá hin skamma found in the poem Hyndluljóð. The first stanza states that Loki gave birth to “the wolf” with the jötunn Angrboða, that Loki himself gave birth to the horse Sleipnir by the stallion Svaðilfari, and that Loki (referred to as “the brother of Býleistr”) third, “the worst of all wonders” This stanza is followed by:

Loki ate from the heart, a woman’s mind stone,

roasted on a lime-wood fire he found it half-cooked;

Lopt was impregnated by a wicked woman

from which all cannibals on earth descended.

In the second of the two stanzas, Loki is referred to as Lopt. Loki’s consumption of a woman’s heart is otherwise unconfirmed.

Fjölsvinnsmal

In the poem Fjölsvinnsmál, a stanza mentions Loki (as Lopt) in connection with runes. In the poem, Fjölsviðr describes to the hero Svipdagr that Sinmara keeps the weapon Lævateinn in a chest locked with nine strong locks (due to significant translation differences, two translations of the stanza are provided here):

Fjolsvith spoke:

“Lævatein is here, this lopt with runes

Once made through the doors of death;

In Lægjarn’s breast of Sinmora it lies,

And nine locks hold it tight.” Fiolsvith.

Hævatein is the name of the branch, and Lopt plucked it,

down at the gate of death.

In an iron chest it lies with Sinmœra,

and is secured with nine strong padlocks.

Prose Edda

Gylfaginning

The Prose Edda book Gylfaginning tells various myths about Loki, including Loki’s role in the birth of the horse Sleipnir and Loki’s competition with Logi, the personified fire.

High’s introduction

Loki first appears in the Prose Edda in Chapter 20 of the Book of Gylfaginning, where he is referred to as “ás called Loki”, while the enthroned figure of the Third “Gangleri” (King Gylfi in disguise) explains the goddess Frigg’s prophetic abilities while under Citing a stanza by Lokasenna.

Loki is introduced more formally by High in chapter 34, where he is “counted among the Æsir”, and High states that Loki is called by some “the slanderer of the Æsir”, “the author of deception”, and “the disgrace of all the gods”. and men”. High says that Loki’s alternative name is Lopt, that he is the son of male Jötunn Fárbauti, his mother is “Laufey or Nál”, and his brothers are Helblindi and Býleistr. High describes Loki as “pleasant and handsome in im Appearance, vicious in character, “very capricious in behavior” and as “to a greater degree than others” learned cunning and possessing “tricks for every purpose”, whereby the Æsir often gets into trouble, and then uses his tricks to get them out again, Sigyn becomes presented as married to Loki and they have a son named “Nari or Narfi”.Otherwise Loki had three children with the female jötunn Angrboða from Jötunheimr, the wolf Fenrir, the snake Jörmungandr and the female Hel tters realized that these three children had grown up in Jötunheimr and expected trouble from them, partly due to the nature of Angrboða, but even worse, Loki. In chapter 35, Gangleri comments that Loki produced a “rather terrible” – but important – family.

Loki, Svaðilfari and Sleipnir

In chapter 42, High tells a story set “right at the beginning of the settlement of the gods, when the gods founded Midgard and built Val-Hall”. The story revolves around an unnamed master builder who has offered to build a fortress for the gods that will deter invaders in exchange for the goddess Freyja, the sun and the moon. After some discussion, the gods agree to these terms, but place a number of restrictions on the builder, including that he must complete the work within three seasons without the help of a human. The builder makes a single request; that he can have help from his stallion Svaðilfari, and due to Loki’s influence this is allowed. The stallion Svaðilfari performs twice as many feats of strength as the master builder, dragging massive stones – to the surprise of the gods. The builder is making rapid progress on the wall with Svaðilfari, and three days before the end of summer the builder is almost at the entrance of the fortress. The gods come together and find out who is to blame, leading to a unanimous agreement that besides most problems, Loki is to blame (referred to here as Loki Rundeyjarson – his last name derives from his mother’s name Rundey).

Loki and Svaðilfari (1909) by Dorothy Hardy (1909) by Dorothy Hardy

Declaring that Loki deserves a horrible death if he cannot find a plan that will result in the builder forfeiting his payment, the gods threaten to attack him. Loki, terrified, swears he will devise a plan to trick the contractor into forfeiting payment, whatever it may cost himself. That night, the builder drives out on his stallion, Svaðilfari, to fetch stones, and a mare runs out of a forest. The mare whinnies at Svaðilfari and “when he realizes what kind of horse it was”, Svaðilfari becomes frantic, whinnies, tears his harness and runs towards the mare. The mare runs to the forest, Svaðilfari follows and the builder chases after. The two horses run around all night, causing construction to halt and the builder unable to regain the earlier momentum of his work.

The builder enrages, and when the Æsir realize the builder is a Hrimthur, they disregard their previous oaths to the builder and call out to Thor. Thor arrives and then kills the builder by smashing the builder’s skull into shards with the hammer Mjöllnir. However, Loki had “such deals” with Svaðilfari that “a little later” Loki gives birth to a gray eight-legged foal; the horse Sleipnir – “the best horse among gods and men”.

Loki, Útgarða-Loki and Logi

In Chapter 44, Third reluctantly tells a story of Thor and Loki riding in Thor’s chariot drawn by his two goats. Loki and Thor stop at a farmer’s house and get lodging for the night. Thor butchers his goats, prepares them, puts them in a pot and Loki and Thor sit down for dinner. Thor invites the farming family who owns the farm to share the food he has prepared with him, but warns them not to break the bones. Afterwards, at Loki’s suggestion, the peasant kid Þjálfi sucks the marrow out of one of the goat’s bones, and when Thor leaves to revive the goats, he finds that one of the goats is lame. In their terror, the Thor family atones by giving Thor their son Þjálfi and daughter Röskva.

Without the goats, Thor, Loki and the two children continue east until they reach a vast forest in Jötunheimr. They continue walking through the forest until it gets dark. The four seek shelter for the night. You will come across a huge building. They seek shelter in an adjoining room and experience earthquakes throughout the night. The earthquakes cause all four to fear except Thor, who grabs his hammer in preparation for the defense. The building turns out to be the giant gauntlet of Skrymir, which snored all night and apparently caused earthquakes. All four sleep in fear under an oak tree near Skrymir.

Thor wakes up in the middle of the night and a series of events occurs, during which Thor twice attempts to kill the sleeping Skrýmir with his hammer. Skrýmir wakes up after each attempt, only to say that he noticed an acorn fell on his head, or wonders if bits of tree fell on him from the branches above. The second attempt awakens Skrýmir. Skrýmir gives them advice; If they get cocky at Útgarðr Keep, it would be better for them to turn back now, for Útgarða-Loki’s men there will not put up with it. Skrýmir throws his backpack on his back and abruptly goes into the forest. High comments that “there is no record of the Æsir expressing the hope of a happy reunion”.

The four travelers continue their journey until noon. You are facing a massive castle in an open area. The castle is so high that they have to bend their heads back to see over it. At the entrance to the castle is a closed gate and Thor finds he cannot open it. All four squeeze their way through the bars of the gate with difficulty and continue to a large hall. There are two benches in the great hall where many generally tall people sit on two benches. The four see Útgarða-Loki, the king of the castle, seated.

Útgarða-Loki says visitors are not allowed to stay unless they can perform. Loki, standing at the back of the group, is the first to speak, claiming that he can eat faster than anyone. Útgarða-Loki comments that this would indeed be an accomplishment, and requests that a being named Logi come off the benches. A trencher is fetched, placed on the hall floor and filled with meat. Loki and Logi sit on opposite sides. The two eat as fast as they can and meet in the middle of the ditch. Loki consumed all the flesh from the bones on his side, but Logi had not only consumed his flesh, but also the bones and the trench cutter itself. It was obvious to everyone that Loki had lost. In turn, Þjálfi crashes into a character named Hugi three times and loses three times.

Thor agrees to enter a drinking contest, but fails after three massive gulps. Thor agrees to pick up a large, gray cat in the hall, but finds that no matter what he does it arches his back and he can only lift a single paw. Thor demands to fight someone in the hall, but residents say it would be humiliating considering Thor’s weakness. Útgarða-Loki then calls for his nurse Elli, an old woman. The two wrestle, but the harder Thor fights, the harder the fight becomes. Thor is eventually brought to a single knee. Útgarða-Loki tells Thor that it would be pointless to fight anyone else. Now late at night, Útgarða-Loki leads the group to their rooms and they are treated with hospitality.

The next morning, the group gets dressed and prepare to leave the keep. Útgarða-Loki appears, has his servants prepare a table, and everyone eats and drinks happily. As they leave, Útgarða-Loki asks Thor how he fared in the competitions. Thor says he can’t say he did well, noting that he’s particularly upset that Útgarða-Loki will now speak negatively about him. Útgarða-Loki points out that the group left his keep and says that he hopes they never return there because if he had known what he was dealing with, he would never have allowed the group to take him to enter. Útgarða-Loki reveals that all was not as it seemed to the group. Útgarða-Loki was in fact the giant Skrýmir, and that if the three punches Thor tried to land hit their target, the first Skrýmir would have killed. In reality, Thor’s blows were so powerful that they had resulted in three square valleys.

The competitions were also an illusion. Útgarða-Loki reveals that Loki had actually competed against wildfire itself (logi, Old Norse “flame”), Þjálfi had competed against thought (Hugi, Old Norse “thought”), Thor’s drinking horn had actually reached to the ocean and with his drinks it lowered the sea level (resulting in tides). The cat that Thor was trying to lift was actually the world serpent Jörmungandr, and everyone was horrified when Thor was able to lift this “cat’s” paw, for Thor had actually held the great serpent up to the sky. The old woman Thor wrestled with was indeed old (Elli, Old Norse “age”), and there is no one who age cannot bring down. Útgarða-Loki tells Thor that it would be better for “both sides” if they didn’t see each other again. Hearing this, Thor grabs his hammer and swings it at Útgarða-Loki, but he’s gone and so is his castle. Only a vast landscape remains.

Norwegian rune poem

Loki is mentioned in stanza 13 of the Norwegian runic poem in connection with the younger Futhark Bjarkan rune:

Old Norse:

Bjarkan er laufgrønster líma;

Loki bar flærða tíma. Modern English:

Birch has the greenest leaves of any shrub;

Loki was lucky with his deception.

According to Bruce Dickins, the reference to “Loki’s deceit” in the poem “is undoubtedly due to Loki’s responsibility for Balder’s death”.

Archaeological record

Snaptun Stone

The Snaptun Stone may contain a representation of Loki

In 1950, a semi-circular flat stone depicting a mustachioed face was discovered on a beach near Snaptun, Denmark. Carved in soapstone, which originated in Norway or Sweden, the depiction dates from around AD 1000 and shows a face with scarred lips. The character is identified as Loki because of his lips, which is thought to refer to a story recorded in Skáldskaparmál in which sons of Ivaldi sew Loki’s lips together.

The stone is identified as a hearth stone; The nozzle of the bellows was inserted into the hole at the front of the stone and the air generated by the bellows pushed the flame through the top hole while the bellows was protected from heat and flame at all times. The stone could indicate a connection between Loki and forging and flames. According to Hans Jørgen Madsen, the Snaptun stone is “the most beautifully made hearth stone there is”. The stone is housed and on display at Moesgård Museum near Aarhus, Denmark.

Kirkby Stephen Stone and Gosforth Cross

A late 10th-century fragmentary cross in St Stephen’s Church, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, England, shows a bound figure with horns and a beard. This character is sometimes theorized to represent Loki bound. Discovered in 1870, the stone is yellowish-white sandstone and now stands in front of Kirkby Stephen’s Church. An illustration of a similarly horned and round-shouldered figure was discovered at Gainford, County Durham, and is now in the Durham Cathedral Library.

The mid-11th century Gosforth Cross has been interpreted to depict various figures from Norse mythology and, like the Kirkby Stephen Stone, is also in Cumbria. The lower part of the west side of the cross shows a depiction of a long-haired female figure kneeling, holding an object over another prostrate, bound figure. Above and to her left is a knotted serpent. This was interpreted as Sigyn calming the bound Loki.

The bound figure on the Kirkby Stephen Stone

Detail from the Gosforth Cross

Scandinavian folklore

The term Loki survived in the folklore of Scandinavia into modern times. In Denmark, Loki appeared as Lokke. In Jutland at the beginning of the 20th century, the sentences “Lokke slår sin havre” (“Lokke harvests his oats”) and “Lokkemand driver sine geder” (“Lokkemand drives his goats”) have been handed down, the latter with the variation of simply “Lokke “. In Zealand the name “Lokke lejemand” (“Lokke the gambling man”) was used. In his study of Loki’s appearance in Scandinavian folklore in modern times, Danish folklorist Axel Olrik cites numerous examples of natural phenomena explained by Lokke in popular folk tradition, including rising heat. An example from 1841 reads as follows:

The expressions: “Lokke (Lokki) sår havre i dag” (Lokke (Lokki) sows oats today) or: “Lokke driver i dag med sine geder” (Lokke tends his goats today), are used in several regions of Jutland, for example in County Medelsom, Diocese of Viborg etc. … and represent the sight in Spring when the sun produces haze from the ground which can be seen as fluttering or shimmering air on the horizon of the flat landscape, similar to the hot steam overhead kettle or a burning fire

And in Thy from the same source: “…when you look to the horizon in clear weather and sunshine, and the air seems to move in shimmering waves, or like a sheet of water that seems to rise and fall in waves. Olrik further cites several different types of plants named after Loki. Olrik recognizes three main themes in folklore attestations; Lokke appeared as an “air phenomenon”, associated with the “home fire”, and as a “lovely creature of the night”.[59]

Loka Táttur or Lokka Táttur (Faroese “story – or þáttr – of Loki”) is a Faroese ballad from the late Middle Ages in which the gods Loki, Odin and Hœnir help a peasant and a boy escape the wrath of a bet. winning jötunn. The story notably depicts Loki as a benevolent god in this story, although as usual his cunning is evident.

