By far the most controversial god in the Norse pantheon is Loki. Scholars may argue over many things, but nearly all agree: Loki is a trickster.

He is attested in the Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry, the Norwegian Rune Poems, and throughout Scandinavian folklore. He appears in carvings such as the Snaptun Stone, the Kirkby Stephen Stone, and the Gosforth Cross. Despite his divisive nature, both Eddas clearly state that he is counted among the Æsir.

Loki is the son of the jötunn Fárbauti and the giantess Laufey. Interestingly, he is most often called the “son of Laufey,” which may suggest she held higher social standing than his father. He has two brothers, Helblindi and Býleistr. With the giantess Angrboða, Loki fathers Hel, Fenrir, and Jörmungandr. With Sigyn, he fathers Narfi and Nari. He is also the mother of Sleipnir, after shapeshifting and coupling with the stallion Svaðilfari.

How Loki came to live among the Æsir is never fully explained. But he maintains a close bond with Thor and seems to have a binding agreement with Óðin. One cannot accept a drink without offering the same to the other. Loki is responsible for the death of Skaði’s father and the kidnapping of Iðunn, but he also brings great blessings to the gods. Because of him, they receive Thor’s hammer Mjölnir, Sif’s golden hair, Óðin’s spear Gungnir, Freyr’s golden boar Gullinbursti, and the magic ship Skíðblaðnir. He also devises clever schemes to retrieve lost items and repair the damage he causes.

Eventually, Loki’s recklessness catches up with him. After Baldr’s death, which he indirectly causes, he taunts Baldr’s mother, Frigga, during a feast. For this, he is punished: bound to three stones with the entrails of his son while a serpent drips venom into his face. Sigyn, his wife, catches the venom in a bowl, but when she must empty it, the poison strikes. Loki’s screams are said to cause earthquakes.

At Ragnarök, Loki is fated to break free and lead the enemies of the gods. He and Heimdallr, the ever-watchful guardian, are destined to slay each other in a final battle.

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Reflections on Loki

Much of the confusion surrounding Loki begins with his name. In modern Heathen circles, some associate his name with logr, meaning “fire,” and label him a fire giant. This idea, however, doesn’t come from the original lore. It’s a modern interpretation based on later folklore and misunderstandings. Still, some embrace this newer version as part of a living tradition, seeing Loki as both chaotic and illuminating, like fire itself.

Snorri's tale of Loki’s eating contest with a fire-being named Logi adds to the fire association. While Loki and Logi are separate in the story, their near-identical names raise suspicions. Just as Oðr and Óðin are sometimes seen as two faces of one being, some wonder if Loki and Logi are aspects of the same force.

Linguistically, Loki’s name is more often tied to knots, tangles, nets, and loops. He is a weaver of trouble, a spinner of traps. Spiders and their webs are his symbols. So are nets, snares, and sewn lips. In one myth, his lips are literally stitched shut as punishment.

Popular belief sometimes says Loki is Thor’s brother. This is a result of modern retellings, like Marvel comics and films. In the actual lore, Loki is not related to Thor by blood. Instead, they are traveling companions with a strange but enduring bond.

It’s also clear that Snorri and Saxo, both Christian writers, demonized Loki more than the other gods. In Loki, they found a parallel to Satan and used that imagery to paint him as the great enemy. But that lens doesn’t fit the older stories. Like the giants he descends from, Loki was once part of a broader divine family. Over time, like the Irish Tuatha Dé Danann, he was either shrunk down or blown up to monstrous size, made into something more myth than man.

Loki’s bond with Óðin is significant. When Óðin receives a libation, Loki does too. Some Heathens see this as evidence of his importance. Others believe it reflects the ancient role of the trickster as sacred companion to the king or chief god. In older traditions, this role allowed for honesty, irreverence, and insight no one else dared offer. Loki is this voice. He says what must not be said.

The “roast” scene in Lokasenna may seem cruel, but it’s part of an old ritual tradition. Roasting the king, especially with wit and scathing truth, was once sacred. Loki embodies this wild honesty. He is the god of comedians, fools, and jesters. He is the one who stirs the pot when things grow stagnant.

In early Heathen revival movements, Loki was often dismissed. But more recent thinkers have revisited him, not through Christian eyes, but through a lens that honors complexity over black-and-white morality. In this light, Loki is not evil. He is change. And change is uncomfortable.

Many modern Heathens see Loki as a patron of gender non-conformity. His shape-shifting, sex-changing, and boundary-crossing ways speak to those who live outside rigid roles. Some find great meaning in honoring him for that reason alone.

Loki is also suspected by some to be part of the original Norse creation trinity. Three gods are said to have created Ask and Embla, the first humans. Depending on the source, these are listed as Óðin, Vili, and Vé, or Óðin, Hœnir, and Lóðurr. Many believe Lóðurr is another name for Loki.

He captures Iðunn, the goddess of youth, only to later retrieve her. In this, he echoes the rhythm of the seasons: Spring stolen by Winter, then won back. He cuts Sif’s hair, which leads to her receiving better, magical hair, an allegory of harvest, reaping, and renewal. Loki may be chaotic, but his chaos often leads to rebirth.

He arms the gods with their greatest tools. He makes Thor mighty. And while he is fated to turn against the gods, Ragnarök is not his fault. It is inevitable. It always has been.

Loki reminds us of this: change is coming, whether we like it or not. He is the divine disrupter, the necessary chaos. He is the voice that breaks the silence, the fire that clears the field, the laughter that follows disaster. To many modern Heathens, Loki represents life’s drama, the sacred tension that pushes us to grow.

When offering a drink to Óðin, many now offer a sip to Loki as well.

The star Sirius was once called Lokabrenna, or Loki’s Brand.

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Suggested Signs & Symbols
Scissors, shears, and sharp blades
Sewing needles and sealed lips
Knots, nets, spider webs
Spiders, snakes, foxes, flies
Comedians, jesters, sharp tongues
Shape-shifting, gender fluidity, trickery, and truth

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Associated Names
Loptr, Lodur, Hveðrungr, Lokki, Lokkemand, Loke, Lokke, Luki, Luku, Lukki