Who is Loki? God Loki in Scandinavian mythology God of cunning and deception in Scandinavian mythology.
Scandinavian mythology has been around for many centuries. He was made into a character in many books, musical works, films and even computer games. At the same time, the characteristics of this deity have many controversial interpretations among researchers and mythologists. Basic information about Loki is contained in works such as the Prose Edda and the Elder Edda, written by the Icelandic writer Snorri Sturluson in the 11th century in the form of textbooks on skaldic poetry.
Essence and origin
Loki - Scandinavian deceit and cunning. Snorri also gave deities: he is handsome, short, thin, and his hair is a fiery red color. Its distinctive features are a sharp mind, cunning, resourcefulness, cunning and duplicity, as well as the ability to change appearance. Thanks to these qualities, the Aesir allowed the Jotun to live in Asgar. This god also has several other names: Lodur, Loft and Hvedrung.
Regarding the origin of Loki, it is believed that his father was the jotun Farbauti, and his mother was Lauvey (another name is Nal). Although, according to some other researchers, Loki existed even before Odin, because his father was the giant Ymir, the air of Kari and the water of Hler were brothers, and the goddess Ran was his sister. And only later the god of fire and deception entered the triad of demiurges along with Odin and Khenir. Despite the fact that in the modern interpretation of Scandinavian mythology, various sources indicate that Thor and Loki are antipodes, for the same Snorri Sturluson, Odin is the brother-in-arms of the god of deception, but at the same time his opposite. But the thunder god only periodically kept the cunning deity company in certain situations.
Characteristic
Mythology reveals a very versatile and cunning deity. God Loki had many necessary qualities, for which the aesir tolerated his antics and turned a blind eye to many things. In many situations, he helped out other gods, but in most of these cases, they got into trouble precisely thanks to Loki, who saved his own skin or saw some benefit. The insidious god helped either the Aesir or the giants, and for a long time this suited them all, especially since at the beginning of his appearance in Asgard Loki was good, as far as possible for a god of deception, he helped the gods many times. Together with Odin, he participated in the creation of the world, and together with other demiurges, he breathed life into the wooden prototypes of people. He helped the gods obtain or return many treasures. However, later, becoming more and more angry and acquiring a more demonic essence, the god Loki earned the hatred of the Aesir, whom he constantly quarreled with each other and became the embodiment of all troubles, right up to Ragnarok. This deity became an analogue of Lucifer in Scandinavian mythology.
Personal benefit
In an adventure with Odin and Hernir, described in the Prose Edda, the god Loki struck Tiazzi, who turned into an eagle and tried to take the best pieces of food prepared by the Aesir, but stuck to the giant, who carried him off to his lair. Tiazzi promised to release Loki in exchange for Idunn and her, and he, thanks to his cunning and cunning, led the goddess to the giant. But the Aesir, without apples, began to grow old and forced Loki to return Idunn. Having turned into a falcon, the culprit was able to return the goddess to Asgard, and the eagle Tiatii, who flew after her, was killed by other gods. This case demonstrates in the best possible way that Loki, for the most part, committed any actions only based on his own benefit or a threat to his life.
Adventures with Thor
But still, the insidious god also had such deeds that can be called selfless. Only thanks to his intelligence, resourcefulness and cunning, the thunder god was able to return his legendary hammer Mjolnir. Thor and Loki went to the lair of the jotun Thrym, who stole the legendary weapon, under the guise of his bride and her maid. The cunning man persuaded the giant to demonstrate the great hammer to his bride, and when Thrym showed Mjolnir, Thor managed to grab the hilt and defeat the kidnapper.
But these two gods also had adventures in which Loki substituted his companion. To save his life, the born Jotun led Thor directly to the lair of the giant Geirrod; the thunderer was able to escape only thanks to the kind Grid.