Origin and identification with other characters

Regarding research on Loki, scholar Gabriel Turville-Petre (1964) comments that “More ink has been spilled on Loki than on any other figure in Norse myth. This alone is enough to show how few scholars agree and how far we are from understanding him.”

origin

Loki’s origins and role in Norse mythology have been much debated by scholars. In 1835 Jacob Grimm was the first to put forward a great theory about Loki, putting forward the idea of ​​Loki as the “god of fire”. In 1889 Sophus Bugge theorized that Loki was a variant of Christianity’s Lucifer, an element of Bugge’s broader effort to find a basis for Christianity in Norse mythology. After World War II, four scientific theories dominated. The first of the four theories comes from Folke Ström, who concluded in 1956 that Loki is a hypostasis of the god Odin. In 1959, Jan de Vries theorized that Loki is a typical example of a trickster figure. In 1961, Anna Birgitta Rooth, by excluding all non-Scandinavian mythological parallels in her analysis, concluded that Loki was originally a spider. Anne Holtsmark, writing in 1962, concluded that no conclusion could be drawn about Loki.

Identification with Lóðurr

A popular theory by scholar Ursula Dronke states that Lóðurr is “a third name of Loki/Loptr”. The main argument for this is that the gods Odin, Hœnir and Loki appear as a trio in Haustlöng, the prose prologue to Reginsmál and also in Loka Táttur, a Faroese ballad, an example of Norse deities appearing in later folklore. Additionally, the Odin kenning “Lóðurr’s friend” seems to parallel the kenning “Loptr’s friend”, and Loki is similarly referred to as “Hœnir’s friend” in Haustlong, strengthening the trio connection. While many scholars agree with this identification, it is not universally accepted. One argument against this is that Loki later appears in Völuspá as a malevolent being, seemingly at odds with the image of Lóðurr as a “powerful and loving” character. Many scholars, including Jan de Vries and Georges Dumézil, have also identified Lóðurr as the same deity as Loki. Scholar Haukur Þorgeirsson proposes that Loki and Lóðurr were different names for the same deity based on Loki being referred to as Lóður in the Rímur Lokrur. Þorgeirsson argues that since Snorri does not mention Lóðurr, the author must have had information about the identification either from a tradition or that the author drew the conclusion based on the Prose Edda. Since the contents of the Poetic Edda are believed to have been forgotten around 1400 when the Rímur was written, Haukur argues for a traditional identification. Þorgeirsson also points to Þrymlur, where the same identification is made with Loki and Lóðurr. Haukur says that the idea provided the possible but unlikely idea that the poets of the 14th century Loki and Lóðurr are identical (as some recent scholars have) or there are remnants of an oral tradition left. Haukur concludes that if Lóðurr has historically been considered a deity independent of Loki, a discussion of when and why he became identified with Loki is in order.

binding

Scholar John Lindow highlights the recurring pattern of the bound monster in Norse mythology, particularly associated with Loki. Loki and his three children by Angrboda were all bound in some way and all destined to break free in Ragnarok to wreak havoc on the world. Proposing an element borrowed from the traditions of the Caucasus region, he identifies a mythological parallel to the “Christian legend of the bound Antichrist awaiting the Last Judgment”.

Modern interpretations and heritage

In the 19th century, Loki was portrayed in a variety of ways, some at odds with others. According to Stefan Arvidssen, “In the nineteenth century the notion of Loki varied. Sometimes he was portrayed as a dark-haired Semitic fifth columnist among the Norse Æsir, but sometimes as a Norse Prometheus, a heroic bearer of culture”.

Loki appears in Richard Wagner’s opera cycle Ring des Nibelungen as Loge (a play in Old Norse Loge, “fire”), portrayed as an ally of the gods (specifically Wotan’s assistant rather than Donners), although he generally dislikes and thinks of them as greedy as they refuse to return the Rhinegold to its rightful owners. At the end of the first opera Das Rheingold he reveals his hope of turning into fire and destroying Valhalla, and in the last opera Götterdämmerung Valhalla is set on fire and destroys the gods.

As the myths tell of Loki changing sexes several times,[67][68] some modern works interpret or depict the deity as gendered. [69] [70] [71]

In 2008, five black smokers were discovered between Greenland and Norway, the northernmost group discovered so far, which were named Loki’s Castle because their shape reminded explorers of a fantasy castle, and (a press release from the University of Bergen states) “Loki ” was “a fitting name for an area so difficult to localize”.[72]

Modern popular culture

Loki has been depicted or referenced in a number of modern popular culture media.

Science

The archaeal tribe Lokiarchaeota was named after Loki.

See also

references

Cited Sources

The ending is here, but you might as well enjoy it. In preparation for your Endgame premiere, we’ve put together a little guide featuring some of the Avengers characters as foods so you’ll know exactly what to eat while you watch.

Iron Man – Caviar

Caviar is good if you want to feel boujee, but also a little better than everyone else. Iron Man always comes out on top, like caviar on a cracker.

Captain America – Apple Pie

Apple pie is a good old American favorite, as is Cap himself. These two delicious snacks (Chris Evans shirtless, *sigh*😍) represent the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Black Widow – Shrimp Cocktail

Black Widow is like a shrimp cocktail at a black tie event. Elegant and serious, but with a twist.

Hulk- Spinach

Mom always told us that the best way to grow big and strong is to eat our veggies. Don’t eat too much though or you might end up like the big one.

Thor-steak

Not just a snack, but the whole damn meal. Like Steak, Thor is big, beefy, and always there for the main event.

Hawkeye – Double Cheeseburger

Hawkeye may be badass, but he’s a sweet husband and father at the same time. We can imagine him grilling up some burgers when he’s free.

Captain Marvel – Coffee

Energy flows through you after your morning cup of coffee, much like how energy flows through Captain Marvel’s body when fighting for what is right.

Ant Man – Silver Dollar Pancakes

Silver dollars are small, but pack a lot of flavor into just one bite. Also small but mighty, Ant-Man is the goofy, irresponsible father we all wish we could be.

Black Panther – Lamb Chops

Steeped in tradition and fit for a king, lamb chops are the backbone of a fancy meal. Similarly, Black Panther behaves towards Wakanda as their protector and their king.

Spiderman – Chicken Fingers and Fries

Still a kid, Spidey is navigating the ins and outs of being the friendly neighborhood hero he started out as. When push comes to shove, home cooking like chicken fries can always cheer up a scared little kid.

Star Lord Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies are an out of this world treat that comforts us in our worst moods. Star-Lord does the same while rocking out to a cool playlist (bonus points for that).

dr Strange – soup dumplings

Through ancient Asian techniques, Dr. Strangle his powers. Much like soup dumplings, no one really knows the magic that comes from within.

Scarlet Witch – Hot Cheetos

Hot Cheetos leave a fiery dust on your hands, which unfortunately doesn’t have the same firepower as Scarlet Witch’s hands. However, both pack a good amount of warmth into such a small package.

Vision – herbal tea

Herbal tea is good for the soul and spirit. The Spirit Stone of Vision gives him the power to stay centered and in touch with his inner peace in times of chaos.

Loki – Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Probably the most deceptive cookie out there. The number of times we’ve reached out for one thinking it was a chocolate chip is equal to the number of times Loki has stabbed Thor in the back. Although initially disappointing, Loki turns out to be quite cute.

Falcon chicken wings

Without its wings, Falcon would not be where it is today. It can be sweet or spicy under any circumstances and is a calming presence, just like a big plate of chicken wings.

War Machine Pudding

War Machine is the middleman between rational government work and irrational superhero work. While he’s stubborn when it counts, he’s also sweet and loyal to his best pal, Iron Man. Pudding is sweet, too, and fills the middle of otherwise lame baked goods.

Nick Fury – The Recipe

Fury is the ringleader and always leads the Avengers in the right direction. Much like a recipe, things will suck if you don’t follow it.

Bonus: Thanos – Chicken and Waffles

Chicken and Waffles is the perfect balance of sweet and savory. While it may not be the perfect balance Thanos is looking for, it will likely satisfy another craving.

Many people consider Loki to be one of the most fascinating characters in Norse mythology. Over the past few years, fans of Marvel’s Avengers films have come to know the Norse god, and often wonder how accurate this version of Loki compares to the mythology that inspired the films. One thing a lot of people want to know is what Loki looked like according to the Norse myths.

Loki was handsome according to Norse mythology. His blond hair was one of his most notable features. Although some claim that Loki had red hair, there is no literary evidence to support this.

The remainder of this article describes the physical attributes of the Norse god of mischief, including his ability to shapeshift. Read on for more insight and a detailed description of some of the things the Marvel movies got wrong about this legend.

See also Is Loki a god or a frost giant in Norse mythology? to learn more.

Could Loki change his appearance in Norse mythology? See below

What was the color of Loki’s hair, eyes and in Norse mythology?

Norse mythology does not describe Loki’s hair, eyes, and skin color. The only description of the god of mischief is that he was handsome and blond.

In other words, the version of Loki in Marvel films is likely the result of assumptions about what he might have looked like or the result of artistic license on the part of the filmmakers.

Loki’s eyes changed from green in Thor to blue in The Avengers and back to green in Thor: The Dark World.

Could Loki change his appearance in Norse mythology?

Norse mythology describes Loki as a shapeshifter. He could change his appearance and shape at will, but mostly he was described as a handsome man with long blond hair.

In Norse mythology, there are several instances where Loki changes form between human and animal form. For example, to evade Asgard’s guardians, he transformed into a salmon and hid among the fish swimming upstream.

The god of mischief also had a much smaller, slimmer form known as the Sly One. This was his true form, and in this form he would not have been recognized by any god or goddess who knew him well.

In one legend, he turned into a mare and gave birth to Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse. Therefore, in Norse mythology, Loki could change form and had the power to reproduce in whatever form.

Another story tells of two dwarves who trade their weight for another man’s freedom. Remarkably, Loki changed them all so neither side knew which dwarf weighed more than the other.

He also sometimes changed his form when hunting or traveling incognito.

See also How did Loki become a god in Norse mythology? to learn more.

Was Loki a villain in Norse mythology?

How accurate is the Loki character in Marvel movies?

The Loki character in Marvel films is an inaccurate representation of the Loki in Norse mythology.

Although the Norse and Marvel versions of Loki are both trickster and shapeshifter, the latter is portrayed as Odin’s stepson, a villain from the start and one who never had a wife or children.

Here’s a breakdown of the differences between Marvel and Norse Loki:

Loki’s parents

In Norse mythology, Loki is the son of two giants. His mother is Rundey and his father’s name is Farbauti. In Marvel films, the trickster god was adopted by Odin from Jotunheim (Land of Giants).

According to the Marvel Universe, Odin once fought the Frost Giants. After defeating her, he found an abandoned baby and took it home to Asgard. That baby was Loki.

Marvel films feature Loki as Thor’s stepbrother and Odin as his father. Their relationship is strained and filled with hate because Loki was always insecure thanks to Thor’s wilder and more savage nature, traits the Aesir (the Marvel version) expected in a king.

Loki’s wife and children

Another difference between Marvel and Norse Loki is that the former has no clear descendants. On the other hand, the latter has a wife named Sigyn and two children: Narvi and Vali (both mentioned in the Voluspa).

Loki’s other children in Norse mythology include Fenrir the wolf, Jormungand the serpent, and Hel. These children were born to a woman named Angrboda.

In Marvel films, Loki has no children and is never shown to love any particular female character.

shapeshifting

The Norse version of Loki is a shapeshifter. He only uses illusions to create new forms for himself in Marvel movies.

The Norse version of Loki sometimes takes the form of animals such as a mare or a seal. In addition, the Norse Loki could shapeshift into various animals in order to visit the realms of other gods undetected.

In one myth, Loki traveled through Midgard and Jotunheim (land of giants) on behalf of Odin to avoid being discovered by giants who lived there, since they had been banished from Asgard long ago.

The Marvel version of Loki also changes form, although he only changes into other humans and gods such as Captain America and Odin respectively.

See also Who are Loki’s children in Norse mythology? to learn more.

Loki as a villain

Marvel portrays Loki as a villain. He’s always looking for ways to help himself and hurt others.

Norse Loki, on the other hand, could be a good person every now and then and is often referred to as the companion and helper of Odin and Thor. This version also helped create the Mjolnir; The hammer Thor often uses in Marvel movies.

Loki also helped Odin fight Surtur, a fire giant. Surtur wanted to destroy Asgard with his flaming, ever-sharp sword.

However, in Norse mythology, Loki behaves like a villain when he tricks Höd, the blind god, into killing Baldr (Odin’s son). This happens towards the end of his narrative as opposed to at the beginning.

In contrast, the Marvel version of the trickster god’s main goal (aside from overthrowing Odin and taking over as king) is to kill Thor.

Another aspect that shows the differences in Marvel and Norse Loki’s villainous nature is the ultimate consequence of their actions. The latter in particular accomplishes more disastrous feats, such as his role in Baldr’s death.

Specifically, Loki’s trick of tricking Höd marks the beginning of Ragnarok.

The Loki in the Marvel Universe is a marked departure from the original Norse god of mischief.

