To be or not to be a god? That is the question.
With all the hype bubbling over regarding the Avengers, I thought it was high time we took a closer look at Loki on today’s Immortal Monday.
Sorry. Had to do it. 😀
If your knowledge of Loki can be summed up by everything seen in The Avengers or Thor movies, then you are singing the wrong tune, my friend. Yes, it’s a lovely picture Hollywood painted – two boys, raised as brothers by a man wanting to instill peace between warring worlds – WRONG
They didn’t completely lie to you. They did introduce Loki as the offspring of giants. Frost giants sounds oh so cool, but let’s keep with the simple word – giant. He is the son of Farbauri, the giant known as cruel striker, and the giantess Laufey.
Odin never pretends that Loki is his son or raises him as his own, although Loki is considered Odin’s blood brother. Still, that makes him no relation to Thor.
Loki is considered a member of Æsir – a god – a position he worked his way up to. His relationship with the other gods often fluctuated. Sometimes they were on good terms, other times, not so much. This may have been partly due to his prankster nature. One of the reasons many consider him a trickster. He could be likened to the court jester of Asgard. Loki was alright with that. He understood everyone has a role to play. But what may have started as innocent joking in his youth, morphed over time, later hinging on the expense of another god.
He wasn’t all jokes. Loki could be very charming, especially with the ladies. This worked to his benefit. He was described as dashing, very attractive. There’s no doubt he knew how to get a crowd laughing. He was willing to do things the other gods thought beneath them, sometimes using his ability as a shape changer in this capacity. Shape changer – a pretty handy ability to have.
During the building of Asgard, Loki managed to get in good with Odin and his son Thor. Finding themselves a little short of cash, the gods were in need of someone to help finish the building of the grand city. Loki convinced them to use the services of a giant, or jötunn, to finish the building. The gods were concerned with the jötunn’s price, thinking it too high. He demanded the goddess Freya (Freyja) as payment when he finished on time. But Loki assured them the jötunn didn’t stand a chance of completing the task on time, so such a payment would never be made.
As it turned out, the jötunn did not work alone; he had a strong stallion to haul the stone and the gods worried as the time for completion neared – especially Freya. Loki, always the sly one, took the shape of a mare and seduced the stallion, leading him off into the woods. Without the stallion, the jötunn was unable to finish the task on time. As a result, no payment was owed.
Loki had so much fun with the seduction, he became pregnant in his mare form. Choosing to experience motherhood, he gave birth to the eight-legged stallion, Sleipnir. He gifted the stallion to Odin and, it was this act, that endeared him to Odin and Thor.
In addition to the horse Loki mothered, he also fathered many other children. Loki, known as a fire god first married the goddess Glut (meaning glow), with whom he had two daughters named Einmyria and Eisa. With the giantess Angrboda, he fathered three monsters, Fenrir the giant wolf, Jormungand the earth-encircling serpent, and Hel (Hela) the underworld goddess. With his most faithful wife, Sigyn, he fathered two sons Narfi and Váli.
The gods put an end to Loki’s prankster ways when they had gone too far, resulting in the death of Balder. As punishment, Loki is bound to three large boulders with a poisonous snake hanging over his head. Her poison dripping down from her fangs. His wife, Sigyn, stays by his side catching the venom in a bowl so that it won’t touch his skin. But every so often the bowl will fill and she must step away to dump the contents. When this happens, a drop of venom will hit his skin and he will twist in pain.
When Loki flails in pain the earth quivers with earthquakes. Someday Loki will break free from those bonds – on the day of Ragnarök. What do you think will happen then? Will it be our end of days? Bwahahahaha!
Interesting fact regarding Loki – some people liken Loki’s Norse mythology god to Lucifer in the Christian faith, thinking they are one and the same. What do you think? Could Loki be the Devil?
*
In the spirit of a traditional Immortal Monday, I give you Loki eye candy. Please, dish! Give me your take on Tom Hiddleston’s interpretation of Loki.
