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Loki is a god in Norse mythology. Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Nari and Váli. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr.
Jun 29, 2024 · Loki, in Norse mythology, a cunning trickster who had the ability to change his shape and sex. Although his father was the giant Fárbauti, he was included among the Aesir (a tribe of gods). Loki was represented as the companion of the great gods Odin and Thor, helping them with his clever plans but sometimes causing embarrassment and ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- In Norse mythology Loki is a cunning trickster who has the ability to change his shape and sex. Although his father is the giant Fárbauti, he is in...
- Loki is considered a trickster god, known for being neither fully good nor evil since his main aim was always to create chaos. Despite his father b...
- Loki’s status in pre-Christian Scandinavia remains somewhat obscure. The medieval sources from which came much of what is known of Loki provide no...
- With the female giant Angerboda (Angrboda: “Distress Bringer”), Loki produced the progeny Hel, the goddess of death; Jörmungand, the serpent that s...
- While the Loki of the Marvel comics and films does derive his cunning character from the Loki of Norse myth, the biggest difference is that in the...
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Loki (pronounced LOAK-ee; Old Norse Loki, the meaning of which will be discussed below) is the wily trickster god of Norse mythology.
His familial relations attest to this. His father is the giant Farbauti (Old Norse Fárbauti, Cruel Striker[1]). His mother is Laufey (the meaning of which is unknown) or Nal (Nál, Needle[2]). Laufey/Nal could be a goddess, a giantess, or something else entirely the surviving sources are silent on this point. Loki is the father, by the giantess Ang...
Loki often runs afoul not only of societal expectations, but also of what we might call the laws of nature. In addition to the progeny listed above, Loki is also the mother yes, the mother of Sleipnir, Odins shamanic horse, whom Loki gave birth to after shapeshifting into a mare and courting the stallion Svadilfari, as is recounted in the tale of...
In the tales, Loki is portrayed as a scheming coward who cares only for shallow pleasures and self-preservation. Hes by turns playful, malicious, and helpful, but hes always irreverent and nihilistic.
For example, in the tale of The Kidnapping of Idun, Loki, by his recklessness, ends up in the hands of a furious giant, Thiazi, who threatens to kill Loki unless he brings him the goddess Idun. Loki complies in order to save his life, and then finds himself in the awkward position of having the gods threaten him with death unless he rescues Idun. H...
Loki alternately helps both the gods and the giants, depending on which course of action is most pleasurable and advantageous to him at the time. During Ragnarok, when the gods and giants engage in their ultimate struggle and the cosmos is destroyed, Loki joins the battle on the side of the giants. According to one Old Norse poem, he even captains ...
For his many crimes against them, the gods eventually forge a chain from the entrails of Lokis son Narfi and tie him down to three rocks inside a cave. A venomous serpent sits above him, dripping poison onto him. Lokis apparently very faithful and loving wife, Sigyn, sits at his side with a bowl to catch the venom. But when the bowl becomes full, o...
For the centuries that Norse mythology has been a subject of scholarly study, scholars have been unable to explain the meaning of Lokis name in any convincing way. Most have simply thrown their hands up and declared the meaning of his name to be unknown and probably unknowable. Recently, however, the philologist Eldar Heide may have solved this puz...
This proposed meaning of Lokis name powerfully resonates with his role in Norse mythology in two ways. First, it points to his role as a maker of nets, both literal fish nets and metaphorical nets in the form of his cunning schemes that trap the gods in perilous situations. Second, it could indicate his being the knot in the otherwise straight thre...
Even though Loki is in some sense a god, no traces of any kind of worship of Loki have survived in the historical record.[10] Is this any wonder, given that his character is virtually the antithesis of traditional Norse values of honor, loyalty, and the like and that he is ultimately a traitor to the divinities the Norse held in such reverence?
[2] Heide, Eldar. 2009. More Inroads to Pre-Christian Notions, After All? The Potential of Late Evidence. In Á austrvega: Saga and East Scandinavia: Preprint Papers of the 14th International Saga Conference. Edited by Agneta Ney et al. p. 363.
[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.
Learn about Loki, the trickster god of Norse mythology, who has a complex and ambivalent relationship with the gods and giants. Discover his origin, family, deeds, and fate in Ragnarok.
Mar 2, 2023 · Learn about Loki, the shape-shifting god who causes chaos and mischief among the Aesir, the primary gods in Norse mythology. Discover his role in Baldur's death, his relationship with Odin, and his fate in Ragnarok.
Dec 8, 2022 · Learn about Loki, the shapeshifting trickster god of the Norse pantheon, who often caused trouble and confusion among the gods. Discover his origins, attributes, family, and role in Ragnarök and other myths.
Jun 6, 2023 · Learn about Loki, the god of mischief and chaos in Norse mythology. Discover his parentage, appearance, powers, role in Ragnarök, and more.
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Nov 17, 2017 · Definition. Loki is a god in Norse mythology who is often simply described as the 'trickster' god for his love of playing pranks on both his fellow gods and his or their opponents. Sworn brother of Odin and often the one to dig the other gods out of inconveniently deep holes, Loki's name nonetheless has many negative connotations due to his ...