References:

[1] Source

[2] Source

[3] Source

Many cultures have assigned meanings to their numbers, and of course the same was true of the Norse cultures. The numbers and their meaning are reflected in books such as the Poetic Edda, but also in many of the Old Norse Icelandic sagas from the Viking Age.

These ancient stories contain many hidden messages and meanings and today we are going to look at the numbers in these books and try to decode the symbolic meaning of these numbers in Norse mythology as best as we can.

Number 3 in Norse mythology

Holy – Many – Royal

There are many examples of the number three being an important number in Norse mythology, and we can read about them in Snorri Sturluson’s Eddas. Three is a number that can be considered a sacred number and a number that was often used by the kings and people of high status in the Viking Age.

For example, it was the three gods Odin, Vili and Ve who created the first two humans from two tree trunks. Odin gave life and spirit to the tree trunks, Vili gave them movement, mind and intelligence, and Vili gave them form, speech, feelings and the five senses.

There are also the three Norns (Old Norse: Nornir) who sit at the tree Yggdrasil in Asgard and weave the fate of every living being into one long thread of life. These three Norns are called Urd (Old Norse “Urðr”), Verdandi (Old Norse “Verðandi”) and Skuld (Old Norse “Skulð”).

But there are many other occurrences of the number three, the world tree Yggdrasil has three roots, the first root is in Asgard, which the Norns douse with water from the Urd well every day to keep the tree green and healthy.

Yggdrasil

The third root is in Niflheim and goes far into the ground where Helheim lies, and here the dragon Nidhug (Old Norse: Níðhöggr) chews on the root while waiting for more humans to arrive at the entrance of Hel.

In the saga of Thor’s Journey to Utgard in Jotunheim, he takes part in a competition where Utgard-Loki challenges him to drink from a large drinking horn. The number three is also represented here, because Thor can only take three puffs from the magical drinking horn. For those of you who don’t know who Utgard-Loki is, he is not Loki the Trickster, rather Utgard-Loki is a jötnar (giant) living in Jotunheim (land of giants). Also known as Skrymir, Utgard-Loki is a well-known illusionist of the Aesir (Æsir).

Loki is also part of number three, Loki has three children with Angrboda, Hel who is the ruler of the underworld Hel. The Midgard Serpent that lives in the ocean and the Fenris Wolf (Old Norse: Fenrir) that was tied to a rock on an island in the Kattegat.

The dwarves who made the robe to bind the Fenris wolf to the rock also took three tries to make a robe strong enough to bind the wolf to the rock.

The signs of Ragnarok (Ragnarok) are also on three, there will be three cold winters (called Fimbulwinters).

Okay, enough examples of the number three in Norse mythology, but there are many more examples that you can find yourself by reading the Old Norse texts, but you can also find them on this website.

Vikings sail across the sea

Number 7 in Norse mythology

Whole – Whole – Long

The number seven is another important number, however this number is mainly found in the Icelandic sagas and is often used in the sagas to indicate something that happened over a long period of time or completeness. An example of this can be found in Egil’s saga.

In Icelandic: “Þorgeirr, sonr Þorsteins, var þeira sterkastr bræðra, en Skúli var mestr; hann bjó bei Borg eptir dag Þorsteins, fǫður sins. Skúli var lengií viking; hann var stafnbúi Eiríks jarls á Járnbarðanum, þá er Ólafr konungr Tryggvason fell; Skúli hafði att í viking sjau orrostur. Ok þótti hann vera inn mesti kappi ok fullhugi; for hann eptir þat út til Íslands ok settisk í bú at Borg ok bjó þar til elli, ok kom mart manna frá honum”.

In English: “Þorgeirr (Thorgeirr), the son of Þorsteinn (Thorsteinn), was the strongest of the brothers, but Skúli was the greatest; He lived in Borg after Þorsteinn, his father, died. Skúli went on raids for a long time; he was a forecastle for Count Eiríkr in Járnbarðinn when the king Ólafr Tryggvason died; As a Viking, Skúli took part in seven wars. And he was considered the best and strongest warrior; after that he went to Iceland and settled on the farm of Borg and lived there to his old age, and many men of his lineage came”.

In the Song of Gudrun (Old Norse: Guðrúnarkviða) the number seven is also mentioned several times as something that is quite a long time and ends with something that is complete.

“Seven days we rode through the cold land,

but another seven days we beat the waves;

the third seven days we walked on dry land.”

Number 8 in Norse mythology

Unstable – Insufficient – ​​Unlucky

The number eight also has significant meaning in Norse mythology and the number eight could even be seen as something unstable or unlucky, unlike in Christianity where the number eight is seen as something good.

While some of you will immediately think of Odin’s steed Sleipnir when you hear the number eight, it is important to remember where Sleipnir came from as his horse has eight legs. Sleipnir was born of Jotnar and Trickster Loki, yes born of Loki, Loki is Sleipnir’s mother. Once Loki turned into a mare and had sexual intercourse with the horse named Svadilfari (Old Norse: Svaðilfari). What the saga tells us is how the walls around Asgard were built.

Indeed, Loki has always been a naughty troublemaker to the gods and goddesses, and why they tolerated him in their midst makes one really wonder what role he played among the Æsir. However, the trust the Aesir had in Loki waned over time and he was punished by the Aesir.

Loki punished by the Aesir

Some sagas turn the number eight into a nine, and such a thing could have been done to avoid the symbolism of the number eight. For example, Odin’s magical golden ring Draupnir, made by the two dwarves Brokkr and Eitri. Drops eight new rings of the same quality as Draupnir every ninth day. Here eight becomes nine, eight new rings plus Draupnir is nine.

In the Old Norse sagas, the eight warrior side is often defeated, for example in the Grettis saga, Torbjørn (Old Norse: Þorbjǫrn) Ox calls on the brothers Gunnarr and Torgeirr to ambush Atli, Grimr and their companions. They are eight and from their ambush they attack Atli and his five men. Despite being eight against six, they lose the fight.

In the Grettis saga, Vibjodr (Old Norse: Vígbjóðr) and Vestmarr raided the Hebrides with eight ships, where they met Trandr (Old Norse: Þrándr), who had five ships. Although they were eight ships against five and should have won, they lost the battle and had to flee back where they came from.

Eight really does seem to be an unlucky number and unstable, at least according to the legends, so if you can and want to avoid this number, turn the eight into a nine.

Number 9 in Norse mythology

Heath – magic

The number nine is another important number in the Old Norse myths and as I said earlier its meaning could be seen as something that represents a turning point and may also be linked to magic and paganism. The numbers three and nine are generally the most important numbers in Norse mythology and they can be found in numerous places, for example.

Odin hanged himself from the tree of life Yggdrasil for nine days and nights until the secret of the runes was revealed to him, but only for a split second before he fell to the ground.

Odin hanged himself on the world tree

There are nine worlds in Norse mythology that all depend on Yggdrasil. These worlds are Niflheim, Muspelheim, Asgard, Midgard, Jotunheim, Vanaheim, Alfheim, Svartalfheim, and Helheim.

Heimdall the Guardian of the Rainbow Bridge Bifrost was born to nine sisters.

Thor takes nine steps and falls dead after fighting his final battle with the Midgard Serpent at Ragnarok (Ragnarok). There are more examples in the sagas of the number nine than I will mention here.

Numbers in Lord of the Rings

JRR Tolkien loved Norse mythology and says he took great inspiration from these books, which means he may have also used the numbers and their meanings as seen by the pagans of northern Europe. An example of this can be found in the book Lord of the Rings.

“Three rings for the elf kings under heaven,

Seven for the dwarven lords in their stone halls,

Nine for mortal men sentenced to death,

One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne

In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie.

One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them

A ring that brings them all and binds them in the dark

In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie.”

– Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

As you can see the numbers three, seven and nine are mentioned in The Lord of the Rings and may have been an inspiration from Norse mythology and the Icelandic Sagas. Tolkien was also influenced by other traditions and religions, such as the number thirteen, which in Christianity means bad luck.

“Of course there is a sign,” said Gandalf. ”

I put it there myself. For very good reasons.

You asked me to find the fourteenth man for your expedition,

and I chose Mr.Baggins. Just let anyone say I chose the wrong thing

Man or the wrong house and you can stop at thirteen and have

all the bad luck you want or start digging coal again.

– The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I know there are probably some die-hard Old Norse literature fans out there who would say, well, what about the thirteen Yule Lads? (Icelandic: Jólasveinarnir). Personally I believe this Icelandic tradition came after the Viking Age, or maybe a thirteen year old Santa Claus was added to tease the Christians in Iceland.

Regardless of the answer, the number thirteen does not seem to be associated with anything bad luck in northern Europe and there is no mention of this number in the Eddas, the only occurrence of it being in the Icelandic Sagas, which were probably influenced by Christianity time of their writing.

The symbolic meaning of numbers in historical context

It might be possible that you can add one or more zeros to one of the numbers and still keep the original symbolic meaning of the numbers. For example, the doors in Valhalla are so wide that 800 warriors can enter the great halls side by side. However, it is not certain that this is the case, but it seems that there is something in the sagas about it.

Harold Hardrada

Harald Hardrada, who was king of Norway from 1046 to 1066, invaded England in September 1066. It is said that he had a fleet of 300 ships and it is estimated that he had either 7000 or 9000 warriors under his command.

The Battle of Stamford Bridge took place on September 25th, 2 + 5 is 7, could this also be part of the symbolic meaning and therefore make it part of the whole?

Are these numbers a coincidence? Or did Harald Hardrada deliberately choose this date and assemble his army because of these numbers and their symbolic meaning?

Three days later, after Harald Hardrada’s defeat at Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, William of Normandy landed at Pevensey on the south coast of England.

William of Normandy

Three weeks later, William of Normandy defeated Harald II of England at the Battle of Hastings. About nine weeks later, William of Normandy is crowned King of England.

Despite the fact that these historical events were based on numbers and their symbolic meaning, I still think it’s an interesting thought. Next time you open a book and read the Norse sagas, you might pay more attention to the numbers and whether they might have a deeper meaning in the saga.

Sources: “Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien, “Poetic Edda” by Snorri Sturluson, “Numerical Symbolism in Old Norse Literature” by Li Tan, “Egil’s Saga”, “Gretti’s Saga”.

Loki (pronounced “LOAK-ee”; Old Norse Loki, meaning discussed below) is the cunning trickster god of Norse mythology.

While treated as a nominal member of the gods, Loki holds a highly ambivalent and ultimately unique position among the gods, giants, and other types of spiritual beings that populate the pre-Christian Norse religion.

His family connections bear witness to this. His father is the giant Farbauti (Old Norse Fárbauti, “cruel striker”[1]). His mother is Rundey (whose meaning is unknown) or Nal (Nál, “needle”[2]). Rundey/Nal could be a goddess, a giantess or something else entirely – the surviving sources are silent on this point. Loki is the father of the giantess Angrboda (Angrboða, “fear-boding”) of Hel, the goddess of the underworld; Jormungand, the great serpent that kills Thor during Ragnarok; and Fenrir the wolf, who bites off one of Tyr’s hands and kills Odin during Ragnarok – hardly a serious breed to say the least. As we shall see below, Loki demonstrates a complete lack of concern for the welfare of his fellow gods, a trait that can only be vaguely discerned by looking at these descendants of his.

With his real wife Sigyn (“friend of victory”[3]) he also has a son named Nari or Narfi, whose name could mean “corpse”.[4]

Loki often goes against not only societal expectations, but also what we might call “the laws of nature”. In addition to the offspring listed above, Loki is also the mother – yes, the mother – of Sleipnir, Odin’s shamanic horse, who gave birth to Loki after transforming into a mare and courting the stallion Svadilfari, as recounted in the story of The Fortification of Asgard.

In the stories, Loki is portrayed as a scheming coward, concerned only with surface pleasures and self-preservation. He is alternately playful, malicious, and helpful, but he is always irreverent and nihilistic.

For example, in the story of The Kidnapping of Idun, Loki’s recklessness ends up in the hands of an angry giant, Thiazi, who threatens to kill Loki if he doesn’t bring him the goddess Idun. Loki agrees to save his life, only to find himself in the awkward position of having the gods threaten him with death if he doesn’t save Idun. He agrees to this request for the same basic motive, transforming himself into that of a hawk and carrying the goddess back to Asgard in his talons. Thiazi desperately pursues him in the form of an eagle, but after nearly catching up with Loki as he nears his goal, the gods light a fire around their fortress. The flames capture Thiazi and burn him to death while Idun and Loki reach the Halls of the Gods safely. Loki eventually comes to the gods’ aid, but only to remedy a tragedy of his own making. This theme is repeated in numerous stories, such as The Creation of Thor’s Hammer and the aforementioned The Fortification of Asgard.

After Thiazi’s death, Skadi, the giant’s daughter, comes to Asgard and demands redress for her father’s murder. One of her demands is that the gods make her laugh, which only Loki can do. To do this, he ties one end of a rope to a goat’s beard and the other end to his testicles. Both he and the goat will squeak and squeak as one pulls one way and the other the other. Eventually he falls into Skadi’s lap, and the giantess can’t help but laugh at such an absurd spectacle. Here Loki again comes to the aid of the gods, but simply by being silly and odd, not by performing a feat that a Viking-age Scandinavian would have found particularly honorable.

Loki alternately helps the gods and the giants, depending on which course of action is most convenient and advantageous for him at the moment. During Ragnarok, when the gods and giants wage their ultimate battle and the cosmos is destroyed, Loki joins the battle alongside the giants. According to an Old Norse poem, he is even the captain of the ship Naglfar, “nail ship”, which brings many of the giants into their struggle with the gods.[5] As the battle for the world ensues, he and the god Heimdall mortally wound each other.