Heritage
Like many deities of various pantheons, Loki also has a unique heritage. It is believed that he was not originally evil, being the spirit of life. Together with his wife Glut (radiance), the fire god Loki was considered a symbol of the hearth. From his first marriage he had two children - Enmira and Eiza. However, the further he went, the more Loki became embittered and demonized. His second wife was the giantess Angrboda, their secret marriage in the Iron Forest of Jotunheim was prohibited by Odin, who became even more angry when he learned about the birth of three monster children: the red and blue Hel, the dire wolf Fenrir and the huge serpent Jormungandr. Odin threw Hel into Niflheim, where she became Jormungand sent him to the bottom of the sea, where he became the World Serpent, but Fenrir was initially taken to Asgard, where he tried to put him on a chain, but no one could hold the mighty wolf, and in the end he was cast into underground kingdom.
The god Loki also gave birth to the legendary eight stallion Odin Sleipnir. Using his ability, he turned into a mare to distract the horse Svadilfari, thanks to which the jotun mason promised the Aesir to build Asgard in record time, and the gods did not want to pay him the bills. Loki's third and last wife was Sigyn, who bore him two sons: Vali and Narvi (or Ali and Nari).
Wrath of the gods
At a feast with Aegir (the sea giant), the god Loki impartially denounced the Aesir for their shortcomings and confessed to the murder of Balder, the son of Odin. For the gods this was the last straw. They captured the villain and both of his sons, turned Vali into a wolf, who tore his brother to pieces, and tied Loki to three stones with Narvi’s intestines, and hung a snake over his head, the poison of which was supposed to drip onto the face of the guilty deity and bring him hellish torment. Sigyn held a cup in which she collected the poison so that it would not fall on her husband's face. But when it overflowed and it was necessary to empty it, the drops fell on Loki’s face, and the earth itself shook from his torment. And so on until Ragnarok, during which the god Loki fought against the Aesir.
Loki belongs to Norse mythology. He is considered a negative character. He has the ability to change his appearance, which is where the expression “mask of the god Loki” came from. Initially, this god was simply capricious and naughty, but over time his actions became more sinister and he began to create various difficult situations for the people and gods around him. Often, when getting out of difficult situations, he could sacrifice the life of another god without hesitation. Its symbols are fire, air and.
What is known about the Scandinavian god Loki?
This god is most often described as a handsome man of short stature with a thin build. His hair is fiery red. The Scandinavians attribute the most terrible and negative traits to Loki: duplicity, cunning, deceit, deceit, etc. Despite this, aces often turned to him for help. For example, using the ability to transform, he turned into a beautiful mare and lured a horse from the etun-mason, which allowed him not to give him the goddess Freya as his wife. Thanks to the help of the god of lies Loki, the aces were able to obtain such treasures: Thor's hammer, Odin's spear, Skidbladnir's ship and much more.
The god of fire, Loki, loved to eat, and one day he even staged a competition with his own element. The spirit of fire became a giant, and they had a competition to see who could eat the most. Loki was able to eat only part of the food, while the fire not only finished the rest, but also ate the dishes and the table.
Loki belongs to the family of Etuns, but the Aesir still allowed him to live in Asgard, given his intelligence and cunning. Loki has other names - Ladur and Loft. By the way, there is an opinion that he is not a real god. He has many children, for example, three from the giantess Angrboda:
- daughter is a goddess kingdom of the dead, whose body was half red and half blue;
- giant snake;
- huge wolf.
There is also information that Loki is the founder of all witches. This happened after he ate the half-burnt heart of an evil woman. Sigyn was considered the wife of this god.
At the feast of the gods, held after the death of Balder, Loki began to quarrel with everyone. He mortally insulted every ace, which caused a great deal and they wanted to kill him. The god of lies and deceit, Loki turned into a salmon and tried to hide in a waterfall, but was eventually caught. The Aesir also captured two children, who killed each other. With their intestines they tied Loki to a rock. Skadi, in order to avenge her father, hung a snake over him, the poison of which fell on his face. To save her husband, Sigyn held a cup over him that contained poison. When it was full, it moved away to drain everything and it was at this time that the poison fell on Loki, who experienced great agony, and this led to an earthquake. During Ragnarok, the god Loki will fight on the side of the giants. In battle he will die at the hands of Heimdall.