* * *
On another note, summer programming has begun. Make sure you have your DVR set so you don’t miss your favorite immortal. True Blood resumes on June 10th.
~oOo~
Very cool post… I love all things Norse mythology, and Loki was so good in The Avengers and Thor movies… though my favourite is Thor:)
Thank you, Tania. I loved him best in the Thor movie as well. I can think of a better casting for the role. Thank you for stopping by!
Definitely good to remember that the mythology is… somewhat different. And the part about Loki being bound to the boulders with his son’s intestines makes the punishment all the more cruel!
Thanks for the great post!
Cruel indeed! The gods were horribly vicious in their punishment. But would we expect anything less? Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment Carin!
I love Loki. He was brilliant in The Avengers. My knowledge was only from the movies until now, so thanks Debra. He got pregnant in his mare form; yikes!
Aw, you’re welcome, Emma! Yep, pregnant as a mare. Now that horse you saw Odin riding in the movie Thor, that was Loki’s baby. 🙂 Does that make you look at that scene differently? 😉
Right, I’m going to have to go watch Thor now and pay careful attention :).
My little monkey child has a crush on Thor so we watch that movie often. 😀
I am not up on Norse mythology! But it’s interesting to note that the characteristics like charming, virile guy and animal manifestations are consistent throughout all the mythologies 🙂
Another uber cool post Debra!
Yes, people have had a healthy imagination since the beginning of time. When you relate them to modern day we see dysfunctional families aren’t new to this century. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the post Coleen. Thanks for stopping by.
Great post, again. Let’s see Loki the prankster, screwer of horses and other female pranksters, snake bit…almost. Well geez he would fit right in with the hollywood crowd. Movies of Loki on the horizon for sure, no wait can’t have a movie unless something explodes. Sorry Loki.
I am fairly sure Loki can see to something exploding in his presence. I am very curious to see how his role plays out next year in Thor 2. I’ll be in the theater, will you?
Nooo thank you. I’m afraid I’m not part of hollywoods market anymore. Hope you enjoy it though.
We are much more selective about what we pay to see these days. They want an arm and a leg. Taking a family of four or paying for a sitter – ouch! It actually pays to wait till the movies on DVD. At $11 a ticket for four (okay, kids tickets are $9.50), DVD is cheaper!
Another great start to a Monday! I didn’t know a lot about Loki, or Norse Mythology for that matter. Wow… lots of Giants! I thought the info on Ragnarok was pretty interesting, as the way the ancients explained the things the did not understand. The whole thing about Loki chained to the rocks, with the snake above, and the little woman catching the venom to prevent earthquakes is pretty cool.. There were some pretty interesting imaginations back then too… imagine if they had a blog.
June 10th has a BIG red circle around my calendar, now that G of T is over. I was afraid to read IM today, as I have not watched yet and was afraid of a spoiler.
I didn’t answer your question… I thought Tom Hiddleston made a fine Loki.
LOL!!! Oh my gosh Ted, I burst out with laughter when I read your comment. A blog – now that would be something. I wonder if each would keep one or they would nomitate one god to update a page for all? I suspect they would all have different views on many things.
No spoiler on GoT. Although I almost made a comment. I’d like to know what you think when you finish the season.
And Tom’s Loki – 😀
I thought Loki was ok in the movie, although he ended up a bit whiney. Like he had middle-child syndrome. I always pictured Loki as enjoying every moment in evil ways. In the movie sometimes he did (like when he made the Hulk upset so he’d change, which looked like he did purely for fun), but other times didn’t. So maybe Loki is bound to rocks under California, and when he breaks free that’s when the Big One will hit and California will drift out into the ocean? 😉
Thanks for that thought Melinda. I don’t know how I feel about my home floating freely away from the rest of the continent. LOL. Should I invest in a life jacket and fog horn? ;D But you are right, they did make Loki a tad whiny at the end. Something I don’t really see coming from him.
I really have to see The Avengers – my daughter’s seen it twice! I was never sure what Loki’s relationship with Thor and Odin was; thanks for clearing that up with another entertaining and informative Immortal Monday!