Loki is perhaps best known for his malicious role in The Death of Baldur. After the death of the beloved god Baldur is prophesied, Baldur’s mother Frigg secures a promise from all living things not to harm her son. Well, almost everything – no such oath is sworn by the mistletoe, which the gods deem too small and safe to harm Baldur. Upon discovering this omission, Loki carves a mistletoe spear and places it in the hands of the blind god Hod, instructing him to throw it at Baldur. Hod, unaware of the weapon’s origin, agrees, and Baldur is impaled and dies. The god Hermod rides Sleipnir to the underworld and begs Hel to release Baldur, pointing out how loved he is by all living things. Hel replies that if so, then it shouldn’t be difficult to force all beings in the world to weep for Baldur, and should that happen, the dead god would be freed from the grave. Every living creature is indeed crying out for Baldur’s return, with one exception: a frosty giantess named Tokk (Þökk, “thank you”), who is almost certainly Loki in disguise. So Baldur has to stay with Hel.

Finally, for his many crimes against them, the gods forge a chain from the entrails of Loki’s son Narfi and bind him to three rocks in a cave. A venomous snake sits above him and drips venom on him. Loki’s apparently very loyal and loving wife, Sigyn, sits by his side with a bowl to catch the poison. But of course, when the bowl is full, she has to move away from her husband’s side to pour it out. When this happens, the drops of poison falling on him cause him to writhe in agony, and these convulsions create earthquakes. And in this state he lies until he breaks free at Ragnarok.

A fascinating twist on the story of Loki’s bondage comes from the medieval Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus. In his Tale of the Danes, on one of his many trips to Jotunheim, home of the giants, Thor finds a giant named Útgarðaloki (“Loki the Utgard”). Útgarðaloki is tied in exactly the same way as Loki in the story mentioned above, taken from Icelandic sources. It seems that even the pagan Norse themselves had conflicting views as to whether Loki was a god, a giant, or something else entirely.

In the centuries that Norse mythology has been the subject of scholarly study, scholars have been unable to explain the meaning of Loki’s name in a convincing manner. Most just threw up their hands and said the meaning of his name was unknown and probably unknowable. Recently, however, the philologist Eldar Heide may have solved this riddle. In his research into Norse folklore from before the Viking Age, Heide noticed that Loki often appears in contexts that compare him to a knot on a thread. In fact, the common noun Loki even means “knot” or “tangle” in later Icelandic usage. Spiders are sometimes referred to figuratively as Loki, as their webs are compared to the fishing nets (which are made up of a series of knots and loops) made by Loki in certain surviving Viking Age myths. From all of this, the simplest meaning of Loki’s name seems to be “knot” or “tangle”.[8][9]

This proposed meaning of Loki’s name resonates strongly with his role in Norse mythology in two ways. First, it points to his role as a maker of nets, both literal fishing nets and metaphorical “nets” in the form of his cunning schemes that put the gods in dangerous situations. Second, it may suggest that he is the “knot” in the otherwise straight thread of the gods and their world, the fatal flaw that ultimately leads to their downfall.

Although Loki is in a sense a god, no trace of any form of Loki worship has survived in the historical record.[10] Is that any wonder, considering his character is virtually the opposite of traditional Norse values ​​like honor, loyalty and the like – and ultimately a traitor to the deities that Norse people worshiped so much?

Looking for more great information about Norse mythology and religion? While this site provides the ultimate online introduction to the subject, my book The Viking Spirit provides the ultimate introduction to Norse mythology and religious period. I’ve also written a popular list of the 10 best Norse mythology books that you’ll likely find helpful in your search.

References:

[1] Turville-Petre, E.O.G. 1964. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. p. 127

[2] Pagan, Eldar. 2009. After all, more interventions in pre-Christian ideas? The potential later evidence. In Á austrvega: Saga and East Scandinavia: Preprint Papers of the 14th International Saga Conference. Edited by Agneta Ney et al. p. 363

[3] Simek, Rudolf. 1993. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. Translated by Angela Hall. p. 284

[4] Ibid. p. 228

[5] The Poetic Edda. Voluspa, stanza 51.

[6] Saxo Grammaticus. 1905. The History of the Danes. Book VIII

[7] Turville-Petre, E.O.G. 1964. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. p. 138

[8] Heath, Eldar. 2009. After all, more interventions in pre-Christian ideas? The potential later evidence. In Á austrvega: Saga and East Scandinavia: Preprint Papers of the 14th International Saga Conference. Edited by Agneta Ney et al. p. 363

[9] Heide, Eldar. 2012. p. 90-91. Loki, the Vätte and the Cinder Boy: A Study Combining Ancient Scandinavian and Medieval Material. In Scandinavia of the Vikings and the Middle Ages 7.

[10] Simek, Rudolf. 1993. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. Translated by Angela Hall. p. 195

Sea serpent in Norse mythology

Jörmungandr ascending to the oxhead bait, from the 17th century Icelandic manuscript AM 738 4to

In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr (Old Norse: Jǫrmungandr, literally “giant monster”,[1] pronounced [ˈjɔ̃rmoŋˌɡɑndr]), also known as the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent (Old Norse: Miðgarðsormr [ˈmiðˌɡɑrðsˌormr]), is a sea serpent and the middle child of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. According to the Prose Edda, Odin Lokis took three children from Angrboða – the wolf Fenrir, Hel and Jörmungandr – and threw Jörmungandr into the great ocean surrounding Midgard.[2] The snake grew so large that it could orbit the earth and grab its own tail.[2] It is an example of an ouroboros. As a result of it encircling the earth, it was given the name World Serpent. When it lets go of its tail, Ragnarok begins. Jörmungandr’s nemesis is the thunder god Thor.

Sources[edit]

The main sources for myths about Jörmungandr are the Prose Edda, the Skaldic poem Húsdrápa, and the Eddic poems Hymiskviða and Völuspá. Other sources are the early skaldic poem Ragnarsdrápa and Kennings in other skaldic poems; For example, in Þórsdrápa faðir lögseims, “father of sea thread”, is used as a kenning for Loki. There are also several picture stones depicting the story of Thor fishing for Jörmungandr.

stories [edit]

There are three surviving myths describing Thor’s encounters with Jörmungandr:

Pick up the cat[edit]

In one story, Thor encounters the giant king Útgarða-Loki and must perform deeds for him, one of which is a challenge of Thor’s strength. Útgarða-Loki goads Thor into trying to lift the world serpent, disguised by magic as a giant cat. Thor grabs the cat by the midsection, but manages to lift the cat only high enough for one of its paws to leave the ground. Útgarða-Loki later explains his deception and that Thor’s lifting of the cat was an impressive feat as he had stretched the snake so that it almost reached the sky. Many viewers became scared when they saw a paw lift off the ground.[3] If Thor had managed to lift the cat off the ground completely, he would have changed the boundaries of the universe.[4]

Thor’s fishing trip[edit]

Jörmungandr and Thor meet again when Thor goes fishing with the giant Hymir. When Hymir refuses to provide Thor’s bait, Thor cuts off the head of Hymir’s largest ox to use. They row to a point where Hymir often sat catching flatfish and where he raised two whales. Thor demands to go further out to sea, and does so despite Hymir’s protests. Thor then prepares a strong line and a large hook and bait him with the ox head which Jörmungandr bites. Thor pulls the snake out of the water and the two face each other, Jörmungandr blowing poison.[5] Hymir turns pale with fear. As Thor grabs his hammer to kill the serpent, the giant cuts the tether and causes the serpent to sink beneath the waves and return to its original position orbiting the earth. The Eddic poem Hymiskviða has a similar ending to the story, but in earlier Scandinavian versions of the myth in Skaldic poetry, Thor successfully captures the serpent and kills it by hitting it on the head.

Thor’s fishing for Jörmungandr was one of the most popular motifs in Norse art. Four image-stones believed to represent the myth are the Altuna Runestone and Ardre VIII Image-stone in Sweden, the Hørdum Stone in Denmark, and a stone slab in Gosforth, Cumbria, by the same sculptor as the Gosforth Cross . 9][10] Many of these depictions show the giant cutting the fishing line; On the Altuna Stone, Thor is alone, implying that he successfully killed the snake. The Stone of Ardre VIII can represent more than one phase of events: a man enters a house in which an ox is standing, two men walk away, one with something on his shoulder, and two men use a spear to fish.[11] The image on this stone was dated to the 8th.[8] to 10.[12] century dated. If the stone is correctly interpreted as representing this myth, it would indicate that the story was preserved essentially unchanged for several centuries before the version was recorded in the Prose Edda around 1220.

Ragnarok[edit]

As narrated in Snorris Gylfaginning, based on the Eddic poem Völuspá, a sign of the arrival of Ragnarök is the violent turmoil of the sea as Jörmungandr frees his cock from his mouth. The sea will overflow and the serpent will fall on the land.[2] He will advance and spray poison to fill the air and water, beside Fenrir, whose eyes and nostrils blaze with fire and whose crevice touches earth and sky. You will join the Sons of Muspell to face the gods on the plane of Vigrid. Here the final meeting between the serpent and Thor is predicted. He will eventually kill Jörmungandr, but after nine steps he will drop dead after being poisoned by the snake’s deadly venom.[13] Thor’s final fight with Jörmungandr has been identified with other scenes from Ragnarök at the Gosforth Cross.

Analysis [edit]

Thor’s fishing for Jörmungandr has been seen as one of the similarities between him and the Hindu god Indra, who slays the dragon Vritra in Vedic mythology,[14][15] and has also been associated with a Balto-Slavic motif of the storm god fighting a snake .[16] An alternative analysis of the episode by Preben Meulengracht Sørensen is that it was an adolescent indiscretion by Thor, retold to emphasize the order and balance of the cosmos in which Jörmungandr played an important role. John Lindow draws a parallel between Jörmungandr’s biting of his own tail and the binding of Fenrir as part of a recurring theme of the bound monster in Norse mythology, where an enemy of the gods is bound but destined to break free at Ragnarök]

namesake[ edit ]

Asteroid 471926 Jörmungandr was named after the mythological sea serpent.[19] The official citation of the name was published by the Minor Planet Center on September 25, 2018 (M.P.C. 111804).[20]

Gallery [ edit ]

See also[edit]

Overview What is Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)? Dissociative identity disorder (DIS) is a mental illness. People with DID have two or more separate identities. These personalities control their behavior at different times. Each identity has its own personal history, traits, likes and dislikes. DID can lead to memory lapses and hallucinations (believing something is real when it isn’t). Dissociative identity disorder was formerly known as multiple personality disorder or split personality disorder. DID is one of several dissociative disorders. These disorders impair a person’s ability to connect to reality. Other dissociative disorders include: Depersonalization or derealization disorder, which causes a feeling of detachment from your actions.

causing a feeling of detachment from your actions. Dissociative amnesia, or trouble remembering information about yourself. How common is DID? DIS is very rare. The disorder affects between 0.01 and 1% of the population. It can occur at any age. Women are more likely to have DID than men.

Symptoms and Causes What causes dissociative identity disorder (DID)? DID is usually the result of childhood sexual or physical abuse. Sometimes it develops in response to a natural disaster or other traumatic event, such as fighting. The disorder is a way for someone to distance themselves or release themselves from trauma. What are the signs and symptoms of DID? A person with DID has two or more different identities. The “core identity” is the person’s usual personality. “Alters” are the person’s alternate personalities. Some people with DID have as many as 100 alters. Ages tend to vary greatly from one another. The identities can have different genders, ethnicities, interests and ways of interacting with their environment. Other common signs and symptoms of DID can include: Anxiety.

delusions.

Depression.

disorientation.

Drug or alcohol abuse.

memory loss.

Thoughts of suicide or harming yourself.

Diagnosis and Tests Is there a test for DIS? There is no single test that can diagnose DID. A healthcare provider will review your symptoms and personal medical history. They can do tests to rule out underlying physical causes for your symptoms, such as: B. Head injuries or brain tumors. Symptoms of DID often appear in childhood, between the ages of 5 and 10. But parents, teachers, or healthcare providers can miss the signs. DID can be confused with other behavioral or learning problems common in children, such as B. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). For this reason, DID is usually not diagnosed until adulthood.

Management and Treatment How is Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) treated? Some medications can help with certain DID symptoms, such as depression or anxiety. But the most effective treatment is psychotherapy. A healthcare provider with specialized training in mental health disorders, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, can guide you to the right treatment. You may benefit from individual, group, or family therapy. Therapy focuses on: Recognizing and working through past trauma or abuse.

Dealing with sudden behavior changes.

Merge separate identities into a single identity. Can hypnosis help with DID? Some healthcare providers may recommend hypnotherapy in combination with psychotherapy. Hypnotherapy is a form of guided meditation. It can help people regain repressed memories.

Prevention Can dissociative identity disorder (DIS) be prevented? There is no way to prevent DIS. But recognizing the signs and getting treatment as early as possible in life can help you manage the symptoms. Parents, caregivers, and teachers should watch for signs in young children. Treatment soon after episodes of abuse or trauma can prevent DID from progressing. Treatment can also help identify triggers that cause personality or identity changes. Common triggers are stress or substance abuse. Managing stress and avoiding drugs and alcohol can help reduce the frequency of various changes that control your behavior.