Loki in the modern worldThe month of the god Loki is considered to be the period from January 21 to February 19. People born during this period will often be subjected to various tests and trials. Whoever can overcome all this will be rewarded with a life-changing gift. To appease Loki, it is recommended to frequently light beautiful candles in your home. In this case, you can say the following conspiracy:
“I light the candles, I call on Loki. Lightning and fire, become a mountain for me.”
It is recommended to give preference to yellow, gold, orange, red and light brown clothes. Loki can reward his fans with various gifts and realize their most cherished dreams. If people treat him with disdain, then he can create serious life problems and troubles. Connecting to the energy of Loki is especially necessary in situations where it is important to hide something. With the help of this god you can protect yourself from deception and fraud.
Loki (Loft, Lodur, Hvedrung) is a god in German-Scandinavian mythology. He is the son of the giant Jotun Farbauti and the giantess Lauveya. Loki himself comes from a family of giants, the Jotuns. In Scandinavian mythology, the Jotuns live in one of the nine worlds - Jotunheim, but Loki's mother, after the death of her husband, took little Loki to Asgard (the heavenly city, the abode of the gods). For his extraordinary intelligence and cunning, the gods allowed Loki to live with them.
Thanks to Loki's cunning, resourcefulness and other abilities, Scandinavian gods received many treasures. For example, Thor's hammer Mjolnir was forged by the dwarven dwarves Brok and Sindri during a dispute with Loki about their mastery. The same dwarf sons of Ivaldi, after meeting Loki, created: Odin’s spear Gungnir, the ship of the aesir Skidbladnir, the magical Golden ring Draupnir and the boar Gullinbursti, which Frey rode.
The origin of the name Loki has not yet been reliably clarified. There are two most popular versions. “Loki” comes from the word “logi”, which is translated as “fire”, that is, Loki in ancient times was the god of fire. The second version compares Loki to the Old Norse word "lúka", which translates as "to close, lock, end". The second version may point to Loki as an underground god or god of death, or indicate his role in Ragnarok, which Loki hastened.
Loki is considered the father of several gods who occupy a special place in the mythology of the Scandinavians. According to legend, Loki lived with the giantess Angrboda for three years. Angrboda gave birth to Loki three children: 1. the wolf Fenrir, who guards the underworld and, judging by the predictions about Ragnarok, should kill Odin at the end of time; 2. the snake Jormungandr, who is also called the “World Serpent” or the “Midgard Serpent.” Jormungandr grew so huge that he girded the entire earth and grabbed himself by the tail. In the final world battle, Loki's son the serpent Jormungandr must kill Thor; 3. Hel - mistress of the dead, queen of the world of the dead Helheim. Loki's second wife, who is considered his wife until Ragnarok, is Sigyn. Loki has two children with Sigyn: Nari and Vali. Moreover, Loki himself was able to become pregnant - he carried and gave birth to the eight-legged foal Sleipnir, who later became Odin’s horse.
Germanic-Scandinavian mythology has undergone enormous changes since the time of the Indo-Europeans. However, even today one can find similar features of the gods of the Scandinavians and Slavic gods. As for Loki, he corresponds to our Chernobog or god underworld, and evidence of this will be given below. His children are very similar to our deities, although with some differences. For example, the snake Jormungandr is similar to ours, the wolf Fenrir is similar to ours, and Loki’s daughter Hel is a copy of our goddess of the dead and the underworld (Mara, Madder). There are no direct references to the fact that Loki is the god of the underworld of the dead in Scandinavian legends. However, we can see this role of Loki in detail. For example, Loki is contrasted with other gods. He is presented as a cunning and even treacherous god. Moreover, Loki killed the god of spring, fertility and agriculture, Baldur. The last myth takes us back to the original beliefs that existed in ancient times. In many beliefs, the god of the underworld of the dead corresponds to the winter period of time and is opposed to the spring and summer gods. The change of summer and winter is often reflected in myths, as a battle (often with a fatal outcome) between the gods of winter and summer, or the gods of the underworld and the gods of the sky, or the abduction of one god by another. His involvement in the “dark” world is also evidenced by his offspring - the serpent Jormungand, who is opposed to the gods of Asgard, the wolf Fenrir, who is chained deep underground, and Hel, the goddess of the underworld.
