Loki Laufeyjarson

[@JacksonCrawford]

A couple things: -At about 13:09 I mention the insult "Snorri" gives Heimdallr in Lokasenna; obviously I meant "Loki," but even after 15 years of talking about Snorri and Loki I can still mix their names up when I'm talking about both of them at once. Make a conspiracy theory about that, if you want. -The etymology of "Loki" is still a vexed question with various theories and speculations. But I think a connection to the root in Old Norse "lúka" (to lock), English "lock," is most likely, perhaps referencing his lips locked shut after he crawfishes on his deal with some dwarves who made the treasures of the gods (see kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKrdioehiZ5sr9U ) or his punishment of being locked up under the earth. The connection to Old Norse "logi" (flame) is not valid (I briefly talked about how that idea became popular here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6qqgYlols6Bo9U ). -The skaldic poem in Skáldskaparmál (in the Prose Edda) that hints at Loki and Heimdallr fighting over the Brísingamen is Húsdrápa.

[@theogcowpuncher1417]

Jackson Crawford it is ok to say no to this: Is there anyway that I could possibly get your email because, I have always been very, very interested in this and I would like to discuss this a little bit more.

[@ragnarblobarr9567]

I spend my days debunking Loki being a Fire God. I hate it lol. Awesome content, love the videos and it provides me inspiration for my own teachings!

[@ragnarblobarr9567]

HellbillyCuntryMusic I was going to say the same thing!

[@k98killer]

_puts on tinfoil hat and speaks in Alex Jones' voice_ The aliens that taught poetry to the Norse skalds have invaded your mind to make you confuse names and slowly melt into dementia. Clearly, everything historic is due to aliens, and the gods and giants are almost certainly aliens in disguise whose presence was meant to forever infect the collective human memory with religiosity to weaken and divide us for their future invasion. There is no evidence that directly contradicts these statements, I'm sorry. (You sanctioned making a conspiracy theory, so I did.)

[@RamblinVan]

Now I'm going to put on my tinfoil cowboy hat every time you start talking about snorri or loki

[@thes-10rooster45]

I feel like the story of Loki was kind of morally grey, because before the gods imprisoned his children out of fear, he just did little pranks and jokes. But after the gods treated Jormungandr, Fenrir and Hel the way that they did, his anger towards them started to build until he finally lost it and killed Baldr and AEgir's servant. So you can't really blame the gods for trying to ensure their survival, but then again Loki had good reason to hate and mistrust the gods after what they did to his children.

[@sigynfoxy69]

That's exactly what I thought!! It doesn't make it better that in some versions the asir when trying to capture hel, fenrir and jormungandr had to kill angrboda because she just wanted to protect them.

[@angelikaskoroszyn8495]

In the end it turned into a self-fulfiling prophecy. Loki's kids were meant to bring unluck to gods do they casted them out. As a result Loki got more and more bitter and finally brought Ragnarok

[@MidgardMusings]

Loki often gets blamed by heathens when things go awry. We often forget that Loki is the "necessary chaos" . While I personally don't work with him in ritual, I respect him nonetheless for his role. Thanks for uploading this, Dr Crawford!

[@marklapolla2638]

He keeps the plot moving.

[@yilvoxe4017]

@Edmund Halling Hi Edmund, it's very rude to go around calling people's religious beliefs "cringy" on a video that's quite literally about their religious beliefs. Nobody tagged you in; you don't have to comment on the things you don't like to make people feel bad. If you'll accept some constructive criticism, saying "hardly anything remains of this religion" to someone who _clearly actively is in that religion_ is odd, dismissive, and also incorrect. Modern Heathenry exists and is widely practiced either in reconstruction or as part of more eclectic pagan beliefs. It's fine if you don't like it or find it weird, but it's unconstructive to call someone "a poser or delusional" on their own KZbin comment, unprompted, when what they said was relevant to the video. Hope you're doing well.