Outlook / Prognosis Will Dissociative Identity Disorder (DIS) go away? There is no cure for DID. Most people will manage the disorder for the rest of their lives. But a combination of treatments can help reduce symptoms. You can learn to have more control over your behavior. Over time, you can function better at work, at home, or in your community.

Norse deity

Reginsmál), as depicted in an 18th-century Icelandic manuscript (SÁM 66) Loki with a fishing net (per), as depicted in an 18th-century Icelandic manuscript (SÁM 66)

Loki ( ) is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Rundey (mentioned as a goddess) and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi and Nari or Váli. At Jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir and the world serpent Jörmungandr. In mare form, Loki was impregnated by the stallion Svaðilfari and gave birth to the eight-legged horse Sleipnir.

Loki’s relationship with the gods varies by source; Sometimes he helps the gods and sometimes behaves maliciously towards them. Loki is a shapeshifter and appears in various incidents in the form of a salmon, a mare, a fly, and possibly an elderly woman named Þökk (Old Norse “thank you”). Loki’s positive relationships with the gods end with his role in planning the death of the god Baldr, and eventually Odin’s specially conceived son Váli binds Loki with the entrails of one of his sons. in the Prose Edda this son, Nari or Narfi, is killed by another son of Loki, also named Váli. In both the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda, the goddess Skaði is responsible for placing a snake over him while he is bound. The snake drips venom from above him, which Sigyn collects in a bowl; However, she must empty the bowl when it is full, and the poison that drips in the meantime makes Loki writhe in pain, causing earthquakes as a result. With the onset of Ragnarök, Loki is foretold that he will break free of his bonds and fight the gods among the forces of the jötnar, at which time he will encounter the god Heimdallr and the two will kill each other.

Loki is mentioned in the Poetic Edda compiled from earlier traditional sources in the 13th century; the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; the Norwegian runic poems, in the poetry of the skalds and in Scandinavian folklore. Loki may be depicted on the Snaptun Stone, the Kirkby Stephen Stone, and the Gosforth Cross. Scholars have debated Loki’s origin and role in Norse mythology, which some have described as that of a trickster god. Loki has been depicted or referenced in a variety of modern popular culture media.

Etymology and alternative names

The etymology of the name Loki has been debated at length. The name has at times been associated with the Old Norse word logi (‘flame’), but there does not appear to be any solid linguistic basis for this. Rather, the later Scandinavian variants of the name (such as Faroese Lokki, Danish Lokkemand, Norwegian Loke and Lokke, Swedish Luki and Luku) indicate an origin in the Germanic root *luk-, which denoted things that were tied with loops (like knots). had to do, hooks, locked rooms and locks). This corresponds to usages such as Swedish lockanät and Faroese lokkanet (‘spider’s web’, lit. ‘Lokke’s web’) and Faroese lokki~grindalokki~grindalokkur, ‘long-legged daddy’, which refers to both gnats and harvestmen, dem modern Swedish lockespindlar (“locke-spiders”). Some East Swedish traditions referring to the same figure use forms in n- such as Nokk(e), but this corresponds to *luketymology in that these dialects consistently have a different root, Germanic, in contexts where Western varieties have been used *hnuk-, used *luk-: “nokke corresponds to nøkkel” (“key” in East Scandinavian) “like loki~lokke lykil” (“key” in West Scandinavian).[1]

While it has been suggested that this association with closing may point to Loki’s apocalyptic role in Ragnarok, “there is a fair amount of evidence that in pre-modern society Loki was thought to be the maker of knots/tangles/loops, or a knot himself / Confusion/Loop So it’s natural that Loki is the inventor of the fishing net, made up of loops and knots, and that the word Loki (lokke, lokki, loke, luki) is a term for makers of cobwebs: spiders and the like .”[3] Although not prominent in the oldest sources, this identity as “Tangler” may be the etymological meaning of Loki’s name.

In various poems from the Poetic Edda (stanza 2 of Lokasenna, stanza 41 of Hyndluljóð and stanza 26 of Fjölsvinnsmál) and sections of the Prose Edda (chapter 32 of Gylfaginning, stanza 8 of Haustlöng and stanza 1 of Þórsdrápa) Loki is alternatively mentioned as Loptr denoted, which is generally considered to be derived from the Old Norse lopt, meaning “air”, and therefore indicating an association with the air.

The name Hveðrungr (Old Norse “?roarer”) is also used in reference to Loki, which appears in names for Hel (as in Ynglingatal, where she is called hveðrungs mær) and in reference to Fenrir (as in Völuspa).

certificates

Poetic Edda

In the Poetic Edda, Loki appears (or is referred to) in the poems Völuspá, Lokasenna, Þrymskviða, Reginsmál, Baldrs draumar, and Hyndluljóð.

Voluspa

In stanza 35 of the poetic Edda poem Völuspá, a Völva tells Odin that among other things she sees Sigyn very unhappy sitting with her bound husband Loki under a “grove of hot springs”. In stanza 51, during the events of Ragnarök, Loki appears free from his bonds and is referred to as the “brother of Býleistr” (transcribed here as Byleist):

A ship sails from the east, Muspell’s people come,

over the waves, and Loki controls

There’s the monstrous spawn with all the robbers

Byleist’s brother is with them.

In stanza 54, after consuming Odin and being killed by Odin’s son Víðarr, Fenrir is described as “Loki’s kinsman”.

Lokasenna

The poem Lokasenna (Old Norse “Loki’s Flies”) revolves around Loki flying with other gods; Loki utters two stanzas of insults while the receiving character responds with a single stanza, and then another character joins in. The poem begins with a prose introduction detailing that Ægir, a character associated with the sea, is having a feast in his hall, a series of gods and elves. There the gods praise Ægir’s servants Fimafeng and Eldir. Loki “couldn’t bear to hear that” and kills the servant Fimafeng. In response, the gods grab their shields and yell at Loki, chasing him out of the hall and into the forest. The gods then return to the hall and continue drinking.

receipt and rejection

Loki comes out of the forest and meets Eldir outside the hall. Loki greets Eldir (and the poem itself begins) by asking Eldir to tell him what the gods are discussing over their ale in the hall. Eldir replies that they talk about their “weapons and their prowess in war” and yet no one has anything kind to say about Loki. Loki says that he will go into the feast and that before the feast is over he will stir up strife among the gods and “mix their mead with malice”. Eldir replies that “if you douse yourself with screams and fights” to the gods, “they will wipe it off on you”. Loki then enters the hall and everyone there falls silent upon noticing him.

reentry and insults

Loki breaks the silence and says that he came thirsty from afar to these halls to ask the gods for a drink of “the famous mead”. Loki calls the gods arrogant and asks why they cannot speak and demands that they assign him a seat and a place for him at the feast or tell him to leave. The skaldic god Bragi is the first to respond to Loki by telling him that Loki will not have a seat and seat allotted to him by the gods at the feast, for the gods know which men to invite. Loki doesn’t answer Bragi directly, instead turning his attention to Odin and saying:

Do you remember Odin than in days gone by

We mixed our blood?

You said you would never drink beer

unless it was brought to both of us.

Odin then asks his mute son Víðarr to sit up so that Loki (referred to here as “Father of the Wolf”) can sit at the feast and so he doesn’t blame the gods in Ægir’s hall. Víðarr gets up and pours Loki a drink. Before drinking, Loki pronounces a toast to the gods, with a special exception for Bragi. Bragi replies that he will give a horse, a sword, and a ring from his possession lest he repay the gods “with hatred”. Loki replies that Bragi will always be short of all those things, accusing him of being “cautious of war” and “shy of shooting”. Bragi replies that if they were outside of Ægir’s hall, Bragi would hold Loki’s head as a reward for his lies. Loki replies that Bragi is brave when he sits, calling him a “bench ornament” and that Bragi would run away if troubled by an angry, temperamental man.

The goddess Iðunn interrupts and asks Bragi, as a service to his kin and adopted kin, not to blame Loki in Ægir’s hall. Loki tells Iðunn to keep quiet, calls her the “most man-crazy” of women, and says she wrapped her washed, bright arms around her brother’s slayer. Iðunn says that she will not utter any reproachful words in Ægir’s hall, and assures that she has calmed down Bragi, who was made talkative by beer, and that she does not want the two to fight. The goddess Gefjun asks why the two gods must fight, saying that Loki knows he is joking and that “all living things love him”. Loki replies to Gefjun by stating that Gefjun’s heart was once seduced by a “white boy” who gave her a jewel and over which Gefjun placed her thigh.

Odin says that Loki must be insane to make Gefjun his enemy, since her wisdom about the fate of men could equal Odin’s own. Loki says that Odin does a poor job of giving honor to men in war and often bestows victory on the faint-hearted. Odin replies that even if this is true, Loki (in an otherwise untested tale) once spent eight winters underground as a woman milking cows, and bore children during that time. Odin declares this to be perverted. Loki counters that Odin once practiced seiðr (a type of sorcery) on the island of Samsey (now Samsø, Denmark) and traveled among humans as a magician, which Loki condemns as perverted.

Frigg, a major deity who is married to Odin, says that what Loki and Odin did in the ancient past should not be discussed in front of others and that ancient matters should always be kept hidden. Loki mentions that Frigg is the daughter of Fjörgyn, a personification of Earth, and that she once embraced Odin’s brothers Vili and Vé. Frigg replies that Loki would not be able to escape the wrath of the gods if a boy like her now deceased son Baldr were in the hall. Loki reminds Frigg that he is responsible for the death of their son Baldr.

The goddess Freyja explains that Loki must be crazy and explains that Frigg knows all destiny, but she doesn’t speak it. Loki claims that each of the gods and elves present were Freyja’s lovers. Freyja replies that Loki is lying, that he just wants to “howl about evil things”, that gods and goddesses are angry with him, and that he will go home frustrated. In response, Loki calls Freyja a malicious witch and claims that Freyja was once sitting on top of her brother Freyr when all the other laughing gods surprised her and Freyja then farted. This scenario is otherwise unconfirmed. Njörðr (father of Freyja and Freyr) says that it is harmless for a woman to have a lover or “someone else” besides her husband and that it is surprising that a “perverted god come here who has borne children” .

Loki tells Njörðr to be silent, recalling Njörðr’s status as the Vanir hostage to the Æsir during the Æsir-Vanir War, that the “daughters of Hymir” once used Njörðr “as a piss pot” and urinated in his mouth (an otherwise unconfirmed comment). Njörðr replies that this was his reward when he was sent as a hostage to the Æsir, and that he fathered his son (Freyr), whom nobody hates and is considered the prince of the Æsir. Loki tells Njörðr to maintain his moderation and that he will no longer keep it a secret that Njörðr fathered this son with his sister (unnamed), although one would expect him to be worse than he turned out to be.

The god Tyr defends Freyr, to which Loki replies that Tyr should be silent since Tyr “can’t deal directly with humans”, pointing out that it was Loki’s son, the wolf Fenrir, who tore off Tyr’s hand. (According to the prose introduction to the poem, Tyr is now single-handed when Loki’s son Fenrir bit off his arm while Fenrir was bound.) Tyr replies that while he lost a hand, Loki lost the wolf and trouble came to both of them. Also, Fenrir now has to wait in shackles until Ragnarök starts. Loki tells Tyr to be silent a second time, stating that Tyr’s wife (otherwise unconfirmed) had a son by Loki and that Tyr never received any compensation for this “injury”, further calling him a “miserable”.

Freyr himself interrupts at this point and says that he sees a wolf lying in front of an estuary and that if Loki does not immediately remain silent, like the wolf, Loki too is to be bound until Ragnarök. Loki replies that Freyr bought his wife Gerðr with gold after giving away his sword, which he will miss in Ragnarök. Byggvir (referred to as Freyr’s servant in the poem’s prose introduction) says that if he were of as noble a lineage and as honored a seat as Freyr, he would crush Loki and paralyze all his limbs. Referring to Byggvir in reference to a dog, Loki says that Byggvir can always be found by Freyr’s ears or chirping under a whetstone. Byggvir says he’s proud to be here with all gods and men and he should be quick. Loki tells him to keep quiet that Byggvir doesn’t know how to divide food among men and that he hides between straw and dais when men go into battle.

The god Heimdallr says that Loki is drunk and mindless and asks Loki why he won’t stop talking. Loki tells Heimdallr to keep quiet that a “hateful life” is in store for him, that Heimdallr must always have a muddy back and serve as the guardian of the gods. The goddess Skaði says that while Loki now appears carefree and “plays” with his “tail wagging”, he is soon bound by the gods with the entrails of his freezing son to a sharp rock. Loki says that even if this is his destiny, when Skaði’s father Þjazi was murdered, he was “first and foremost” with the other gods. Skaði says that in light of these events, Loki will always receive “ominous advice” from their “sanctuaries and planes”. Loki says that Skaði once spoke more gently to him (he referred to himself as “Son of Rundey”) when Skaði once invited him to her bed (an event not attested elsewhere), and that such events must be mentioned, when they are to remember “shameful deeds”.

Sif goes out and, in a prose tale, pours Loki a glass of mead into a crystal goblet. Continuing the poem, Sif welcomes Loki and invites him to take a crystal goblet filled with ancient mead, saying that she is uniquely innocent among the Children of the Æsir. Loki “takes the horn”, drinks it and says she would be if it were, stating that Sif and Loki were lovers despite her marriage to Thor (an affair otherwise unconfirmed). Beyla (referred to as Freyr’s servant in the poem’s prose introduction) says that all mountains tremble, that she thinks Thor must be on his way home, and when Thor arrives he will bring peace to those who quarrel there. Loki tells Beyla to keep quiet, that she is “very steeped in malice”, that there has never been a worse woman among the “Æsir children”, and call her a bad “servant”.