It is also interesting that the supreme god Odin and the god of cunning Loki are twin gods who swore an oath of allegiance to each other. This moment of German-Scandinavian mythology can be compared with the world pagan “rule” of the close relationship between two phenomena of the world - the dark side and the light, underground and heavenly, the connection between light and darkness, day and night.
The last part of the Scandinavian legends about Loki’s life among the gods and his punishment speaks about his role in the patronage of the underworld. After Loki insulted the gods and admitted his involvement in the death of the god Baldur, the angry Aesir chased after him. He tried to hide in the waterfall of the Franangr fjord in the form of a salmon, but the gods still managed to notice and capture him. Together with him, the aces captured his two children Vali and Narvi. Vali was turned into a wolf, who tore Narvi apart. Loki himself was thrown into the bowels of the earth and chained to three stones with the intestines of Narvi. The goddess Skadi hung a snake over his head, from whose teeth poison continuously drips onto Loki's face. The faithful wife Sigyn is constantly next to Loki and, in order to ease her husband’s suffering, holds a cup over his head. When the cup overflows, she leaves to empty it, and then the poison again brings torment to Loki. According to the ancient Scandinavians, when Loki begins to rush about, earthquakes begin. This moment of Scandinavian mythology once again confirms the version that Loki is the god of the underworld. There are slightly similar plots in Slavic pagan beliefs, which are reflected in folk tales, for example, the moment when Marya Morevna holds the god of the underworld Koshchei tied up in a dark closet.
Judging by the predictions about Ragnarok, Loki, freed from the shackles, and the guardian of the gods and the world tree, Heimdall, will kill each other in the last battle on the battlefield, Vigrid.
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Most controversial character Scandinavian mythology. The great source of trouble in all nine worlds.
Hello, dear reader. Glad to see you here. This is not just a greeting. I really enjoy it when people read my posts. My name is Gavrilov Kirill . I am passionate about the history, mythology and culture of medieval Scandinavia. This is my “Northern Diary” - .
Today I will tell you about Loki Lauvaison. The magnificent illustrations of a talented artist from St. Petersburg will help me - Olga Levina. You can read the interview with Olga.
Briefly about Loki
- Loki is the god of fire and deceit. One of the main characters of Scandinavian mythology.
- He is considered the main villain, but in fact, Loki constantly balances between good and evil, committing both good and bad deeds.
- Loki is the most popular god. He is involved in almost all the myths of medieval Scandinavia.
- Loki's parents are the giant Farbauti and the goddess Lauveya.
- Loki is not an adopted son, but his adopted brother. They are connected by the ancient rite of twinning.
- After numerous deeds in various myths and stories, Loki arranges the murder of Odin's son Balder. As punishment for this murder, the gods chain Loki for life in a cave deep underground.
- When the end of the world begins, Loki is freed from his shackles and takes part in the last battle on the side of darkness.
- In this battle, Loki fights and both of them die from mortal wounds. Thus ends the story of the fire god.
Loki and the eight-legged Sleipnir
Birth of the god Loki
One day, the giant Farbauti and the goddess Lauveya gave birth to a red-haired boy who was named Loki.
Besides Loki, Lauveya had two more sons. These were the giants Büleist and Helblindi. But nothing more is known about them.
After the birth of Loki, the giant Farbauti died and Lauveya was left alone with her newborn child. The grief-stricken mother threw Loki to Asgard, and she herself lost her life by throwing herself off a cliff onto the rocks.
Loki in Asgard
The people of Asgard accepted Loki and raised him as one of their own. Every year Loki became smarter and more cunning. The wise Odin knew that this power could be used for his own purposes and decided on the ritual of twinning with the son of Lauveya. To always feel connected to Loki and easily follow him.
