2. Story and Representation
Loki is usually portrayed as the trickster or ”evil” god when it comes to norse
mythology.
Loki was originally an ice giant (the main enemy of the norse gods). He was
however abducted by Odin on his crusade against Jötenheimer (the ice
giants crib).
Odin brought Loki home and raised him as his child, explaining why he had a
evil personality whilst still being able to mingle among the gods.
Loki is accountable for the deaths of a few gods too such as Balder.
He killed Balder because he knew his only
weakness, the mistletoe. Loki represents and is
a accountable for the feelings of
3. Loki’s children
Loki had three children: the wolf Fenrir, the serpent Jörmungandr, and the
female being Hel.
Fenrir being a huge wolf and eating the hand of Tyr, the god of war. He is
also said to kill Odin during ragnarök (the end of the world).
Jörmungandr is a huge serpent that Odin threw into the worlds waters to get
rid of him. He however grew so large that he could bite his own tale and at
the same time encircle the world. He has a couple of encounters with Thor
and eventually will also kill him in ragnarök.
Hel is the norse counterpart to Hades, the watcher of hell. The word hell
originally comes from her name. As many of you are probably aware, a
person who died fighting would go to “heaven” (Valhalla). However if you
did not die in a battle, you were sent to the opposite, Hel. Therefore, women
and children where mostly believed to be sent to Hel and that may be a very
good proof for why Vikings had such a male dominated society and maybe
why we even today have a fairly male dominated society.
4. Artwork
Loki is often portrayed in artwork as the evil one or the trickster given his
nature. The painting above is currently displayed at the national museum of
Stockholm. It was painted by the same who painted the picture of Thor
riding in with his goats against the ice giants, a painting many of us
remember and can recognise. This mans name is Mårten Eskil Winge.
This pictures depicts Loki being chained up and his wife saving him from the
poisonous snakes above.
