(also Hveðrung, Laufeyjarson, Loke, Lopt, Skywalker, the Sly One)
Literature:
In the mythology, Loki is a complex and unusual individual whose character is significantly developed over the course of the stories. From a largely benevolent wight in the beginning who helps the Æsir more often than not, most accounts show him slowly become more dark and malicious until he ultimately sides with the enemies of Asgard at Ragnarok. The following is taken largely from Simek’s Dictionary of Northern Mythology.
Loki’s Family:
Nearly all of Loki’s family is referred to in multiple poems as well as in Snorri’s Edda. Loki is the son of Farbauti (“dangerous hitter” or “cruel striker”), a Jotun, and Laufey (“leafy island” or “full of leaves”), also called Nal (“needle”), who is often interpreted as a tree goddess of some kind, perhaps one of the Asynjur. Notably, Loki is always referred to in poetry and by Snorri as Laufeyjarson rather than the usual patronymic, suggesting that perhaps his father died before his birth or that Laufey was of significantly higher status than Farbauti. His brothers are Byleistr (“wind lightning,” “the one releasing the storm,” or “bee lightning” have been suggested) and Helblindi (“the blind one of the realm of death”); some have suggested that Byleistr is a heiti for Oðin, and Helblindi is definitely an Oðin-name (in Grimnismal and elsewhere). This, along with Loki’s reproach to Oðin in Lokasenna, has led many to conclude that if Oðin and Loki are not blood kin, they are at the least foster brothers or oath-brothers. Loki has a wife, Sigyn, who keeps a bowl above him to catch venom after his binding. His son Narfi (or Nari in some sources) is killed by his other son Vali after the latter is transformed into a wolf, and Narfi’s guts are used to bind Loki; Simek and others speculate that Narfi may be the same as the giant who is the father of night. Loki bears the eight-legged horse Sleipnir after he keeps the giant builder from claiming Freyja, the sun, and the moon. By Angrboda, Loki has three children: the wolf Fenrir (“marsh dweller”), the Midgard serpent Jormungandr (“huge monster”), and the ruler of one of the realms of the dead, Hel (“hide/conceal,” possibly related to Old Irish cuile “cellar”). Hyndluljóð credits Loki with giving birth to all the ogresses in the world after eating the heart of an evil woman, and Oðin in Lokasenna accuses Loki of spending eight winters underground bearing children.
The Rebuilding of Asgard:
Described mainly by Snorri in Gylfaginning, the story of the building of Asgard’s walls and the siring of Sleipnir is also referred to in Voluspa and Hyndluljóð. Though Loki is partly responsible for granting the giant builder the use of the stallion Svaðilfari, there is no evidence that he was acting with ill intent, and he is also the one responsible for luring the stallion away by posing as a mare, resulting in the birth of Oðin’s eight-legged steed, Sleipnir.
The Abduction of Iðunn:
The abduction and recovery of Iðunn is described in Haustlong and in Snorri’s Skáldskaparmál. Loki, traveling with Oðin and Hœnir, is captured by the giant Thiazi, who releases Loki on the condition that Loki agrees to lure Iðunn outside Asgard. With Thiazi’s subsequent capture of Iðunn, the Æsir begin to age. Loki, borrowing Freya’s fiaðrhamr, travels to Jotunheim and rescues Iðunn. Thiazi, pursuing Loki and Iðunn, is slain when he follows Loki into Asgard. Thiazi’s daughter Skaði travels to Asgard to claim recompense for her father’s death; her demands are a husband and laughter. For the first, she gains Njord as husband; for the second, Loki ties himself to a goat and engages in a burlesque tug of war.
Simek notes that in Haustlong, among the kennings used for Loki are “Oðin’s friend,” “Hœnir’s friend,” and “Thor’s friend.” Further, his role in the story is almost wholly positive; his involvement in Iðunn’s kidnaping isn’t motivated by malice but by his quick temper, and he acts decisively to rescue her and to help reach a bloodless solution to Skaði’s demands.
The Journey to Utgard-loki:
Found in Gylfaginning, this story has an almost wholly positive presentation of Loki, who travels with Thor and provides aid and companionship during the Thunderer’s journey. While Hymiskviða seems to implicate Loki in the breaking of one of Thor’s goat’s legs, Snorri (and a later stanza in Hymiskviða) both present the laming in a way that absolves Loki.
The Theft of Brísingamen:
In the fragments of Húsdrápa preserved in Skáldskaparmál and Snorri’s accompanying commentary, Loki is presented as the thief of Freyja’s necklace, which was apparently recovered by Heimdallr after the two gods assumed the form of seals and fought in the sea. If this is the same incident that led to the creation of Sörla þáttr, then it may be that Loki is acting according to Oðin’s wishes. Näsström speculates that this incident is the source of Loki’s retort to Gefjon in Lokasenna, and both she and Simek relate the theft to the final confrontation between Loki and Heimdallr at Ragnarok.