They stood in a circle of poured earth, cut their hands and sealed their future brotherhood with blood. Since then, this is the way the Scandinavians have fraternized with each other.
Role of Loki in mythology
You ask me, what is it about this god Loki and what did he do? In general, the entire Scandinavian mythology can be described in one sentence - Loki messed up and Loki fixed it. When it presses, of course.
Gods and the change of Day and Night
Even the old bearded pagans called supreme god Odin, god of beginning and creation. Because it was Odin who created the nine worlds and participated in the creation of the first people - Aska and Embla.
Loki, on the contrary, was called the god of the end and the god of destruction - through his fault Ragnarok began - the end of the world. And the main monsters on the side of evil in the final battle will be its children.
- In this entry - - I will tell you with great pleasure about all its events and participants. This is, after all, the last chapter of all Scandinavian mythology, and it’s worth reading.
While the libertine Loki lived in Jotunheim, he whiled away the long winter nights with the old giantess Angrboda. Yes, he whiled away such an interesting time that she bore him three children. Only from the kids there is one name:
- - stillborn girl. Half alive, half dead. Poor little humble thing. You can't look without tears. But it’s better not to joke with her - this is the future mistress of Helheim - the world of the dead.
- - a small poisonous snake, which the gods will throw into the sea so that it does not bother anyone. Do you know who has wrapped a ring around Midgard and is scaring the lost Vikings and fishermen? This is a small Jormungandr who grew into a giant sea serpent.
- - a completely different story. The little wolf cub, who will grow into a huge monster, will bite off Tyur’s hand, and will devour Odin altogether.
They're just kids, what can you do? Angrboda was not a beauty, and Loki was generally a god. And the children of the gods are always somehow strange. By the way, I have separate entries in my diary about all three monsters. If you want to read it, click on the name in the previous list.
Loki riding Fenrir
But besides Angrboda, Loki also had another woman - Sigyn. Smart and beautiful, slender as a reed. She has no equal in fidelity among other women. It's a pity she wasn't lucky with her husband. Because the reveler and drunkard Loki can hardly be called a family man and an ideal husband - he is never at home, and you have to ask for help half a year in advance, and even then he will forget.
The modest Sigyn gave birth to two sons from Loki:
- Narvi is a quiet and calm child, I would say too calm for a child. Sometimes it’s not clear what you can think about so seriously at his age.
- Vali is a funny toddler, he always pretended to be a wolf and ran after his brother. In general, two opposites. By the way, both are redheads - in the folder.
They loved daddy, even though he didn’t spend much time with them, he constantly ran away somewhere. And other gods often came to the house with serious faces and asked: “Has Loki appeared?” - to nag him for all sorts of things.
And he ran away on business no less important than raising his sons. Loki is involved in almost every event. And no matter how pretentious it may sound, the red-haired rogue plays a key role in Scandinavian mythology.
Loki and the Treasures of the Gods
One day, when Thor was throwing heavy spears at the wooden statue of the giant king Hrungnir. His beautiful wife, the golden-haired goddess Siv, ran up to him. Yes, but without hair. Shaved head and wildly angry. “This Loki of yours stole my hair,” and points to his smooth head shining in the sun. “In general, it was necessary to drive him away and why did they just leave him, they lived before without any tricks,” Siv did not calm down.
“Calm down, I’ll return everything,” the husband replied, sighing. Thor was not very surprised, because he was used to the constant antics of Loki the trickster. I took a hefty club and went to the northern forest...
I will tell you the whole story in a separate post so as not to overload this one.
- In the meantime, you can read about Thor - also an interesting character. Especially in childhood. Little Thor was generally so capricious and always broke everything.
Other deeds of Loki
And now, I will briefly tell you about the myths in which Loki participated. There are a lot of them and they are all voluminous. Therefore, over time, I will paint them into full-fledged interesting stories, and I’ll insert links here. In general, here is a brief summary of all of Loki’s deeds:
- First people- under the name Lodur, together with Odin and Hoenir, Loki cut out the first people Ask and Embla from fallen trees washed ashore.