[@yilvoxe4017]

@Edmund Halling Okay, so you clearly have some issues with cultural Christianity. That's chill, so do I! I hate dogma, and I have lots of personal struggles with faith as a whole and most expressions of it as a result. But that doesn't change that what you're doing is rude and unhelpful. This person wasn't "burdening" anyone, you _chose_ to take offense to them talking about their faith in a public space. You also seem to be uninformed as a whole. Modern heathenry, both in its reconstructionist forms (an emphasis on historical accuracy) and its more modern eclectic forms are indeed practiced by thousands to hundreds of thousands worldwide. There's whole international organizations for this stuff. You're right that many of the practices of the original peoples who worshiped these gods are lost, but the worship of them very much does happen, and its popularity is part of the reason for the cultural revival of viking-culture in the last decade or so. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what your opinion is on whether this person is "actually" of this religion. You're welcome to that opinion, whatever it may be, but it's still rude and uncalled for to call them a "poser" or "delusional" when you were not involved to begin with. Nobody forced you into this thread, you joined of your own volition to tell someone they weren't allowed to act the way they were because it was "cringy" or "delusional." How very dogmatic of you.

[@manmoth_1990]

@@yilvoxe4017 Loki is like Adam in "The Hangover" films.

[@thomaswillard6267]

​@@yilvoxe4017It isn't about their religious beliefs though, it is about a historic character. If you're basing your religion on a historic character, any historic character, especially a historic character from a period as controversial as the Viking Age, you're probably being cringe.

[@josef2012]

Important life lesson from these stories : never tie your balls to a goat. Thanks doc!

[@LarsPallesen]

Unless you're trying to make a jotun woman laugh. That'll do the trick.

[@tiffanyhaberacker]

Loki is my favorite Norse God and while most of it is nothing new to me(except the story of him and Heimdallr), I love hearing you talk about his history and the roles he plays in the eddas. Thank you, from a fellow Coloradian, for making these videos! 😁

[@juliaconnell]

wow - what a treat - a real feast of information - thank you Dr Crawford - I can't afford to support your Patreon at the most - I do really value and appreciate these videos - thank you

[@Orain88]

I'm glad I happened upon your channel. Very interesting stuff and nicely delivered. The new God of War game got me hooked on looking up all things Norse mythology recently. A lot of what I find online is very basic and shallow, I really appreciate your clairty and academic treatment. I'm really going to enjoy learning some new things from your channel!

[@thogameskanaal]

I love how the Old Norse stories are as much about standing and fighting, as they are about recognizing the stakes are put against you, and it's best to cooperate with malevolent forces to guarantee a desirable outcome given the circumstances.

[@meganmatheny3276]

These video are greatly appreciated. It's nice to have a trusted source for information as well as pronunciation.

[@Cheeseburgerswithchili]

I love these videos because they are informative, concise, and a great citation for papers

[@sigynvictorious5844]

Where have you been all my life? OMG, thank you! I love Sigyn and I have always worried I was saying her name wrong. But you said it the way I read it i my head and I'm so happy right now I could scream! Thank you, thank you!

[@darius6917]

lol stfu

[@nurnu349]

Brilliant, instructive and clear. Your voice and accents are pure pleasure to hear. Hm. I feel the urge to learn Nordic languages, hahaha. Excellent video. 😁😁😁

[@sigynfoxy69]

I know narfi and narvi (or vali) don't have much then just their tragic death and same with sigyn being mentioned there, but I really hoped to at least hear more then just them being mentioned. Their names have interesting meanings so that's something at least but over all amazing video!! I love listening to everything you post hours on end :D

[@hrothgleas1]

I never thought there was any discrepancy as to why Loki was bound - whether it was the insults or his role in Baldr's death. In the Lokasenna, he admits/brags that he arranged for Baldr to be killed... I always figured his role was unknown before then. It seems fitting that his big mouth got him into trouble. Maybe someone should sew his mouth shu... Oh, yeah. That happened...

[@sigynfoxy69]

Is it awkward to mention now that in some versions sigyn is half dwarf- Because *clears throat* freya and the necklace

[@scoroscopebjd6149]

@@sigynfoxy69 wait I’m confused. Even if Sigyn’s half dwarf weren’t the ones who made Frœyja’s necklace males? I don’t see the connection

[@goodtimesgamingtm1316]

Odin to Loki after he comes back from the adventure where he gets impregnated as a horse:”Brother! How was your latest outing?” Loki:”I’d rather not talk about it.”