You’re very welcome, Jennette. The Avengers is worth seeing on the big screen. I highly recommend it. 😀
I need to see this movie! I love that it has its origins in Norse Mythology!
You do! Definitely a big screen kind of movie. Get moving chickie! Fun origins.
I think anyone can turn out to be devilish. And since gods have crazy powers, I suspect they’re really good at hiding their true colors when they want to! 😉 I shared your blog with a friend who’s interested in thematic blog days, by the way. Your Immortal Mondays rock!
Thank you, August. And thanks for the share! I struggled with the idea of letting them slide through the summer, but I think it would be a mistake in the long wrong. So… Immortal Monday will push through the child crazy days. LOL. You are not wrong, I suspect the gods were all kinds of manipulative. That’s what makes them so interesting and juicy to explore. Don’t you agree? Like a modern day soap opera gone horribly wrong. 😀
how cool to find this post via twitter. norse mythology! i’ve read up on it for my viking book. how nice to find someone else interested in it! it’s amazing how many days of the week were named for viking gods. hope you can check out my blogspot sometime…maybe someday my viking book will be published and you can get a little more “lore!” (htttp://www.heatherdaygilbert.blogspot.com)
Hi Heather! I’ll be sure to pop over. The Vikings were my ancestors (on one side of the family that is). You’re right, we kept the gods alive and honor them all the time in our days of the week. We first brought that up on this blog when we talked about Thursday for Thor in his post. Should we share with everyone else?
The Greeks named the days of the week after the Sun (Sunday), the Moon (Monday), and the five planets, that were in turn named after the gods. The Romans later changed the planet names.
Tuesday: Tiw’s Day. Tiw, or Tyr, was a one-handed god associated with single combat and pledges.
Wednesday: Woden’s Day. Woden, or Odin, was the the most powerful Norse god of them all.
Thursday: Thor’s Day. Thor was the Norse god pf thunder who wielded a giant hammer.
Friday: Frigg’s Day. Frigg was a Norse god believed associated with sexuality and fertility by her worshipers.
Saturday: The one day that retained its Roman name, taken from their god, Saturn. The Greek equivalent would be Cronos.
Thanks for stopping in Heather! Looking forward to familiarizing myself with your blog.
Almost everything I know about Loki is from the movie. I remember reading Thor comic books when I was a teen, but it struck me as too cartoonish, especially that Rainbow Bridge (that was actually quite cool in the Thor movie). Loki seemed resentful, manipulative, and clever. I liked that he was “part of the family” and the villain at the same time.
Debra, as always, I’m stunned by your research!
I’m with you, the mere mention of a rainbow bridge sounds silly. But they did make it look rather cool in the movie. Yay for that! I agree, the family angle made for a much more interesting movie. Added more conflict, and you know how important conflict is.
Thank you for your wonderful compliment. I’m always in awe everyone else’s posts!
I love reading about the old gods that were probably source material for our new mythology. I think Loki and Satan are likely the same character. Likewise, he’s in my own wip, except his name is Neti (Sumerian/Babylonian lord of the Underworld).
Ooh, I like that name. I am intrigued. He is a colorful character to work with. I like it! Thanks for stopping in, Madison!
I’m sorry to be late to this party. Another great post, Debra. It’s always interesting ot me how modern culture turns the old myths around to suit cinema. amazing. and it’s good to have the real scoop.
Never apologize for being late to the party. I am notorious for being the late one, I hate to say. 🙁 Never enough time in the day! It would be sooo absolutely marvelous if I never required sleep. If anyone ever figures that one out I sure hope they share it with me. As for Hollywood and their changes, it just makes for a bigger bang at the box office. That’s what it comes down to, right? Creating the best possible conflict and excitement for the largest return on the dollar. Can’t say that I blame them.
Great pick for Immortal Monday, Debra. Trickster characters are my favourites in mythology but Loki has a really dark streak to his pranks. Tom Hiddleston was perfect as Loki in Avengers but I agree with Melinda that he was a bit too whiny. The original stories are always the best.