- Great Builder- a nameless giant, disguised as a mason, builds a wall for the aces on a dare. To prevent the giant builder from making it on time and losing the argument, Loki turns into a beautiful mare and distracts the giant horse, Svadilfari, who was helping to carry stones for the wall. The builder fails to meet the deadline and the gods triumph. Because they don't have to give up the sun and the moon. And after much distraction, Loki gives birth to an eight-legged stallion - the future steed for his brother Odin.
- Treasures of the Gods- Loki steals Sif, Thor’s beloved wife, her magnificent hair. Thor forces Loki to return them back, but this is impossible - after all, he stole them along with the roots. Therefore, Loki asks the underground dwarves to make new golden hair for Siv and starts a big dispute between the dwarf blacksmiths for this. The brothers Sindri and Brokk argue against the sons of master Ivaldi for the right to be called the best masters in all nine worlds. As a result of the competition of masters, such famous treasures of the gods appear as: Thor's Hammer Mjolnir, Odin's Spear, Odin's Ring Draupnir, Skidbladnir's Ship, Siv's Golden Hair and the Golden Boar for Frey.
- Apples of youth- one day, Loki is captured by the giant Tjatsi. And in exchange for his release, he lures the goddess Idunn, the keeper of the golden apples of youth, into a trap for the giant. Then, realizing his guilt, he himself saves her from the giant’s cave. The giant Tjazi turns into a huge eagle and pursues Loki and Idunn. But when he reaches Asgard, he burns in a trap that the warned gods had prepared for him.
- Make Skadi laugh- to avenge his father Tjatsi, his daughter Skadi comes to Asgard. To avoid revenge, she asks one of the gods to be her husband, and then asks to make her laugh. To make Skadi laugh, Loki ties the goat to his scrotum and plays tug-of-war with it, screaming and groaning wildly, and then falling onto Skadi's lap. This causes her to burst into thunderous laughter and forgive her father's murder.
- Andvari Gold- Loki accidentally kills the son of the sorcerer Hreidmar, who was walking in the guise of an otter. To pay for the murder, the grieving father asks for enough gold to cover an otter's skin. Loki finds a mountain of golden treasures from the dwarf Andvari. And he takes them away to pay off Hreidmar. This myth is also called the cursed gold, and many other events in Scandinavian mythology are associated with it.
- Freya's decoration- Turning into a flea, Loki steals Freya Brisingamen's necklace. rushes after him. And then, Heimdall and Loki fight each other in the guise of seals, near the Singastein memorial stone.
- Freya's wedding- To get to Jotunheim and return the stolen hammer from the giant king Geirrod, Loki dresses Thor as a bride for Geirrod, and he himself turns into her maid. A very funny and unusual story.
The Killing of Balder
And now, I’ll tell you about less fun events. Once upon a time there lived a handsome man, Balder, the god of spring and beauty. He was one of the sons of Odin and everyone loved him very much. But Balder himself was unhappy; at night he had nightmares: about the death of his father, about a big wolf and a snake, about an army of giants and the death of worlds.
This worried Balder's parents - Odin and Frigg. They wanted to save their son from the dreams of these blacks. But they just didn’t know how. You should have asked someone who knew for advice. And he was such a man. A long time ago, there lived the all-knowing seer Völva, but she had just died. And her grave was located at the very edge of the world.
The All-Father decided that only this seer would tell the truth about disturbing dreams and went to long journey. Odin rode for a long time along snow-covered paths, overgrown caves and high mountains. For a long time I searched for a hidden grave among the ancient mounds. It took him a long time to return the seer from the world of the dead; the greybeard used all his dark knowledge.
From the dead seer Völva, Odin learned that imminent death waiting for Balder. And his dreams are the near future. And nothing will help him - this is his fate. The king of the gods returned home angry and with bad news. But Frigga, like any mother, did not want to put up with such a fate for her beloved son. I decided to save him from impending death. Protect from the clawed hand of the goddess of death.