The Arrival of Thor and the Bondage of Loki

Loki threatens the Æsir with fire (1895) from (1895) by Lorenz Frølich

The Punishment of Loki by Louis Huard by Louis Huard

Thor arrives and tells Loki to be silent, referring to him as an “evil creature” and stating that he will use his hammer Mjöllnir to silence Loki by pounding his head off his shoulders. Loki acknowledges that Thor has arrived and asks Thor why he is angry, saying that Thor will not be brave enough to fight the wolf if he swallows Odin in Ragnarok. Thor again tells Loki to be silent and threatens him with Mjöllnir, adding that he will throw Loki “onto the streets to the east” and after that no one will be able to see Loki. Loki states that Thor should never brag about his voyages to the East, claiming that Thor crouched there in the thumb of a gauntlet, derisively calling him a “hero”, adding that such behavior was unlike Thor. Thor responds by telling Loki to be silent, threatening him with Mjöllnir, and adding that it will break every one of Loki’s bones. Loki says that he intends to live long despite Thor’s threats and taunts Thor about an encounter Thor once had with the Skrýmir (Útgarða-Loki in disguise). Thor orders Loki to be silent again, threatens Loki with Mjöllnir, and says he will send Loki to Hel, below the gates of Nágrind.

In response to Thor, Loki says he spoke “before the Æsir” and “before the sons of the Æsir” which his “spirit” urged him to do, but before Thor will go alone he will go, knowing that Thor strikes. Loki ends the poetic verses of Lokasenna with a final stanza:

Ale you have brewed, Ægir, and you will never celebrate again;

all your possessions that are in here –

may flames play over them,

and may your back be burned!

After this last stanza, a passage of prose describes that after Loki left the hall, he disguised himself as a salmon and hid in the waterfall at Franangrsfors, where the Æsir caught him. The narration continues that Loki was bound with his son Nari’s entrails and his son Narfi turned into a wolf. Skaði attached a venomous snake over Loki’s face and venom dripped from it. Sigyn his wife sat with him and held a bowl under the dripping poison, but when the bowl was full she carried the poison away; and during this time the poison dripped onto Loki, causing him to convulse with such violence that the whole earth was shaken by the force, resulting in what is now known as an earthquake.

Þrymskviða

In the poem Þrymskviða, Thor wakes up to find his powerful hammer Mjöllnir missing. Thor turns to Loki first and tells him that nobody knows the hammer was stolen. The two then go to the goddess Freyja’s court and Thor asks her if he can borrow her feather cloak so he can try to find Mjöllnir. Freyja agrees, saying she would borrow it even if it were silver and gold, and Loki flies off, the feather cloak whistling.

In Jötunheimr, the jötunn Þrymr sits on a burial mound, weaving golden collars for his bitches and trimming the manes of his horses. Þrymr sees Loki and asks what could be wrong among the Æsir and the Elves; Why is Loki alone in Jötunheimr? Loki replies that he has bad news for both the elves and the Æsir: that Thor’s hammer, Mjöllnir, is gone. Þrymr says he hid Mjöllnir eight miles underground, from which it will be retrieved if Freyja is tricked into marrying him. Loki flies away, feather cloak whistling, away from Jötunheimr and back to the court of the gods.

Thor asks Loki if his efforts were successful and for Loki to tell him while he’s still airborne, since “stories often escape a sitting man, and the man who lies down often barks lies”. Loki states that it was indeed an effort and also a success as he discovered that Þrymr has the hammer but that it cannot be retrieved unless Freyja is made to marry Þrymr. The two return to Freyja and tell her to put on a bridal headdress as they will be driving her to Jötunheimr. Freyja, outraged and enraged, flies into a rage causing all the halls of the Æsir to tremble with rage, and her necklace, the famous Brísingamen, falls from her. Freyja demonstratively refuses.

As a result, the gods and goddesses meet and hold something to discuss and debate the matter. At the thing, the god Heimdallr suggests that instead of Freyja, Thor should be dressed as a bride, complete with jewels, women’s clothing to the knees, a bride’s headdress, and the necklace Brísingamen. Thor rejects the idea, and Loki (referred to here as “Son of Rundey”) interjects that this is the only way to get Mjollnir back, pointing out that without Mjollnir, the jötnar will be able to invade Asgard and settle there. The gods dress Thor as a bride and Loki declares that he will go with Thor as his maid and that the two should go to Jötunheimr together.

After riding together in Thor’s goat-driven chariot, the two arrive in Jötunheimr in disguise. Þrymr commands the jötnar in his hall to spread straw on the benches, for Freyja has come to marry him. Þrymr tells of his valuable animals and objects and explains that Freyja was all he lacked in his wealth.

In the early evening, Loki and Thor in disguise meet with Þrymr and the assembled jötnar. Thor eats and drinks wildly, consuming whole animals and three barrels of mead. Þrymr finds the behavior at odds with his impression of Freyja, and Loki, sitting in front of Þrymr and appearing to be a “very clever maid”, apologizes for “Freyja’s” behavior is due to the fact that she did not consume anything for eight whole days before her arrival due to her eagerness to arrive. Þrymr then lifts “Freyja’s” veil and is about to kiss “her” until he catches the terrifying eyes staring at him, seemingly burning with fire. Loki states that this is because “Freyja” hasn’t slept for eight nights out of eagerness.

The jötnar’s “miserable sister” appears, asking for a bridal gift from “Freyja”, and the jötnar brings out Mjöllnir to “sanctify the bride”, placing her on her lap and marrying the two by “the hand” of the goddess Var. Thor chuckles as he sees the hammer, grabs it, hits Þrymr, hits all the jötnar and kills the jötnar’s “elder sister”.

Reginsmal

Loki appears in both the prose and the first six stanzas of the poem Reginsmál. The prose introduction to Reginsmál describes that while the hero Sigurd was being fostered by Regin son of Hreidmar, Regin tells him that the gods Odin, Hœnir and Loki once went to the Andvara Falls, which contained many fish. Regin, a dwarf, had two brothers; Andvari, who in the form of a pike obtained food by staying at Andvara Falls, and Ótr, who often went to Andvara Falls in the form of an otter.

While the three gods are at the falls, Ótr (in the form of an otter) catches a salmon and is eating it on a river bank with his eyes closed when Loki hits him with a rock and kills him. The gods think it’s great and peel off the otter’s skin to make a bag out of it. That night, the three gods stay with Hreidmar (the father of Regin, Andvari, and the now deceased Ótr) and show him their fangs, including the otter’s skin. When Regin and Hreidmar saw the skin, they “seized hold of it and made it ransom their lives” in exchange for filling the otter-skin bag made by the gods with gold and covering the outside of the bag with red gold.

Loki is sent to retrieve the gold, and Loki goes to the goddess Rán, borrows her web, and then returns to Andvara Falls. At the falls, Loki spreads his net in front of Andvari (which is in the shape of a pike), which Andvari jumps into. The poem’s stanzas then begin: Loki taunts Andvari, telling him that he can save his head by telling Loki where his gold is. Andvari gives some background information about himself, including that he was cursed by a “norn of misfortune” in his “early days”. Loki responds by asking Andvari “what retribution” humanity gets if “they hurt each other with words”. Andvari replies that lying men will receive a “terrible retribution”: they will have to wade in the Vadgelmir River and will suffer for a long time.

Loki looks over the gold Andvari owns, and after Andvari surrenders all his gold, Andvari only keeps a single ring; the ring Andvarinaut, which Loki also takes. Andvari, now in the form of a dwarf, goes into a rock and tells Loki that the gold will lead to the death of two brothers, cause strife among eight princes, and be useless to all.

Loki returns, and the three gods give Hreidmar the money from the pot of gold and smooth the otters skin, stretching out their legs and heaping gold on them to cover them. Hreidmar looks at it and notices a single hair that is uncovered. Hreidmar demands that she too be covered. Odin brings forth the ring Andvarinaut covering the single hair.

Loki explains that they have now handed over the gold and that gold is cursed like Andvari and that it will be the deaths of Hreidmar and Regin. Hreidmar replies that if he had known this beforehand, he would have taken their lives, but that he believes those for whom the curse is intended are not yet born, and that he does not believe him. Also, with the treasure he will have red gold for the rest of his life. Hreidmar tells her to leave and the poem continues with no further mention of Loki.

Baldr’s dreamar

In Baldr draumar, Odin has awakened a deceased Völva in Hel and repeatedly questions her about his son Baldr’s bad dreams. Loki is mentioned in stanza 14, the last stanza of the poem, where the völva tells Odin to ride home, be proud of himself and that no one else will come to visit until “Loki is loose, escape his bonds” and the Beginning of Ragnarok.

Hyndluljoð

Loki eating a roasted heart in a painting (1911) by John Bauer

Loki is mentioned in two stanzas in Völuspá hin skamma found in the poem Hyndluljóð. The first stanza states that Loki gave birth to “the wolf” with the jötunn Angrboða, that Loki himself gave birth to the horse Sleipnir by the stallion Svaðilfari, and that Loki (referred to as “the brother of Býleistr”) third, “the worst of all wonders” This stanza is followed by:

Loki ate from the heart, a woman’s mind stone,

roasted on a lime-wood fire he found it half-cooked;

Lopt was impregnated by a wicked woman

from which all cannibals on earth descended.

In the second of the two stanzas, Loki is referred to as Lopt. Loki’s consumption of a woman’s heart is otherwise unconfirmed.

Fjölsvinnsmal

In the poem Fjölsvinnsmál, a stanza mentions Loki (as Lopt) in connection with runes. In the poem, Fjölsviðr describes to the hero Svipdagr that Sinmara keeps the weapon Lævateinn in a chest locked with nine strong locks (due to significant translation differences, two translations of the stanza are provided here):

Fjolsvith spoke:

“Lævatein is here, this lopt with runes

Once made through the doors of death;

In Lægjarn’s breast of Sinmora it lies,

And nine locks hold it tight.” Fiolsvith.

Hævatein is the name of the branch, and Lopt plucked it,

down at the gate of death.

In an iron chest it lies with Sinmœra,

and is secured with nine strong padlocks.

Prose Edda

Gylfaginning

The Prose Edda book Gylfaginning tells various myths about Loki, including Loki’s role in the birth of the horse Sleipnir and Loki’s competition with Logi, the personified fire.

High’s introduction

Loki first appears in the Prose Edda in Chapter 20 of the Book of Gylfaginning, where he is referred to as “ás called Loki”, while the enthroned figure of the Third “Gangleri” (King Gylfi in disguise) explains the goddess Frigg’s prophetic abilities while under Citing a stanza by Lokasenna.

Loki is introduced more formally by High in chapter 34, where he is “counted among the Æsir”, and High states that Loki is called by some “the slanderer of the Æsir”, “the author of deception”, and “the disgrace of all the gods”. and men”. High says that Loki’s alternative name is Lopt, that he is the son of male Jötunn Fárbauti, his mother is “Laufey or Nál”, and his brothers are Helblindi and Býleistr. High describes Loki as “pleasant and handsome in im Appearance, vicious in character, “very capricious in behavior” and as “to a greater degree than others” learned cunning and possessing “tricks for every purpose”, whereby the Æsir often gets into trouble, and then uses his tricks to get them out again, Sigyn becomes presented as married to Loki and they have a son named “Nari or Narfi”.Otherwise Loki had three children with the female jötunn Angrboða from Jötunheimr, the wolf Fenrir, the snake Jörmungandr and the female Hel tters realized that these three children had grown up in Jötunheimr and expected trouble from them, partly due to the nature of Angrboða, but even worse, Loki. In chapter 35, Gangleri comments that Loki produced a “rather terrible” – but important – family.

Loki, Svaðilfari and Sleipnir

In chapter 42, High tells a story set “right at the beginning of the settlement of the gods, when the gods founded Midgard and built Val-Hall”. The story revolves around an unnamed master builder who has offered to build a fortress for the gods that will deter invaders in exchange for the goddess Freyja, the sun and the moon. After some discussion, the gods agree to these terms, but place a number of restrictions on the builder, including that he must complete the work within three seasons without the help of a human. The builder makes a single request; that he can have help from his stallion Svaðilfari, and due to Loki’s influence this is allowed. The stallion Svaðilfari performs twice as many feats of strength as the master builder, dragging massive stones – to the surprise of the gods. The builder is making rapid progress on the wall with Svaðilfari, and three days before the end of summer the builder is almost at the entrance of the fortress. The gods come together and find out who is to blame, leading to a unanimous agreement that besides most problems, Loki is to blame (referred to here as Loki Rundeyjarson – his last name derives from his mother’s name Rundey).

Loki and Svaðilfari (1909) by Dorothy Hardy (1909) by Dorothy Hardy

Declaring that Loki deserves a horrible death if he cannot find a plan that will result in the builder forfeiting his payment, the gods threaten to attack him. Loki, terrified, swears he will devise a plan to trick the contractor into forfeiting payment, whatever it may cost himself. That night, the builder drives out on his stallion, Svaðilfari, to fetch stones, and a mare runs out of a forest. The mare whinnies at Svaðilfari and “when he realizes what kind of horse it was”, Svaðilfari becomes frantic, whinnies, tears his harness and runs towards the mare. The mare runs to the forest, Svaðilfari follows and the builder chases after. The two horses run around all night, causing construction to halt and the builder unable to regain the earlier momentum of his work.