Thrymskviða:
In this eddic poem, Loki acts in an entirely helpful fashion. He again takes the role of Thor’s companion and friend, finding Thor’s hammer, negotiating the conditions for its return, posing as Thor/Freyja’s handmaiden, and covering up for Thor’s distinctly un-ladylike behavior at Thrym’s home.
The Cutting of Sif’s Hair:
Another Snorri story (Skáldskaparmál again), Loki definitely acts with more malice, shearing Sif’s head and seeking the death of a dwarven smith. Still, his actions result in the Æsir’s acquisition of many great treasures: Sif’s hair of gold, Oðin’s spear Gungnir, and Freyr’s boat Skiðblaðnir in his initial act of compensation, and then Thor’s hammer Mjolnir, Oðin’s ring Draupnir, and Freyr’s boar Gullinbursti in his wager with Brokkr and Sindri. Some Shakespearean scholars believe that the scene in The Merchant of Venice in which Portia manages to prevent Shylock from taking a pound of flesh from Antonio was inspired by Loki’s similar escape from his wager with Brokkr.
Thor’s Journey to Geirroðargarð:
Found in the poem Þórsdrápa and Skáldskaparmál and heavily alluded to in Saxo’s Gesta Danorum, Thor’s vanquishing of Geirroðr is accomplished despite Loki getting Thor to travel without Mjolnir, girdle of might, or iron gauntlets. Much like the abduction of Iðunn, though, Loki seems to act less out of evil intent and more from simply getting into a predicament from which he couldn’t escape without making a deal with a giant. In Þórsdrápa Thjálfi accompanies Thor and Loki, but in Snorri’s version there is no mention of Thor’s young sidekick.
Andvari’s Hoard:
The story of the Æsir’s compensation for the death of Hreidmar’s son, Otter, is found in Skáldskaparmál and Reginsmál. Loki’s killing of Otter is an innocent mistake; he believes he is acquiring provisions for the evening that can be shared at the next homestead visited. Acting to ransom himself and his traveling companions, Oðin and Hœnir, Loki takes every bit of gold from Andvari and passes along Andvari’s curse, an act with long-lasting consequences for many people.
Loka Táttur:
A Faroese ballad in which a farmer asks Oðin, Hœnir, and Loki in turn to protect his son from a giant depicts Loki as a clever, largely benevolent force. Oðin turns the boy into a single grain of barley in a field, but the giant mows the field and finds the farmer’s son. Hœnir transforms the boy into a feather on the head of a swan that travels with six other swans, but the giant captures the swan and kills it, finding the farmer’s son again. When it is Loki’s turn to protect the boy, he first sets a snare in the farmer’s boathouse. He then pulls up several halibut, turns the boy into a single egg among one of the halibut’s roe, and releases all the fish. When the giant successfully fishes up the halibut in which the son is hiding, Loki manages to get the boy back to shore, instructing him to run through the boathouse. The giant, giving chase, is caught in the trap Loki had set earlier, and Loki is able to kill the giant.
Lóðurr:
Lóðurr appears only in Voluspa when, along with Oðin and Hœnir, he gives Askr and Embla the gifts that make them human. The name Lóðurr occurs infrequently in poetry in kennings for Oðin, i.e. “Lóðurr’s friend.” Schroder, Dronke, Philippson, Turville-Petre and others have interpreted Lóðurr as a name for Loki. Lóðurr’s traveling companions in Voluspa are identical to Loki’s in the story of Iðunn’s abduction and the cursing of Andvari’s hoard as well as the later Loka Táttur. "Lóðurr's friend" may parallel another kenning for Oðin, "Loptr's friend"; as well, Loki is often referred to as "Hœnir's friend," which some see as strengthening the connection between the three. Though Snorri had access to Voluspa, he replaces Hœnir and Lóðurr with Oðin’s brothers Vili and Ve, prompting many to identify Hœnir and Lóðurr with Vili and Ve, which in turn has led some to speculate that the Loki kennings “Byleistr’s brother” and “Helblindi’s brother” indicate that Loki should be seen as identical to both Ve and Lóðurr.
A sixth- or seventh-century brooch commonly known as the Nordendorf fibula bears the inscription logaþorewodanwigiþonar, which is usually broken up into Logaþore Wodan Wigiþonar. The latter two words would identify the gods Oðin and Thor (Consecration Thonar). Some speculate that the first part, Logaþore, may mean something like magician or sorcerer, and thus the whole should be read “Oðin and Thor are sorcerers.” Others, working off etymologies linking the word to Anglo-Saxon logðar “wily/crafty” and Old Norse lomr “treachery,” believe that each word on the brooch names a separate god and read Logaþore as referring to Loki, Lóðurr, or both.
