Loki

Loki by Arthur Rackham 1911

A member of the Aesir tribe of deities, Loki—along with Odin, Thor, and Freya—constituted one of the four ruling deities of Norse thought. Though his mythology consistently overlapped with those of his divine counterparts, Loki differed from them in important ways. Where Thor, Freya, and even Odin (a trickster himself) strove to impose a righteous order amongst the gods, Loki’s erratic behavior called the very nature of his allegiances into question. For example, it was predicted that during Ragnarök Loki would fight on the side of the jötnar against the gods.
In truth, Loki was neither for or against the gods. Like the trickster figures of other mythologies, he was neither good nor evil, choosing instead to be a partisan of disorder itself, a figure who tested boundaries and challenged conventions. His chaotic inconsistency reminded believers that the boundaries between good and evil were far more tenuous than they suspected.

Etymology
The name “Loki” has long been likened to the Old Norse *logi*, meaning “fire.” While Loki, like fire, was destructive and unpredictable, the similarity between the two words was probably incidental. A newer and more likely etymology traced the name “Loki” to the Germanic words for “knot, loop, or tangle.” Such words have a literal connection to the deity—Loki was often depicted as a maker of fish —but also a deeper, metaphorical connection: Loki’s schemes were like webs that ensnared the unwary. Spiders were referred to as *loki* from time to time, as their webs caught unsuspecting victims in a similar manner. Loki was also likely referred to as a “knot” for his tendency to go against the other gods.1

Attributes
Loki’s chief attributes were his wit and wile. He seldom engaged in physical combat, and as such carried no weapons. He also lacked any well-attested charms, garments, or vehicles. One source, the *Skáldskaparmál*, mentioned that Loki possessed a pair of magical shoes—“Loki had with him those shoes with which he ran through air and over water”—but no other sources made such a claim. On one occasion, he borrowed Freya’s magical falcon cloak, though he returned it shortly afterward. In spite of his lack of personal accoutrements, Loki had an unusually prominent role in procuring them for other gods.
Loki was the preeminent shapeshifter amongst the gods. On various occasions, he took the form of a salmon, a flea, a fly, and a mare. He also took the form of human beings, such as an old woman named Thökk who fatefully refused to weep for the fallen Baldur.

Family
Loki was the son of Fárbauti, an unspecified jötunn whose name meant “cruel striker.” His mother was usually called Laufey, though she was also referred to as Nál. Loki’s brothers were Helblindi and Býleistr, also jötnar.
Loki married the goddess Sigyn, about whom little is known, except that by Loki she had a son named Nari, or Narfi. Loki also reproduced with his mistress, Angrboda, a jötunn (possibly a troll) who gave birth to three children: Hel, who ruled the eponymous underworld called Hel, Jörmungandr, the sea serpent of Midgard and arch-nemesis of Thor, and Fenrir, the massive wolf fated to slay Odin during Ragnarök.
Loki gave birth to another of his children on his own. During an escapade in which he had taken the form of a mare, Loki was impregnated by a stallion called Svadilfari. Some time later, Loki birthed Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse, who was to become Odin’s favorite mount.

Mythology
Origins
Though Loki’s entrance into Norse mythology came later than most, his origins remained difficult to discern. In the oldest poetic works, such as the *Grímnismál* (which had fragments going back to the eighth century), Loki was conspicuously absent. In non-Norse sources of pre-Christian Germanic religion, Loki was once again either absent or presented in a very different manner. Such evidence suggested that Loki was a deity unique to the Northern European, or Scandinavian, people.2

Loki, the Incorrigible
Loki’s great mischief always stood front and center in the trickster god’s rich mythological tradition. One classic story began with an act of wanton mischief and ended with the gods receiving a bountiful haul of treasures. The story appeared in Snorri Sturluson’s *Skáldskaparmál* of the *Prose Edda*. One day, Loki was feeling mischievous and decided to cut off all of Sif’s hair. Sif was Thor’s wife, and was known for her beautiful, flowing locks of blonde hair. Naturally, when Thor discovered Loki’s prank, he flew into a rage and threatened Loki with violence. Desperate to quell Thor’s anger, Loki promised to find the Black Elves and have them make a replacement.
Wanting to make amends, Loki traveled to Svartalfheim, a land home to Black Elves, dwarves, and other jötnar that was located deep in the bowels of the earth. There, Loki found the sons of Ivaldi, who were known as the greatest of craftsmen. The sons of Ivaldi soon fashioned a new set of hair for Sif and two other marvels. One was a ship called Skidbladnir, which could always find wind when its sail was raised; the ship also folded up into a package so small that it could fit in someone’s pocket. The other wonder the dwarves crafted was Gungnir, a spear with an unstoppable thrust.
Seeing the wondrous treasures the dwarves had made gave Loki an idea. After collecting the treasures from the sons of Ivaldi, Loki sought out the dwarf brothers Brokkr and Sindri, who were themselves master craftsmen. Loki taunted them, claiming they could never craft anything as perfect as the creations of the sons of Ivaldi; he even wagered his head against the claim. With their pride on the line, the brothers took the wager and set to work on the forge. In an attempt to distract them from their work, Loki transformed himself into a fly and bit the dwarves repeatedly. Brokkr and Sindri were unfazed, however, and soon presented Loki with three masterworks of their own. The first was Gullinbursti, a golden-maned boar that glowed in the dark, ran through water and air, and traveled faster than horses. The second was Draupnir, a golden ring that sprouted eight identical rings every ninth night. The third and final item was a war hammer called Mjölnir, which in the hands of Thor became one of the most fabled items in all Norse lore.
Loki returned to Asgard with Brokkr and bid the gods to judge which of the six items was the greatest. Loki gave the hair to Thor so that Sif would once again wear beautiful golden locks. He gave Gungnir to Odin, and offered Skidbladnir to Freya. Brokkr then presented gifts of his own: to Freya he gave the boar, to Odin he gave the reproducing ring, and to Thor he gave mighty Mjölnir. The gods agreed that Thor’s hammer was the finest of all the creations, but when Brokkr went to claim Loki’s head, he found that the god had fled using on speedy shoes. Thor helped find him, but Brokkr was still unable to claim Loki’s head, as the trickster god riddled his way out of trouble.

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