loki 63
gods. For instance, it reveals more details about Loki
and his relationship to the gods than any other source
in Norse mythology.
Lokasenna was most likely composed in the 10th
century and passed along orally for more than 200
years before being written down by the scribe who
compiled the Codex Regius. The version of the tale
found in the manuscript contains a prose introduc-
tion, and throughout the poem prose statements
have been inserted, much like stage directions in a
play. Experts who study the manuscripts of Iceland
believe that the scribe added these prose insertions as
a storyteller would have inserted explanations for his
or her audience in earlier times.
L oki
Loki is known as the trickster god, the
mischief-maker, the father of lies and deceit, and
the shape-shifter. He is the personification of both
aspects of fire: the merry but potentially dangerous
hearth fire and the destructive fire of forest and
volcano.
Loki was the son of the giant Farbauti and of the
giantess Laufey or Nal. He had two wives. The first
was the fearful ogress Angrboda, with whom he had
three monstrous offspring: Hel (1), the goddess of
death and the underworld; Jormungand, the Mid-
gard Serpent who encircled the world; and Fenrir
the wolf. His wife in Asgard was Sigyn, with whom
he had two sons, Narfi and Vali (1).
Loki was counted among the Aesir gods, but
he was not one of them, as he was born among the
Jotun, the gods’ enemies. Some say that he and the
great god Odin were blood brothers, which is why
none of the gods dared to harm Loki, no matter how
mischievous and malevolent he became.
Loki was handsome and could be amusing. He
made the goddess Skade laugh even while she
mourned for her father, Thjazzi. Loki was sometimes
helpful to the gods, for he was quick-witted and
always had an answer for everything, but often the
gods would regret taking his advice.
It was Loki who accompanied Thor to Jotunheim
to retrieve Thor’s magic hammer. Loki also thought
of a way to outwit the giant who built Asgard’s wall
(see Giant Master Builder). However, his solution
was nothing but fraud and resulted in Thor commit-
ting murder within Asgard; such behavior was against
the code of the Aesir.
Loki stole Freya’s necklace and cut off Sif’s
golden hair, yet it was he who went down to the
underground caves of the dwarfs and brought back
wonderful treasures for the gods. Loki double-
crossed both the giant Thjazzi and the Aesir when he
delivered Idunn and her apples to the giant and then,
disguised as a falcon, carried Idunn back to Asgard,
leading Thjazzi to his death.
Not only could Loki change himself into other
creatures at will, such as a seal, a salmon, a fly, a
falcon, he could also change his sex. As a mare, he was
the mother of Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged steed.
He became an old crone when he tricked Frigg into
telling him that mistletoe was the only object on
Earth that could harm the gentle god Balder. Even
though Loki was the principal cause of Balder’s death,
the Aesir took no action against him.
However, when Loki came to Aegir’s banquet and
flung vicious insults at all the gods and goddesses, the
Aesir finally decided to punish the evil creature that
Loki had become. At Ragnarok (the day of doom),
Loki led the forces of evil against the gods, and he
and Heimdall killed each other.
Treasures of the Dwarfs This story tells how
the gods came to acquire some of the great treasures
for which they were famous. It is told most com-
pletely by Snorri Sturluson, the 13th-century poet,
in his S kaldskaparmal .
One night, Loki snuck into the bedroom of Sif,
Thor’s wife, and cut off her golden hair while she
slept. When Thor discovered that Loki had stolen
his wife’s precious hair, he threatened to tear Loki to
pieces. The trickster god put on a show of remorse
and promised to bring back not only hair made of
real gold for Sif but other treasures for the gods as
well, so Thor let him go.
After being released, Loki immediately made his
way to Svartalfhiem, the realm of the dark-elves,
which was the underworld home of the dwarfs. While
ugly and bad-tempered, these undersized creatures
were master craftsmen and worked with gold and
other metals found in their dark world.
Loki went to the cave of the sons of Ivaldi, Brokk
and Eitri, and begged them to make golden strands so
real that they would grow out of Sif’s head. The dwarfs
easily accomplished this feat with their great magic,
and while the furnace was still hot, they made other
magical treasures for Loki to carry back to the gods.
They made Skidbladner, a marvelous ship, for
Frey. It could be folded up small enough to fit into a
pouch and yet expand to a size large enough to carry
all of the Aesir gods and their equipment. It could
sail on land, water, or air. And for Odin, they made
Gungnir, the mighty spear, strong and slender. It
always flew straight to its target.