The builder enrages, and when the Æsir realize the builder is a Hrimthur, they disregard their previous oaths to the builder and call out to Thor. Thor arrives and then kills the builder by smashing the builder’s skull into shards with the hammer Mjöllnir. However, Loki had “such deals” with Svaðilfari that “a little later” Loki gives birth to a gray eight-legged foal; the horse Sleipnir – “the best horse among gods and men”.

Loki, Útgarða-Loki and Logi

In Chapter 44, Third reluctantly tells a story of Thor and Loki riding in Thor’s chariot drawn by his two goats. Loki and Thor stop at a farmer’s house and get lodging for the night. Thor butchers his goats, prepares them, puts them in a pot and Loki and Thor sit down for dinner. Thor invites the farming family who owns the farm to share the food he has prepared with him, but warns them not to break the bones. Afterwards, at Loki’s suggestion, the peasant kid Þjálfi sucks the marrow out of one of the goat’s bones, and when Thor leaves to revive the goats, he finds that one of the goats is lame. In their terror, the Thor family atones by giving Thor their son Þjálfi and daughter Röskva.

Without the goats, Thor, Loki and the two children continue east until they reach a vast forest in Jötunheimr. They continue walking through the forest until it gets dark. The four seek shelter for the night. You will come across a huge building. They seek shelter in an adjoining room and experience earthquakes throughout the night. The earthquakes cause all four to fear except Thor, who grabs his hammer in preparation for the defense. The building turns out to be the giant gauntlet of Skrymir, which snored all night and apparently caused earthquakes. All four sleep in fear under an oak tree near Skrymir.

Thor wakes up in the middle of the night and a series of events occurs, during which Thor twice attempts to kill the sleeping Skrýmir with his hammer. Skrýmir wakes up after each attempt, only to say that he noticed an acorn fell on his head, or wonders if bits of tree fell on him from the branches above. The second attempt awakens Skrýmir. Skrýmir gives them advice; If they get cocky at Útgarðr Keep, it would be better for them to turn back now, for Útgarða-Loki’s men there will not put up with it. Skrýmir throws his backpack on his back and abruptly goes into the forest. High comments that “there is no record of the Æsir expressing the hope of a happy reunion”.

The four travelers continue their journey until noon. You are facing a massive castle in an open area. The castle is so high that they have to bend their heads back to see over it. At the entrance to the castle is a closed gate and Thor finds he cannot open it. All four squeeze their way through the bars of the gate with difficulty and continue to a large hall. There are two benches in the great hall where many generally tall people sit on two benches. The four see Útgarða-Loki, the king of the castle, seated.

Útgarða-Loki says visitors are not allowed to stay unless they can perform. Loki, standing at the back of the group, is the first to speak, claiming that he can eat faster than anyone. Útgarða-Loki comments that this would indeed be an accomplishment, and requests that a being named Logi come off the benches. A trencher is fetched, placed on the hall floor and filled with meat. Loki and Logi sit on opposite sides. The two eat as fast as they can and meet in the middle of the ditch. Loki consumed all the flesh from the bones on his side, but Logi had not only consumed his flesh, but also the bones and the trench cutter itself. It was obvious to everyone that Loki had lost. In turn, Þjálfi crashes into a character named Hugi three times and loses three times.

Thor agrees to enter a drinking contest, but fails after three massive gulps. Thor agrees to pick up a large, gray cat in the hall, but finds that no matter what he does it arches his back and he can only lift a single paw. Thor demands to fight someone in the hall, but residents say it would be humiliating considering Thor’s weakness. Útgarða-Loki then calls for his nurse Elli, an old woman. The two wrestle, but the harder Thor fights, the harder the fight becomes. Thor is eventually brought to a single knee. Útgarða-Loki tells Thor that it would be pointless to fight anyone else. Now late at night, Útgarða-Loki leads the group to their rooms and they are treated with hospitality.

The next morning, the group gets dressed and prepare to leave the keep. Útgarða-Loki appears, has his servants prepare a table, and everyone eats and drinks happily. As they leave, Útgarða-Loki asks Thor how he fared in the competitions. Thor says he can’t say he did well, noting that he’s particularly upset that Útgarða-Loki will now speak negatively about him. Útgarða-Loki points out that the group left his keep and says that he hopes they never return there because if he had known what he was dealing with, he would never have allowed the group to take him to enter. Útgarða-Loki reveals that all was not as it seemed to the group. Útgarða-Loki was in fact the giant Skrýmir, and that if the three punches Thor tried to land hit their target, the first Skrýmir would have killed. In reality, Thor’s blows were so powerful that they had resulted in three square valleys.

The competitions were also an illusion. Útgarða-Loki reveals that Loki had actually competed against wildfire itself (logi, Old Norse “flame”), Þjálfi had competed against thought (Hugi, Old Norse “thought”), Thor’s drinking horn had actually reached to the ocean and with his drinks it lowered the sea level (resulting in tides). The cat that Thor was trying to lift was actually the world serpent Jörmungandr, and everyone was horrified when Thor was able to lift this “cat’s” paw, for Thor had actually held the great serpent up to the sky. The old woman Thor wrestled with was indeed old (Elli, Old Norse “age”), and there is no one who age cannot bring down. Útgarða-Loki tells Thor that it would be better for “both sides” if they didn’t see each other again. Hearing this, Thor grabs his hammer and swings it at Útgarða-Loki, but he’s gone and so is his castle. Only a vast landscape remains.

Norwegian rune poem

Loki is mentioned in stanza 13 of the Norwegian runic poem in connection with the younger Futhark Bjarkan rune:

Old Norse:

Bjarkan er laufgrønster líma;

Loki bar flærða tíma. Modern English:

Birch has the greenest leaves of any shrub;

Loki was lucky with his deception.

According to Bruce Dickins, the reference to “Loki’s deceit” in the poem “is undoubtedly due to Loki’s responsibility for Balder’s death”.

Archaeological record

Snaptun Stone

The Snaptun Stone may contain a representation of Loki

In 1950, a semi-circular flat stone depicting a mustachioed face was discovered on a beach near Snaptun, Denmark. Carved in soapstone, which originated in Norway or Sweden, the depiction dates from around AD 1000 and shows a face with scarred lips. The character is identified as Loki because of his lips, which is thought to refer to a story recorded in Skáldskaparmál in which sons of Ivaldi sew Loki’s lips together.

The stone is identified as a hearth stone; The nozzle of the bellows was inserted into the hole at the front of the stone and the air generated by the bellows pushed the flame through the top hole while the bellows was protected from heat and flame at all times. The stone could indicate a connection between Loki and forging and flames. According to Hans Jørgen Madsen, the Snaptun stone is “the most beautifully made hearth stone there is”. The stone is housed and on display at Moesgård Museum near Aarhus, Denmark.

Kirkby Stephen Stone and Gosforth Cross

A late 10th-century fragmentary cross in St Stephen’s Church, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, England, shows a bound figure with horns and a beard. This character is sometimes theorized to represent Loki bound. Discovered in 1870, the stone is yellowish-white sandstone and now stands in front of Kirkby Stephen’s Church. An illustration of a similarly horned and round-shouldered figure was discovered at Gainford, County Durham, and is now in the Durham Cathedral Library.

The mid-11th century Gosforth Cross has been interpreted to depict various figures from Norse mythology and, like the Kirkby Stephen Stone, is also in Cumbria. The lower part of the west side of the cross shows a depiction of a long-haired female figure kneeling, holding an object over another prostrate, bound figure. Above and to her left is a knotted serpent. This was interpreted as Sigyn calming the bound Loki.

The bound figure on the Kirkby Stephen Stone

Detail from the Gosforth Cross

Scandinavian folklore

The term Loki survived in the folklore of Scandinavia into modern times. In Denmark, Loki appeared as Lokke. In Jutland at the beginning of the 20th century, the sentences “Lokke slår sin havre” (“Lokke harvests his oats”) and “Lokkemand driver sine geder” (“Lokkemand drives his goats”) have been handed down, the latter with the variation of simply “Lokke “. In Zealand the name “Lokke lejemand” (“Lokke the gambling man”) was used. In his study of Loki’s appearance in Scandinavian folklore in modern times, Danish folklorist Axel Olrik cites numerous examples of natural phenomena explained by Lokke in popular folk tradition, including rising heat. An example from 1841 reads as follows:

The expressions: “Lokke (Lokki) sår havre i dag” (Lokke (Lokki) sows oats today) or: “Lokke driver i dag med sine geder” (Lokke tends his goats today), are used in several regions of Jutland, for example in County Medelsom, Diocese of Viborg etc. … and represent the sight in Spring when the sun produces haze from the ground which can be seen as fluttering or shimmering air on the horizon of the flat landscape, similar to the hot steam overhead kettle or a burning fire

And in Thy from the same source: “…when you look to the horizon in clear weather and sunshine, and the air seems to move in shimmering waves, or like a sheet of water that seems to rise and fall in waves. Olrik further cites several different types of plants named after Loki. Olrik recognizes three main themes in folklore attestations; Lokke appeared as an “air phenomenon”, associated with the “home fire”, and as a “lovely creature of the night”.[59]

Loka Táttur or Lokka Táttur (Faroese “story – or þáttr – of Loki”) is a Faroese ballad from the late Middle Ages in which the gods Loki, Odin and Hœnir help a peasant and a boy escape the wrath of a bet. winning jötunn. The story notably depicts Loki as a benevolent god in this story, although as usual his cunning is evident.

Origin and identification with other characters

Regarding research on Loki, scholar Gabriel Turville-Petre (1964) comments that “More ink has been spilled on Loki than on any other figure in Norse myth. This alone is enough to show how few scholars agree and how far we are from understanding him.”

origin

Loki’s origins and role in Norse mythology have been much debated by scholars. In 1835 Jacob Grimm was the first to put forward a great theory about Loki, putting forward the idea of ​​Loki as the “god of fire”. In 1889 Sophus Bugge theorized that Loki was a variant of Christianity’s Lucifer, an element of Bugge’s broader effort to find a basis for Christianity in Norse mythology. After World War II, four scientific theories dominated. The first of the four theories comes from Folke Ström, who concluded in 1956 that Loki is a hypostasis of the god Odin. In 1959, Jan de Vries theorized that Loki is a typical example of a trickster figure. In 1961, Anna Birgitta Rooth, by excluding all non-Scandinavian mythological parallels in her analysis, concluded that Loki was originally a spider. Anne Holtsmark, writing in 1962, concluded that no conclusion could be drawn about Loki.

Identification with Lóðurr

A popular theory by scholar Ursula Dronke states that Lóðurr is “a third name of Loki/Loptr”. The main argument for this is that the gods Odin, Hœnir and Loki appear as a trio in Haustlöng, the prose prologue to Reginsmál and also in Loka Táttur, a Faroese ballad, an example of Norse deities appearing in later folklore. Additionally, the Odin kenning “Lóðurr’s friend” seems to parallel the kenning “Loptr’s friend”, and Loki is similarly referred to as “Hœnir’s friend” in Haustlong, strengthening the trio connection. While many scholars agree with this identification, it is not universally accepted. One argument against this is that Loki later appears in Völuspá as a malevolent being, seemingly at odds with the image of Lóðurr as a “powerful and loving” character. Many scholars, including Jan de Vries and Georges Dumézil, have also identified Lóðurr as the same deity as Loki. Scholar Haukur Þorgeirsson proposes that Loki and Lóðurr were different names for the same deity based on Loki being referred to as Lóður in the Rímur Lokrur. Þorgeirsson argues that since Snorri does not mention Lóðurr, the author must have had information about the identification either from a tradition or that the author drew the conclusion based on the Prose Edda. Since the contents of the Poetic Edda are believed to have been forgotten around 1400 when the Rímur was written, Haukur argues for a traditional identification. Þorgeirsson also points to Þrymlur, where the same identification is made with Loki and Lóðurr. Haukur says that the idea provided the possible but unlikely idea that the poets of the 14th century Loki and Lóðurr are identical (as some recent scholars have) or there are remnants of an oral tradition left. Haukur concludes that if Lóðurr has historically been considered a deity independent of Loki, a discussion of when and why he became identified with Loki is in order.

binding

Scholar John Lindow highlights the recurring pattern of the bound monster in Norse mythology, particularly associated with Loki. Loki and his three children by Angrboda were all bound in some way and all destined to break free in Ragnarok to wreak havoc on the world. Proposing an element borrowed from the traditions of the Caucasus region, he identifies a mythological parallel to the “Christian legend of the bound Antichrist awaiting the Last Judgment”.

Modern interpretations and heritage

In the 19th century, Loki was portrayed in a variety of ways, some at odds with others. According to Stefan Arvidssen, “In the nineteenth century the notion of Loki varied. Sometimes he was portrayed as a dark-haired Semitic fifth columnist among the Norse Æsir, but sometimes as a Norse Prometheus, a heroic bearer of culture”.

Loki appears in Richard Wagner’s opera cycle Ring des Nibelungen as Loge (a play in Old Norse Loge, “fire”), portrayed as an ally of the gods (specifically Wotan’s assistant rather than Donners), although he generally dislikes and thinks of them as greedy as they refuse to return the Rhinegold to its rightful owners. At the end of the first opera Das Rheingold he reveals his hope of turning into fire and destroying Valhalla, and in the last opera Götterdämmerung Valhalla is set on fire and destroys the gods.

As the myths tell of Loki changing sexes several times,[67][68] some modern works interpret or depict the deity as gendered. [69] [70] [71]

In 2008, five black smokers were discovered between Greenland and Norway, the northernmost group discovered so far, which were named Loki’s Castle because their shape reminded explorers of a fantasy castle, and (a press release from the University of Bergen states) “Loki ” was “a fitting name for an area so difficult to localize”.[72]

Modern popular culture

Loki has been depicted or referenced in a number of modern popular culture media.