Most of the scholars, such as Simek, who object to an identification between Loki and Lóðurr do so because they feel that Lóðurr’s gifts to humanity are not in keeping with Loki’s character. Those who support the identification counter that trickster/culture hero figures are often very ambiguous characters who, while sometimes acting with malice, nonetheless frequently act in ways that benefit humanity. Additionally, in most of the mythology set in earlier times, Loki appears to be motivated largely by a desire to help his fellows, even when it may cost him his reputation, and it is primarily his impulsive behavior rather than any evil intent that creates problems.
Lóðurr’s gifts to humanity, lá and litu góda, are themselves the source of some controversy; while most agree that litu góda is probably something like good colors or good shape, lá has been variously interpreted as vital spark, film of flesh, blood, hair, and warmth, among other ideas. Dronke, who interprets lá as “film of flesh,” argues that if the name Lóðurr is related to lóð, meaning “vegetation,” it is then an appropriate name for Loki, “clothing the human twigs with an attractive physical exterior, as lóð can clothe the earth,” seeing in the relationship between name and gift an allusion to Loki’s name Loptr later in Voluspa when the gods ponder who had “laced all/ the air with ruin” and advised them to enter into an agreement with the giant builder.
The Death of Baldr:
The version of Baldr’s death in which Loki learns of Baldr’s weakness, helps guide Hoðr’s throw of the lethal mistletoe, and prevents Baldr’s return from Hel appears primarily in Gylfaginning, though it is alluded to in other sources, including Lokasenna, Voluspa, and Skáldskaparmál. In this version, Loki unquestionably acts in an evil manner, leading to his binding by the gods. Saxo presents a radically different account of Baldr’s death in the Gesta Danorum in which Baldr and Hoðr (who, incidentally, is not blind in Saxo’s version) fight over Nanna; though many of the gods play a part, there is no mention of Loki in Saxo’s version. Rather, Hoðr learns how to defeat Baldr in an encounter with some forest maidens. Those who wish to show Loki in a more positive light are quite enamored of Saxo’s version of events.
Lokasenna:
Lindow among others sees the death of Baldr and Loki’s flyting with the Æsir in Ægir’s hall as Loki “beginning to reveal his true colors.” Loki kills one of Ægir’s servants, demands hospitality through an oath sworn long ago by Oðin, and trades insults with Ægir’s guests, stopping only when Thor arrives and chases Loki out with threats of violence. According to Snorri and to the prose closing to Lokasenna, after he leaves Ægir’s hall, Loki (after inventing the fishing net) is eventually captured by the Æsir and bound beneath the earth. His son’s guts are turned into iron bands holding Loki to a stone, and Skaði fixes a venom-dripping serpent above his head.
Ragnarok:
In every version of the doom of the gods, Loki fights against the Æsir. Voluspa shows him steering Naglfar, the ship of nails, carrying enemies of the Æsir; Snorri adds in Gylfaginning that Loki will arrive at Vigrid plain leading Hel’s people (heljarsinnar, the followers/companions of Hel, which could be related to heljarmanni, man out of Hel, which in the sagas indicates a berserker and/or a powerful warrior with little honor or scruples) and that Loki and Heimdallr will slay each other near the end of the battle. In addition to Loki’s participation, his children Fenrir and Jormungandr will kill Oðin and Thor respectively.
Modern Worship and Speculation:
The general consensus among modern scholars is that, while he was an undeniably important figure, Loki was not a recipient of worship before the conversion. Simek states that “[t]here was no cult of Loki, and place-names based on his name are equally unknown.” Along similar lines, Bill Bainbridge notes that, since one of the main functions of religion is to uphold social norms, while Loki may have had a place in some rites, it would be quite odd for there to be an organized cult dedicated to him.
While theories have been advanced making Loki Oðin’s dark half, a Norse reflection of Lucifer, and/or a psychological construct symbolizing impulsive intelligence, Simek, Lindow, and others consider Loki to more likely be a culture hero not unlike Prometheus, Amiran, Raven, or Coyote. Like these figures, he is both intelligent and rebellious, and his actions often simultaneously bring about great ill and great gain. One of the more convincing etymologies for Loki’s name relates Loki to lokke, “spider” (others include logi, “fire,” and loka, “lock” or “closure”), and perhaps one of the most enduring culture heroes is Anansi, the spider.