The loving mother walked around all nine worlds and took an oath from all living beings, plants and animals, diseases and illnesses. Everyone swore not to harm Balder, but only Frigga missed a small sprig of mistletoe. What grows near Valhalla.
The gods had fun all day long. They threw and hit Balder with all sorts of weapons. Spears broke, swords became dull, hammers crumbled into powder - nothing could harm Balder. Everyone rejoiced at this happiness and celebrated. Our favorite Balder is immortal.
Only two were not happy about what was happening: Loki, who stood in the shadow, and Balder’s blind brother, Hod. Loki did not like this injustice, because whoever is destined to die, let him die. There is no reason to deceive fate. And Hod did not share general joy, because I didn’t see what was happening and why everyone was so happy. He should still be happy. Your brother is handsome, the favorite of the gods, the god of the sun and spring. And you are blind, scary and no one notices you and they didn’t even invite you to the feast. But Hed did not hold a grudge against his brother, although he did not like to sit alone.
What should be done about injustice? That's right - fix it. Loki went into the oak forest, cut off an unfortunate young sprig of mistletoe and made an arrow out of it. Well, like an arrow, that’s how it happened. The twig was young, and not very straight... In general, Loki tried.
Then Loki placed his creation in the hands of blind Höd and pulled out a large yew bow. Now it's time for Hyoda to have fun with the others. Test your Brother's strength and have a good laugh. Loki guided the hands of the blind god and told him when to shoot. Well, then you yourself understand what happened.
Höd killed his brother, although he himself did not want to. Loki disappeared somewhere. And in Asgard a great sorrow began.
Balder's funeral
Everyone saw off the god of spring on his last journey. Both gods and animals gathered to say goodbye to their favorite. Even the giants of Jotunheim, having forgotten all their grievances, came that day. And everyone mourned for the fallen Balder. But Odin grieved most of all, for he knew that this was only the beginning.
The gods placed Balder's body in his tall and beautiful boat and built a funeral pyre. Naina, Balder's wife, could not bear the death of her husband and died of grief. And they put her next to her, and her beloved horse, and valuable things. And the All-Father laid down his ring - Draupnir for his beloved son. So they escorted Balder to the kingdom of Hel and resigned themselves to his death.
Only Frigga could not believe that she would not see her favorite again - this could not happen. She began to look for a volunteer to go north to the kingdom of the goddess of death and pay a ransom for the release of Balder.
And everyone stood silently, not a single one raised their eyes, except one. Hermod, his name was, the brave son of Odin. The gods sighed heavily, gave him the eight-legged horse Sleipnir and saw him off on the long journey. Twice for nine nights there was no news from Hermod. But with the first ray of the new day, the messenger returned and told everything.
Hel agrees to let Balder go, but on one condition - let every living creature cry for the death of the god of spring. Then Frigga sent messengers to all corners of the nine worlds and everyone cried over the death of Balder. Except for one creature.
One day, one of the messengers came across a sleeping giantess in a dark cave. And he asked if she shared the great grief? “I don’t need your Balder, neither alive nor dead. Let him continue to sit with the goddess of death.” And this giantess was the insidious Loki. He did not save the favorite of the gods and ended another chapter.
Loki's Punishment
After Balder's funeral, the gods learned that it was Loki who carried out the fatal murder. They caught Loki along with his wife Sigyn and sons Narvi and Vali and locked him in an underground cave. The gods planned a cruel punishment for the treacherous Loki.
The wise Kvasir turned little Vali into a wolf and he cruelly killed his brother. From the intestines of the torn Narvi, the gods made a rope and tied Loki to a large stone. Skadi, the daughter of the giant Tjatsi who died through Loki’s fault, hung a poisonous snake over the deceiver’s face so that burning poison would drip into his eyes. And so the gods left Loki until the end of time.
Every day poor Sigyn stands with a large bowl over her husband’s head and collects drops of poison. And when she moves away to throw out the filled cup, Loki screams wildly and shudders in pain, because poison pours into his eyes like fire. The Scandinavians believe that Loki's wild screams are the cause of earthquakes.