[@stevenpatterson3972]

Dr. Crawford, thank you so much for this excellent series of videos. I've read that some scholars think that Loki may be a relatively late introduction into the Norse pantheon. Do you agree? Also, since we know that Vikings sailed to Newfoundland, do you think there could be any connection between Loki and the Trickster of Native American mythology? All the best!

[@valeriy8502]

Here in 2021 excited about the next book

[@sunnytyler001]

So interesting, as always! You talk about Angrboda's name and its meaning, and how it fits her part in the story. However, what about Sigyn? I read somewhere her name meant "Friend of Victory" or "Victorious girlfriend". Would this reflect a part of the story we lost? Is there any clue in the Eddas or elswhere that could explain it? On the Gosforth Cross, she has a hairdo that is kind of like a warrior's... Do you think she could have been a Valkyrie or something like that? Thanks in advance!

[@morticiaaddams3613]

I have just had a big dose of Loki chaos, and whilst it has royally screwed things up for me, I see it as necessary. It has definitely helped me to toughen up! Great video as always :)

[@khaleesidove1218]

Loki deserved better for the wrongful death and harm to his children. The gods did him absolutely dirty.

[@sigynfoxy69]

Not to forget mentioning how they always threatened him even when he didn't really do anything and tried helping and yes did him dirty by ruining his family.

[@ySkout]

You are so right! Also here my fav. quote from Wikipedia to Loki "interprets Loki's role as a "mover of history" who is neutral towards the gods and merely advances the story. This does not change Loki, but the opinion of the gods about him."

[@darthplagueis13]

His children certainly deserved better. Loki himself tho? The way I see it, Loki must at one point have had the goodwill and friendship of the gods, otherwise he wouldn't have become a bloodsbrother to Odin. With how his character has been portrayed in all the myths we have remaining, it doesn't seem like an unreasonable assumption that his cruel, cowardly, dishonest and greedy behavior is what caused him to lose the favour of the gods. Not to mention, every time Loki was threatened, it was after he had done something bad. He was threatened after he robbed Sif of her beautiful hair for no reason other than his own flippant drunken sadism. He was threatened after he talked the gods into accepting the deal with the mason, even though they were not ready to pay the price. He was threatened after causing Idun to be kidnapped and when out of this, the need to settle a weregild with the eagles daughter arose. Every time Loki was threatened, it was in order to pressure him into resolving a predicament of his own making. On the other hand, in the only story I know of where Loki is not at fault and actually helpful for once, that being the story of Thors stolen hammer, he was not threatened or mistreated at all. Does he carry the burden to keep history moving? Maybe. And yet, his schemes and misdeeds are still his own. Dr. Crawford mentions that there's two different accounts on why he was ultimately punished: One says it was the punishment for insulting the gods whereas the other states it was the punishment for his involvement in the death of Baldur. The latter one makes sense thematically, particularily with the punishment inflicted on him: The greatest tragedy and the greatest wrong known to the gods was when one betrays or even murders his brother. Just like Loki made Hoedr murder his brother Baldur. Just how his sons were made to kill each other, so the entrails could be used to bind him. It is not just by our modern standards, that one should suffer punishment because of a crime another did commit, but this story is probably over a thousand years old. Old enough for there to be a very different idea of justice than we have today.

[@scoroscopebjd6149]

Not to mention, even if Loki is evil, he’s the *only* god who ever pays for his misdeeds. Þórr was said to kill people and livestock when he was in the mood, but is seen as the most honored of the Æsir. Odin regularly deceived, manipulated, and murdered *his own believers*, even making them kill their own allies on some occasions, and that’s to say nothing of what he did to Rinda. The Norse gods can be some of the most terrifying beings in all mythology, but only Loki’s reputation bears in mind his darker side

[@colinp2238]

Is Thjazi actually killed in Asgard because I thought that the gods were not allowed to kill anyone within the walls? The image of Loki being carried off by Thjazi whilst clinging to a stick made me laugh out loud and I don't mean lol.

