Loki
Appeal: Tricks, Changes, Fire, Humor, Prison, Chaos, Lawyer, Conflicts,
Lies
In Norse
mythology, Loki c, is a God or a Giant (or both). By the jotunn (giantess) Angrboda, Loki is
the father of Hela, the wolf Fenrir and the world serpent Jormungandr. And by the stallion Svadilfari, Loki is the
mother—giving birth in the form of a mare—to the eight-legged horse Sleipnir. In addition, Loki is married to the Goddess Sigyn,
the sweetest and most loyal of all women.
He
has several complex relations with the Gods and humans depending on the source
or the century. Loki sometimes assists
the Gods and sometimes causes problems for them. He is a shape shifter and in separate
incidents he appears in the form of a salmon, mare and an elderly woman, most
often playing tricks. He is crafty and
malicious, but is also heroic.
Loki's
origins and role in Norse mythology have been much debated by scholars. In 1835, Jacob Grimm was first to produce a
major theory about Loki, in which he advanced the notion of Loki as a "God
of fire". In 1889, Bugge theorized
Loki to be variant of Lucifer of Christian mythology. In 1959, Jan de Vries theorized that Loki is
a typical example of a trickster figure.
Loki
is known for bringing about chaos and discord, but by challenging the Gods, he
also brings about change. Without Loki's influence, the Gods may become complacent,
so Loki does actually serve a worthwhile purpose, much as Coyote does in the
Native American tales or Anansi the spider in African lore.
He was accepted into
the ranks of the Gods by becoming Odin’s blood brother. Loki lived in Asgard, the home of the Gods
and he served as a companion to the great Gods Thor and Odin. Sometimes he was the God’s most trusted
helper like when he helped Thor get his hammer back that the giants had stolen. Or when Loki gave Odin Gungnir, a Dwarves magical spear
which never missed its mark and always returned to Odin’s hand. But the Gods could not count on his friendship
and loyalty.
Loki's
positive relations with the Gods end with his role in engineering the death of
the God Baldr. Now
he’s blamed for everything that goes bad. Loki is
eventually bound by the Gods with the entrails of one of his sons. A serpent drips venom from above him that
Sigyn collects into a bowl; however, she must empty the bowl when it is full,
and the venom that drips in the mean time causes Loki to writhe in pain,
thereby causing earthquakes.
With
the onset of Ragnarok, Loki is foretold to slip free from his bonds and to
fight against the Gods among the forces of the jotnar (giants), at which time
he will encounter the God Heimdall and the two will slay each other.
Loki
has been depicted in or is referenced in a variety of media in modern popular
culture. During the 19th century, Loki was depicted in a variety of manners,
sometimes strongly at odds. He appears
as a Marvel Comics super villain of the same name, where he consistently comes
into conflict with the superhero Thor.
Loki is also a central character in Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods,
where he and Odin play a cruel con and he eventually becomes the leader of the
New Gods.
The rune Cen c,
has a basic sense coming from Old English 'cennan', with two meanings, 'to
beget' and ' to bring forth from the mind'." Cen is the rune of the brightly burning torch
that lights up the hall in the evening.
It can also be the fire that lights up the night, destroying homes when
left unattended. One of the main lessons
that it gives us is that order is defined by chaos, and sometimes we need chaos
to bring us the opportunity and the will to change for the better.
Oath-Breaker,
Troublemaker,
Master of Lies,
Blood-brother of Odin,
Cunning deceiver, evil spell-weaver,
Skillfull Shape-Changer,
Son of Giant, Asgard defiant,
Keep me from danger.
Cunning and fire, treacherous liar,
Come to my aid,
Teach me your daring, mischievous faring,
That trouble be made.
Wondrous dark magic, Loki, teach me,
But hearken that my spirit stays free.
Master of Lies,
Blood-brother of Odin,
Cunning deceiver, evil spell-weaver,
Skillfull Shape-Changer,
Son of Giant, Asgard defiant,
Keep me from danger.
Cunning and fire, treacherous liar,
Come to my aid,
Teach me your daring, mischievous faring,
That trouble be made.
Wondrous dark magic, Loki, teach me,
But hearken that my spirit stays free.
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