Loki is a mischievous and sometimes evil god of discord, included among the Aesir (a tribe of gods), who can change shapes at will, sometimes taking on the appearance of other gods or animals like a flea, a salmon, or a bird.

Loki was the companion of the great gods Odin and Thor, helping them with his clever plans but sometimes causing embarrassment and difficulty for them and himself. He also appeared as the enemy of the gods. He is described as such in the Prose Edda,

“There is yet one who is numbered among the asas, but whom some call the backbiter of the asas. He is the originator of deceit, and the disgrace of all gods and men. His name is Loke, or Lopt. His father is the giant Farbaute, but his mother’s name is Laufey, or Nal. His brothers are Byleist and Helblinde. Loke is fair and beautiful of face, but evil in disposition, and very fickle-minded. He surpasses other men in the craft called cunning, and cheats in all things. He has often brought the asas into great trouble, and often helped them out again, with his cunning contrivances” (nd, 102).

Loki was the father of the terrifying giant wolf, Fenrir, Midgard’s serpent called Jormungand that surrounds the world, and Hel, who rules the Niflheim land of the dead, all of whom he had with the giantess Angrboda. These evil creatures, along with the subjects of Hel, formed the army against whom the gods under Odin and Thor fought vainly in Ragnarok. Loki is also credited with giving birth to Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse, after taking the form of a mare and mating with Svadilfari, the giant stallion.

Loki contrived the death of Balder, a son of Odin. Balder was invulnerable to all things except mistletoe, with which the god Loki, by trick, induced the blind god Hodr to kill him. Loki guided the god’s hand, and the mistletoe struck Balder in the heart, causing instant death. 

“Loke went and pulled up the mistletoe and proceeded to the meeting. Hoder stood far to one side in the ring of men, because he was blind. Loke addressed himself to him, and asked: Why do you not shoot at Balder? He answered: Because I do not see where he is, and furthermore I have no weapons. Then said Loke: Do like the others and show honor to Balder; I will show you where he stands; shoot at him with this wand. Hoder took the mistletoe and shot at Balder under the guidance of Loke. The dart pierced him and he fell dead to the ground. This is the greatest misfortune that has ever happened to gods and men. When Balder had fallen, the asas were struck speechless with horror, and their hands failed them to lay hold of the corpse” (nd, 151-152).

As a consequence, Loki was punished by being bound to a rock by the entrails of one or more of his sons and left to be tortured until the end of the world, or Ragnarok.

In another story, Loki steals the goddess Idun’s golden apples of immortality, which the gods consumed to preserve their youth. Tricked by an eagle, who was actually the giant (jotun) Thiassi in disguise, Loki steals the apples from their place in Asgard, the heavenly realm ruled by Odin. 

“Loke coaxed Idun out of Asgard into a forest, saying that he had found apples that she would think very nice, and he requested her to take with her her own apples in order to compare them. Then came the giant Thjasse in the guise of an eagle, seized Idun and flew away with her to his home in Thrymheim. The asas were ill at ease on account of the disappearance of Idun,—they became gray-haired and old.” (nd, 178-177)

Growing old, the gods threatened Loki with death and torture, thus leading him to promise to rescue Idun. He did so by turning her “into the likeness of a nut” and flying away with her. When Thiassi realized this, he gave chase, but his feathers were set alight, and he was subsequently slain by the gods.

References

Cotterell, Arthur. 2003. A Dictionary of World Mythology. Oxford University Press.

Snorre. n.d. The Prose Edda. Apple Books.