Loki’s kids will cause quite a mayhem during Ragnarok too. Fenris eats the sun and kills Odin. Jormungandr threatens to eat the world (or big part of it) and after Thor kills it, the snake’s poison kills him. Cheery tales indeed. No other mythology except that of Mayans has as gruesome End of the World. But at least there is the promise of the new world even though it is one without the gods.
Tricksters are fun! Something about Loki makes him so fascinating! I see you agree. Woman after my own heart. I could tell from your pinterest. I want to repin everything you pin! LOL.
Loki’s kids are a wild bunch. Have you ever looked into the similarities between Ragnarök and Armageddon? I hear there are a lot.
Raising my hand, too. What I know about Loki, I know from The Avengers and Thor. Did Loki get whiny? Well, if the green guy slammed me into the floor like that, I probably wouldn’t be too happy either. But don’t narcissistic egomaniacs get a little whiny when they lose? I mean there he was, watching The Avengers screw up his plans…the Hulk in particular.
I still have hopes that Thor will straighten him out. Of course I also hoped that Lex Luthor could be redeemed in Smallville, too. 🙂
Fun post, Debra. I’ve never known much about mythology so I learn something here every time. 🙂
Smallville went so far off the track as far as the true Superman tale went. But Tom was nice to watch, wasn’t he?
Yes, The Hulk messed up the plan Loki had devised for him. It’s a bummer – or not. 😀 Loki isn’t supposed to get his way. But we do so enjoy watching him “almost” win.
I absolutely adore Loki. I thought Tom Hiddleston did a great job in Avengers and Thor. He’s cute and quirky, but full of mischief. I always enjoy your Immortal Mondays, Debra.
Thank you, Tameri. I’m glad you enjoy IM. I, too, adore Tom in the part. Loki is a wonderful character and brought a lot to the table in both movies. I’m glad we agree.
There’s this Japanese anime where Odin banishes Loki to earth in the form of a little boy. He opens a detective agency while trying to find a way back to Asgard. Thor comes to town, as does Fenrir, the giant serpent, and several other Norse gods and goddesses. I found it fun and entertaining. 😀
A little boy running a detective agency? Sounds interesting. I can already picture it in that wonderful Japanese anime. Sounds like something worth looking up on Netflix. Thanks, Angela!
Ugh. I think wordpress ate my comment. I’m still trying to figure out how to use the app on my iPhone. Here’s as much as I can remember:
I have a lot to say about this, so I apologize for the long comment! I love Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. I think they gave Loki just enough humanity in Thor that you really want him to see the error of his ways. You can’t help but root for him after all that he’s been through. I also think Hiddleston has Loki’s personality down pat. He’s good at looking subtly evil, but at the same time he’s sort of alluring. You know he can charm the pants right off you.
I don’t know if I mentioned this to you before, but there’s a great series called Everworld that features a lot of the Norse gods, including Loki, Fenrir, and Hel. I read them in middle school and LOVED them, but had a little trouble keeping up with the story. Now that I’m older, I want to revisit them, as they’ve really stuck with me after all of these years. You should definitely check them out, as I think you’d really enjoy them!
Grrr. I have heard that a few times lately. What’s up WP?
I completely agree with your assessment of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. I can’t imagine anyone else doing a better job.
Everworld – sounds great! I just marked it down and will check it out. Thanks so much Karen. I’m so glad you stopped by.
Hi there, love the blog, got it via twitter, havnt seen the Avengers yet, watched Thor, dont think he did the real Thor justice but like you say its Hollywood! I love the As/Viking period so this article was right up my street, thanks.
Hi Dan! Welcome! So glad you found us. We love to cover all things immortal every Monday and the gods slip in often. 😀 You are right about Thor. Hollywood had to make him likable to the masses. As a result, they played him down and made him loyal to Jane Foster. Hollywood is always going to change things to make movies sell. Look at “Immortals”!
Thanks for sharing this blog. This is outstanding content. Also, find.