Science

The archaeal tribe Lokiarchaeota was named after Loki.

See also

references

Cited Sources

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The final episode of Loki dropped today on Disney+, and Marvel Studios delighted fans by officially announcing that the series would be getting a second season. In honor of the finale, Tom Hiddleston recently answered Tumblr fan questions and spoke about all things Loki, including his character’s relationship with Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson). Hiddleston was also asked what kind of music Loki listens to, with one fan suggesting, “I have a feeling he would listen to Arctic Monkeys in public, but Lady Gaga in private.” In response to the question, Hiddleston revealed the music, which he heard while making the show.

“Wow, I think there’s a tension between public Loki and private Loki. I see what you’re getting at. I think maybe both the Arctic Monkeys and Lady Gaga would be in some kind of Loki playlist. I think that’s them both on a public playlist. I can tell you what I heard as I prepared to play this role many times on set. There was a lot of Nile Rodgers. Nile Rodgers…kind of invented his own sound,” Hiddleston shared.

Hiddleston also shared a sweet message with fans ahead of the Loki finale.

“Hello, everyone. Here is Tom. I just wanted to say a few things before the finals,” he began. “A few years ago I think when Loki was announced and I said there was more mischief to be done and more stories to tell and more to come. I was so aware that really the only reason I get to play this character and to continue playing him is because of the affection with which you hold him.”

“And I know that everyone out there in the audience, the fans, I know that Loki means so much to so many of you for so many different reasons. It’s been my privilege to play him for as long as I have.” Hiddleston continued. “It was such a joy to tell the stories the way we did and to introduce new characters. I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for watching. Thank you for the commitment Travel and take all these new things into your hearts. Mobiles and Sylvie and Ravonna Renslayer and Hunter B-15. And let’s not forget Classic Loki, Boastful Loki, Kid Loki and yes, of course, Alligator Loki. I am aware that he is the superior Loki. I wouldn’t be here without you.”

Loki’s finale is now streaming on Disney+.

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While the Loki of the Marvel comics and films derives his cunning character from the Loki of Norse myth, the major difference is that in the Marvel Universe, Loki is portrayed as the adopted brother and son of Thor and Odin. In Norse mythology, Loki is only depicted as a companion to the Aesir gods Thor and Odin.

Is the Loki in Norse mythology the same as the Loki character in the Marvel comics and movies?

With the female giant Angerboda (Angrboda: “distress bringer”), Loki brought the progeny Hel, the goddess of death; Jörmungand, the serpent that encircles the world; and Fenrir (Fenrisúlfr), the wolf. Loki is also credited with giving birth to Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse.

Loki’s status in pre-Christian Scandinavia remains somewhat unclear. The medieval sources from which much of what is known about Loki come, provide no evidence of a cult, unlike other Norse deities, and the name Loki does not appear in place names.

Loki is considered a trickster god known for being neither entirely good nor evil as his main goal has always been to create chaos. Although his father was a giant, he is still counted as a member of the Aesir – a tribe of deities including Odin, Frigg, Tyr and Thor. Like Prometheus, Loki is considered the god of fire.

In Norse mythology, Loki is a cunning trickster who has the ability to change his shape and gender. Although his father is the giant Fárbauti, he belongs to the Aesir (a tribe of gods). Loki is portrayed as a companion to the great gods Odin and Thor.

Loki, in Norse mythology, a cunning trickster who had the ability to change his shape and gender. Although his father was the giant Fárbauti, he belonged to the Aesir (a tribe of gods). Loki was portrayed as a companion to the great gods Odin and Thor, aiding them in his cunning schemes but sometimes causing them and him embarrassment and trouble. He also appeared as the enemy of the gods, entering their banquet uninvited and demanding their drink. He was the main cause of the death of the god Balder. Loki was bound to a rock as punishment (by the entrails of one or more of his sons, according to some sources) and thus resembled the Greek characters Prometheus and Tantalus in many ways. Like Prometheus, Loki is considered the god of fire.

Loki tricks the blind god Höd into killing Balder. C.G. Qvarnstrom/Myths of the Norsemen by H.A. Guerber

With the female giant Angerboda (Angrboda: “Distress Bringer”), Loki produced the offspring Hel, the goddess of death; Jörmungand, the serpent that encircles the world; and Fenrir (Fenrisúlfr), the wolf. Loki is also credited with giving birth to Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse.

Britannica Quiz Norse Mythology Essentials Quiz Who was the son of the supreme god Odin and his wife Frigg? What is the name of Thor’s hammer? Test your knowledge. take the quiz

Loki’s status in pre-Christian Scandinavia remains somewhat unclear. The medieval sources from which much of what is known about Loki comes, provide no evidence of a cult, unlike other Norse deities, and the name Loki does not appear in place names.

Loki is a god in Norse mythology who is often described simply as the “trickster” god because he loves to play tricks on both his fellow gods and his or her opponents. Sworn brother to Odin and often the one who digs the other gods out of uncomfortably deep holes, Loki’s name nonetheless carries many negative connotations due to his deceitful nature and particularly the hand he held in the death of the god Baldr, thus setting death in motion to come of Ragnarök (the ‘final destiny of the gods’ in which the world is destroyed). With no cult and no clear function in Viking Age beliefs, but as one of only three gods to make headlines in more than one myth (the other two being Odin and Thor), Loki holds a unique place in the Norse pantheon.

The sources

The richest body of information about Loki can be gleaned from Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda (c. AD 1220, one of our main sources on Norse mythology) – albeit through the lens of a 13th-century AD Icelandic mythology geek seen a time of Christianity already conquered the island. Loki also appears in some very early Skaldic poems (Viking Age, pre-Christian poetry heard mainly by kings and their court entourage) written between the late 9th and early 11th centuries in the Poetic Edda (ca. 1270 AD). ., but contains material that probably predates the 10th century AD in the actual Viking Age). However, in his absence he speaks of what are probably some of the oldest poems in this work, the Vafþrúðnismál and the Grímnismál. In connection with this, Loki’s similarly surprising absence in Saxo Grammaticus’ Gesta Danorum (“Deeds of the Danes”, composed in the early 13th century, may be a regional feature, rather than being ubiquitous throughout the Germanic world. In fact, sources about Loki are restricted to the North Germanic regions and Loki himself has no direct parallel in broader Germanic mythology (unlike many other Norse gods).

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Various sources report Loki transforming into a hawk; a fly and a flea; a salmon and a seal; and even a young girl, an old hag and a mare.

Continuing with the fact that Loki did not have a cult per se, there really is no proper archaeological record of Loki. What we have is mostly based on guesses as to the identity of figures depicted on stones or artifacts; Most convincing is an image on the Snaptun Stone, carved around AD 1000, showing a face with lips sewn shut, reminiscent of a story preserved in the Prose Edda where Loki’s lips are sewn shut. Although this stone was found in Denmark and is on display there, the stone itself comes from Norway or western Sweden.

Family & Key Features

Regarding family, Snorris has Prose Edda Loki, the son of the giant Fárbauti and a mother named Rundey or Nál. Býleistr and Helblindi were his brothers, and with his wife Sigyn he had a son named Nari or Narfi. Not satisfied, Loki fathered three more (and rather unusual) children by the giantess Angrboda: the wolf Fenrir, the Midgard serpent who coils around the world, and Hel, the goddess of the underworld (who, unlike the first two, probably a later Christian addition is rather than an original part of Viking Age mythology). There’s even a strange story where Loki turns into a mare and gives birth to the eight-legged horse Sleipnir, whose father is the giant stallion Svaðilfari.

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Shapeshifting is actually one of the recurring motifs in stories about Loki, recorded by various sources as transforming into a hawk; a fly and a flea; as well as water-based creatures like a salmon and a seal; and even switch genders to become a young girl, an old witch, and the aforementioned mare. Loki is also often mentioned in connection with air, wind, and flight. He is said to have been impulsive, with a quick but often vicious tongue and a sly, cunning kind of wisdom, and Snorri describes him as “handsome and pretty to look at, evil in spirit, very fickle in habit”. (Gylfaginning, 33).

The Snaptun Stone Bloodofox (Public Domain)

The Ugly – Loki as the enemy of the gods

The most negative side of Loki’s reputation is primarily due to his involvement in the death of the beloved god Baldr. After the goddess Frigg, mother of Baldr, makes her son invulnerable by making everything but the weak mistletoe swear not to harm him, the gods have fun shooting Baldr. With arrows ricocheting off him from left, right, and center, not even leaving a scratch, Loki decides to take pot-stirring to horrific levels by giving the blind god Hodr – Baldr’s brother – a mistletoe arrow, the Hodr unintentionally kills his brother with.

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A common thread running through many of the myths surrounding Loki is his malicious intentions, but also his willingness to help solve the problems he causes.

In the Prose Edda, the god Hermodr then makes a desperate journey to the underworld to beg his mistress Hel to let Baldr return. However, he is thwarted by Loki, who personally ensures that Hel’s requirements are not met, and although Loki is then captured by the other gods and tied to a rock with a venomous snake hanging over him, his wife Sigyn catches the worst of it a bowl. Only when she empties it does the poison sting his face and make him tremble so much that the earth trembles.

Baldr’s death and the tricks that caused it disrupt the harmony between the gods and pave the way for the coming of Ragnarök, in which the gods fight the encroaching forces of the underworld and the world is eventually engulfed in fire and destroyed. Loki has become the enemy of the gods and even fights in team Underworld, leading one of the huge armies in battle. On the one hand, Loki’s role in these events can be interpreted as that of a catalyst, knocking over the dominoes and thus bringing about the end of the world. On the other hand, as Preben Meulengracht Sørensen puts it, Baldr’s death is the

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…the most important expression of the idea of ​​the downfall of the gods. The gods could not prevent Baldr’s slaying because their own circle contained an element of deceit and destruction, personified by Loki… (208).

The Bad – Loki’s evil tongue

The poem Lokasenna (“Loki’s Blasphemies”) from the Poetic Edda puts any doubt about Loki’s tongue to rest. While all the gods in the hall are drinking from Ægir the giant, Loki, having killed a servant but is allowed back into the hall because he is Odin’s blood brother, goes on an insult spree in which he slanders and blames many of them currently. Loki seems to enjoy getting reactions from people, including in a practical way by setting events in motion, as seen in the Þórsdrápa (written in Iceland in the late 10th century AD). This poem clearly shows Loki’s manipulative side; It tells how Loki causes Thor to clash with the giant Geirrǫðr – which luckily unleashes Thor’s power and ends well for him (and less so for the giant).

Loki mocking Bragi W.G. Collingwood (Public Domain)

Aside from this evil role, a common thread in many other myths surrounding Loki seems to be his malicious intentions, but otherwise not extremely harmful results, as well as his willingness to help solve the problems he causes. A good example is that he “…once cut off all of Sif’s hair out of sheer malice…” but then has the black elves make Sif’s hair out of gold before Thor can break all of his bones (Skáldskaparmál, 33). As further compensation for his actions, he also competes with a dwarf to have weapons and jewels made for Odin, Freyr, and Thor, but loses and has the dwarf sew up his mouth, indicating he could not keep his evil mouth shut .

The good? – Loki the hero

However, despite Loki’s track record mentioned above, there’s actually a pretty broad silver lining. For one thing, his trickster abilities are also used to get the gods out of sticky situations, like in the myth of the master builder. It tells that after the destruction of Asgard, a house renovation is pending in the form of a giant, who, among other things, demands the goddess Freyja as payment. The cunning Loki plays a trick to delay the giant, causing him to miss his deadline, after which he throws a hissing fit and threatens the gods, but is killed by Thor, releasing Freyja. (Gylfaginning, 42).

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Moreover, in the tale of Skadi, daughter of the giant Thjazi, known from the 9th century CE Haustlǫng tale, which also appears in Snorri’s work, Loki is actually the hero. Thjazi is eventually killed by the Æsir (the main family of gods) and after noticing that his daughter Skadi is now very angry and ready to take revenge, they grant her compensation. She chooses one of the Æsir, Njordr, to be her husband, and also demands that the gods must make her laugh (believing that this is impossible in her current state). The Skáldskaparmál records the result:

Then this is what Loki did: he tied a string to a goat’s beard, the other end was around his own genitals, and each one in turn gave in, and each of them screeched loudly; then Loki dropped to Skadi’s knees and she laughed. Thereupon the Aesir made reconciliation with her. (1).

In fact, some of the earliest poems in which Loki appears, such as Ynglingatal, Haustlǫng, Húsdrápa, and Þórsdrápa from the late 9th to early 11th centuries AD, show him on several occasions as a friend of the gods. His problem-solving antics also seem to stem from the relatively older sources, and gradually get more evil as we reach the later sources, such as Snorris, which focus on Baldr’s death. Loki was originally perhaps more of a hero who played an important role in the stories, not only in a negative way but also in terms of the helpful side of his tricks.

The question of how to put all these puzzle pieces back together to do justice to Loki as he existed in Viking mythology remains a difficult one (and may require Loki’s own skills). William Sayers attempts an explanation in which Loki is seen as an inventive fixer who breaks deadlocks with his dynamic words and actions, while another aspect of his character revolves around him, who is the “debtor” that those around him accused and convicted. His toughness may be due to being an outsider (his parents were likely giants) while remaining part of the divine family through his sworn brother Odin. (Sayers, Article 2). Either way, with many different facets of Loki’s character shining through across all the different stories, we may just have to accept that his elusive nature defines him the most.