Loki (deity)

Culture: Norse

Mother: Laufey

Father: Fárbauti

Children: Fenrir; Hel; Jörmungand; Narfi; Sleipnir; Vali

Loki is a god in Norse mythology. In some versions of the myths, he is a god of fire. In other versions, he is a giant instead of a god. In others, he is the personification of evil. However, in most of the stories in which he appears, Loki is a trickster. He deceives others by changing his appearance, including his gender and shape. Loki is a member of the Aesir, the main group of deities in Norse myths. Other members include Odin, the head of the Aesir; Odin’s wife Frigg; the god of war Tyr; and the god of thunder, Thor.

Loki lives in Asgard, the home of the Norse gods. This place is comparable to Mount Olympus, the dwelling of the ancient Greek gods. Loki’s father is a giant named Fárbauti, and his mother is Laufey. Loki has several children. They include Hel, the goddess of death; the serpent Jörmungand; and the wolf Fenrir. The mother of all of these children was a giantess named Angerboda. Loki also has two sons named Narfi and Vali by his wife Sigyn. Loki himself becomes the mother to an animal offspring. This child is an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir that Loki conceives and gives birth to during a time when he is disguised as a mare.

In Mythology

In Norse mythology, Loki sometimes causes lighthearted mischief and at other times causes major problems. He is an associate of Odin and Thor. At times, he assists them. At other times, he thwarts their efforts. The course of action he takes depends on what is most advantageous to him. Often, Loki is portrayed as selfish, careless, and indifferent to the welfare of others. He also frequently causes the other gods shame and embarrassment.

One story describes the birth of Loki’s offspring Sleipnir. A giant arrived in Asgard and offered to build a wall in a year and half, and he would do so in exchange for Odin’s wife. Odin did not think it was possible to construct a wall in that period of time, so he agreed. However, the giant had an amazing stallion named Svaðilfari that was powerful and helped him work on the task. When the job was near completion, Odin began to fear he would lose his wife, so he asked for Loki’s help. The trickster disguised himself as a beautiful mare and enticed the stallion away. Work on the wall came to a halt. The mare later gave birth to Sleipnir, the horse with eight legs. Loki gave the horse to Odin as a gift.

Loki had three other children with his second wife, Angerboda. As his daughter and sons grew older, they became more and more terrifying. So the gods decided to banish them from Asgard. Hel was cast down into the underworld to become the goddess of death. Jörmungand the serpent was thrown into the sea, and Fenrir the wolf was chained to a rock.

In another story, Loki caused the death of Odin’s son Balder (also spelled Baldr or Baldur). Angry at his perceived mistreatment by the gods, Loki decided to have Balder killed. Mistletoe was the one substance in the world that could harm Balder. So Loki used it to carve a spear. One day, the gods were playing a game, tossing different objects at Balder. Loki gave Hodi the spear made with mistletoe. Hodi was blind and did not know what he was holding. So he believed it would not harm Balder. Hodi threw the spear. It struck Balder and killed him, sending him to the underworld. A god named Hemrod begged Loki’s daughter Hel to release Balder from death. She agreed, but only if every living creature in the world cried for Balder’s sake. They all did, except for one—a giantess named Thökk. She refused to shed a tear at Balder’s funeral—likely, because she was secretly Loki in disguise. As a result, Balder’s death remained permanent. When Odin learned the truth, the gods captured Loki’s sons Narfi and Vali. Vali was turned into a wolf. He killed his brother, ripping him to pieces. Then Loki was tied to a rock with Narfi’s entrails as the rope.

Frequently, Loki was portrayed as an enemy of Asgard who often sought to take power from the other gods. One myth described a doomsday event known as the Ragnarok, which culminated in the end of the world. According to the story, Loki led the enemies of the gods, with the help of his children Hel, Fenrir, and Jörmungand. Together, they worked to bring down the gods and end Asgard.

Origins and Cults

The etymology of the word Loki is unknown. In addition, the character’s origins are a mystery and a subject for debate among scholars. The character seems to have originated during the medieval era. He appears in the Eddas, Old Norse literature that tells the stories of gods and goddess. The poems and prose works that make up this collection were written in Iceland in the thirteenth century. However, they include material from various sources dating back to the Viking Age. Also, unlike other Norse deities, Loki does not seem to have come from a cult.

There are competing theories about Loki’s original purpose. One states that he was a sort of spiritual twin to Odin. Another theory states that Loki was based on Lucifer, the fallen angel in Christianity. A third theory proposes that Loki was a spider that evolved into a god over time.

In Popular Culture

The character Loki has been depicted many times in modern literature and popular culture. He appears in The Ring of the Nibelung, a nineteenth century series of operas by German composer Richard Wagner. In this tale, the character is known as Loge, which means "fire." He helps the gods even though he dislikes them.

Loki also is a character in content by Marvel Comics, including those that focus on a superhero team known as the Avengers. This version of the character is loosely based in Norse mythology, and is part of a superhuman race called the Asgardians. He is considered the god of mischief, and like in mythology he is sometimes an associate of and sometimes an opponent of the hero Thor, the god of thunder. In the popular series of films known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Loki debuted in Thor (2011), portrayed by Tom Hiddleston, and went on to appear in several other films, including as the primary antagonist in The Avengers (2012). The character developed into a popular antihero and was given his own television series on the Disney+ streaming platform that debuted in 2021.

Bibliography

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"Loki, Norse mythology." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

"Loki." Marvel, 2021, www.marvel.com/characters/loki. Accessed 3 August 2021.

McCoy, Dan. "Loki." Norse Mythology for Smart People. Dan McCoy, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Mortensen, Karl, and Asa Clinton Crowell. A Handbook of Norse Mythology. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1913. Print.

Rothman, Lily. "The ‘Truth’ About Loki and Thor." Time. Time, 8 Nov. 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.