Mythic Monday: Look Out for Loki
July 17, 2017
Loki, the god of strife in Teutonic mythology, was a clever trickster. Teutonic mythology, also called Norse mythology, consists of the myths and legends of Germany and Scandinavia that date from about the A.D. 400’s. The “good” gods of Norse Mythology, the Aesir, were born of Odin the All-Father. Mischievous Loki, however, was the son of the wind giant, Fárbauti, who belonged to a race of giants called the Jötun. In Norse mythology, the Jötun and other giants were enemies of the Aesir gods. Loki’s descent from, and involvement with, the giants made him a suspect and untrustworthy character.
Loki lived and was later imprisoned in Asgard, the Upper World of the Aesir. Loki did whatever he pleased there, however, which often displeased the other gods, and he took every opportunity to cause mischief. His antics riled the other gods so much he was sometimes called the “spirit of evil.” Loki was also jealous and hateful of his foster brother, the great god of thunder, Thor, and of his foster father, Odin, the ruler of Asgard.
Odin’s son Balder was the god of beauty, goodness, and light, and beloved by all. Balder’s mother, the goddess Frigg, made animals, plants, and even stones swear an oath never to harm Balder. Loki, who had powers of sorcery and shape-shifting, appeared as an old woman to trick Frigg into revealing Balder’s only weakness: the mistletoe plant. Loki guided the hand of the blind god Hoder to throw mistletoe at Balder and kill him. Balder’s death began the twilight of the gods, the great battle called Ragnarok which would consume the gods, giants, Asgard, and Midgard (Earth) in fire. Balder would then return to the purged Earth to rule a new era.
Loki paid dearly for his hand in Balder’s death. The trickster was chained to three rocks and tied down with his son’s intestines under a serpent dripping poisonous venom. His wife, Sigyn, held a bowl above Loki’s head to catch the venom. Each time she left to empty the bowl, the venom hit Loki’s face, and his agonized writhing caused earthquakes on Earth. Loki eventually broke free from his chains to lead the giants against the gods in the calamitous Ragnarok.
In modern times, Loki is a character that appears in Marvel comics and motion pictures. Loki plays either the role of archvillain or antihero, depending on his whim and desire to help or hinder Thor and the Avenger superheroes on Earth.