The death of Balder served as the beginning of a chain of events that lead the world of Scandinavian mythology to the final chapter - Ragnarok.
Ragnarok
Ragnarok is a big and significant event. I call it the final chapter in Norse mythology. These are several important events, ending with the final battle on the great plain of Vigridr.
- I talk about them in detail in this post - if you are interested, I invite you to read.
When the Death of the Gods begins, Loki will break his terrible bonds and stand at the head of a huge army of giants. Loki will gather his relatives on board the giant Naglfar - a ship made from the nails of the dead. Loki will lead the Jotuns to the final battle to the Vigridr plain.
This battle will be long and difficult. Light and darkness, Gods and monsters will meet in it. Loki himself will fight with Heimdall Highhorn and both of them will die from mortal wounds that they inflict on each other. And then, in the middle of the battle, the fire giant Surt will gather all his power and destroy all living things - completing the last chapter. And so the gods will die. This is how Loki's story ends.
- About the ship Naglfar, I tell you in this post - a very interesting old legend.
A little more about Loki
- Other names for Loki in Old Norse: Hveðrungr, Loptr, Lóðurr.
- One day, Loki ate the half-burnt heart of an evil woman. This is how all witches were conceived.
- Odin sometimes calls Loki a madman.
- In Jotunheim lives the ruler of the city of Utgard with the name Utgard-Loki. There is a version that this is Loki himself.
And that's all for me. Thank you very much for reading this post to the end. I hope I was able to tell you something new and interesting - this is very important to me. If you liked it, come see me more often.
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Loki
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Loki(Old Norse Loki, also Loki Laufeyjar sonr - Loki, son of Laufey) - a deity (presumably the god of fire, also mentioned as the god of cunning and deception, etc. qualities) in German-Scandinavian mythology, comes from the clan , but the aces allowed him to live with them because of his extraordinary intelligence and cunning. Other names for Loki are Lodur, Loft.
There is an opinion that Loki is not a real god, since he belongs to the family of Jotuns. Before the giants began their war with Loki, he lived with the giantess for three years. During this time, she bore him three children: a daughter - half red, half blue (goddess of the kingdom of the dead), a giant serpent and a monstrous wolf. He also has two children from Sigyn: Nari and Vali (in other versions: Nari and Narvi, Vali and Tsarvi). Additionally, it is said that Loki gave birth to all the witches by eating the half-burnt heart of an evil woman and thus conceiving.
Loki's traits are characteristic of tricksters: duplicity, resourcefulness, cunning, deceit. Loki is often considered to be deceitful, but this is not entirely true: the concepts of “lie” and “truth” are simply absent for Loki. He caused a lot of trouble to other aces, in particular, led to the death of God. On the other hand, the aces often resorted to his services in cases where it was necessary to show cunning. Loki had the ability to change his appearance. So, in the form of a beautiful mare, he lured a horse named Svadilfari from a jotun mason who was building, thereby saving the Aesir from the need to give the latter a goddess as his wife. At the same time, Loki became pregnant, after which he carried and gave birth to an eight-legged foal, which he later rode. Thanks to Loki, the Aesir received such treasures as the hammer Mjollnir, Odin's spear Gungnir, the ship Skidbladnir, the ring Draupnir and the boar Gullinbursti.
After the death of Balder, Loki appeared at the feast of the gods, where he arranged his own, which is described in a separate song. Mortally insulting all the Aesir in turn, including Odin, Loki tried to escape their revenge. Enraged by Loki's machinations, the Aesir caught him and his two children, turned Nari into a wolf and he tore his brother into pieces. Loki was tied up with Vali's intestines and chained to a rock, to three stones. Skadi, avenging her father, hung a snake over his head, the venom of which continuously drips onto Loki's face. But the god’s faithful wife Sigyn holds a cup over him, into which the poison is collected. When the cup overflows, Sigyn goes to empty it, and at this time the poison drips onto Loki's face, and he struggles in agony, this is what causes earthquakes.