Loki is at least as well known to non-heathens as Freyja, Oðin, or Thor. He appears in most books, games, movies, and television shows that reference Norse mythology. In Marvel comics, he is Thor’s arch-nemesis and regularly appears in issues of Thor. Thanks largely to Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, Loki is often portrayed and worshiped as a god of fire. In the neo-pagan world, he is a hugely popular wight with worshipers from a wide variety of traditions and paths. Some of the more heathen-oriented of these worshipers include the Rokkrtru and the Lokeans; many (including every openly practicing Loki worshiper I have ever met in person) are rebellious teens in search of a kind of Asatru Satanism or people who see Loki and other trickster figures as amusing pranksters and practical jokers, living cartoons, or some sort of divine Jim Carrey. There are others, however, who provide research and carefully thought-out and articulated arguments to justify their beliefs and practices. Alice Karlsdottir sees Loki as a god of change, a force who brings about an end to stagnation and helps the wheel of seasons turn, even if that change is sometimes unpleasant; she argues that his actions are necessary, almost dictated by wyrd, in order to make the nine worlds grow and ultimately prosper. Selvårv Stigårð, a Lokean, points out that the star Sirius’s Icelandic name is Lokabrenna, Loki’s brand, and according to the merchant Ahmed at-Tartushi of Cordova, the people of Hedeby worshiped the brightest star of the sky. Additionally, Stigårð suggests that Lokehall in Verstergotland might indicate an ancient cult, along with the Icelandic volcano named Loki, and he observes that Loptur is a fairly common Icelandic name.
When considering Loki’s role in Baldr’s death or in Ragnarok, Lokeans have a variety of opinions. Some declare Saxo’s version of Baldr’s death to be more accurate than Snorri’s, while others say that Baldr’s death was a necessary event for the rebirth of the nine worlds, and still others express the idea that Baldr showed himself to be a great coward, hiding behind his mother rather than facing the possibility of his death, and only Loki had the courage to make sure that wyrd took its course, both in Baldr’s death and his inability to return from Hel before the end of Ragnarok. As for Loki fighting the Æsir, some Lokeans believe that Loki is justified, having repeatedly been made a scapegoat and a laughing-stock for the gods despite his gifts and good deeds, while others liken his siding with the Jotnar to Guðrún’s siding with her brothers in some accounts of the conflict between the Niflungar and Atli; ultimately, obligations to blood win out over legal joinings.
Though it’s less common now than ten or twenty years ago, many heathens feel that, based on Loki’s words to Oðin in Lokasenna to the effect that Oðin swore never to drink ale unless it were brought to both of them, Loki should always be hailed immediately after any hail to the Allfather. The Troth suggests making an offering to Loki just before a ritual or feast, and suggests that ceremonies dedicated to Thor or Odin should include offerings to Loki as well.
Personal Worship and UPG:
Though it could be argued that hails like “hail those powers allied with humanity,” “hail the Æsir,” and even “hail Oðin” include Loki, I don’t think I’ve ever specifically hailed Loki or made offering to him individually. I’m made somewhat uncomfortable when others hail him in blot or sumble, and I’ve been glad that no one with whom I regularly worship hails him. For a few years, I had an irrational aversion to speaking the name “Loki,” preferring to use names like “The Sly One” and “Thor’s traveling companion” lest I attracted his attention. I’m often annoyed with those who see him primarily as some sort of cosmic joker, a god who mostly does things like put a whoopie cushion on Hlidskjálf.
However, when I was very young and first discovered Norse mythology, Loki was one of my favorites, and I was greatly distressed at his participation in Baldr’s death and his siding against the Æsir during Ragnarok in the book I read. I sympathized with the impulsive behavior and intelligence that so often created problems for him and others, and I envied his ability to get out of those same predicaments. I felt most of the other gods didn’t really give Loki a fair chance or recognition of the things he did for them, and it made me angry for him. While I disapproved of what he eventually did, I could still understand it.
I’ve no objection to the idea that Lóðurr and Loki are one and the same; the reasons for the identification seem sound, and I find the main objection to the identification, that giving humanity gifts isn’t very Loki-like, to be rather silly.
References
Davidson, H.R.E.1964. Myths and Symbols of Pagan Europe
---. 1998. Roles of the Northern Goddess
de Vries, J. 1956-1957. Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte
Dronke, U. (translator). 1997. The Poetic Edda: Volume II: Mythological Poems
Gundarsson, K. 2006. Our Troth: History and Lore
Larrington, C. (translator). 1996. The Poetic Edda
Lindow, J. 2001. Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs
"Lokahal." accessed July 2009.
Nasstrom, B. 2003. Freyja, the Great Goddess of the North
Northvegr. "The Loki's Tale Ballad." accessed July 2009
Simek, R. 1996. Dictionary of Northern Mythology
Schroder, F.R. 1941. Skadi und die Gotter Skandinaviens
Sturluson, S. Edda, translated by Anthony Faulkes 1987
---. Heimskringla, tranaslated and edited by Monsen, E. and Smith, A.H. 1990