[@juliaconnell]

curious Dr Crawford - have you watched the Almighty Johnsons? main characters are: Oðinn, Ullr, Bragi, Höðr, Baldr, Iðunn (twice, long story), Loki, Freyja, Frigg (well eventually...) Snotra, Sjöfn, Fulla, Hel, Heimdallr... ...Thor, Hœnir, Kvasir, Freyja, Njörðr, Lofn, Sága... not to be taken seriously - like your research - a bit of fun.. made with love in New Zealand - this video made me think you might like it (maybe? just a little?) complete series is available on Netflix in some countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia (was shown in New Zealand (obviously), the United Kingdom, Australia..)

[@TheViannas]

Julia Connell Yeah Almighty Johnsons is a good show.

[@juliaconnell]

thanks TheViannas ♥ I actually started watching it again :)

[@Jonassoe]

How familiar were the old Norse with earthquakes? Scandinavia isn't prone to earthquakes, but maybe they experienced them in Iceland.

[@lindaliljecrona4404]

There are earthquakes but they are very weak, still people can feel them. But they were well travelled since at leat the migration area when they fought in the Roman legions or against them. They also had contacts with their relatives the Goths.

[@anthonyaurel6001]

I had the same thought in mind. That the story might be either relatively late to the Germanic religion since earthquakes are probably scarce in Scandinavia but not in Iceland or that the story could be quite ancient dating to some of migration periods.

[@sciencefictionisreal1608]

From the other videos on this channel, it seems like norse society was deeply patriarchal but Loki defies gender norms at almost every step. Not only does he transform into female people and animals, but I think it's also noteworthy that he chooses to identify himself with his mother and not his father, which bucks the convention. And I think its revealing that the people who composed these stories saw the god who defies masculine ideals as the villain.

[@ySkout]

I think most of the "Stories" were written by christians so it would kinda make sense to make Loki the "bad guy"

[@sciencefictionisreal1608]

@@ySkout Maybe, you can argue the obsession over gender roles is a christian thing, but if you read the bible, there isn't really a whole lot of obsession over gender roles in the story. Sure, its discussed but not much. There isn't this panic over people transcending their gender roles in the blibical texts that we see in modern christian cultural circles. Even some of the biblical passages used to condemn homosexuality have some radically different alternative interpretations, depending on the translation you use and whatnot. I hypothesize the "christian" obsession with gender roles could very well come from pre-christian European society, not the other way around. (And also the modern conservative obsession with gender roles really is in response to the industrial revolution which got women to work outside the home, and thanks to machinary, made it easier for women to do work which before could only have been physically done by a man.)

[@sciencefictionisreal1608]

@@ySkout I'm not a biblical scholar though. I only know basic things about the bible from growing up catholic and taking bible courses in catholic high school.

[@random6033]

@@sciencefictionisreal1608 Vikings were obsessed with gender roles too

[@coltonzuspan3285]

There is a female character in the mobile game Fire Emblem Heroes named Loki. She has the ability to make illusions, and is known to be a trickster. There are two nations fighting in the beginning of Heroes, Askr and Embla. Then there was an update a while back that added two new kingdoms, Nifl and Muspell. Nifl and Muspell apparently are in reference to Niflheim and Muspellheim. Both Nifl and Muspell are Ice and Fire kingdoms respectively. (I think I spelled those names right.)

[@saatvikam]

Colton Zuspan definitely check out Jotun if you're into games and Old Norse. Single player, hand drawn, modern Icelandic voiceovers.

[@GenieBella]

You probably already know this, but Ask and Embla were the first humans in the Norse myths.

[@ivariuz]

In what Þula is Laufey been mentioned to be a Ásynja?

[@TheTwilightEmporium]

In what þula is Laufey mentioned as an Asnyjar

[@viskgramm2653]

Loki, is the first troll and basically the father of all shenanigans

[@sunshinesilverarrow5292]

Thank you! 🌞

[@fitzchivalryfarseer313]

Audio on this is great.

[@grayace4556]

Are there a lot of sources that indicate Loki was worshiped in Scandinavia?

[@lindaliljecrona4404]

No there is none. There is not a single place-name with his name. He wasn't worshipped at all.

[@MyaKHamilton]

@@lindaliljecrona4404 I would say we should just accept that we don't know if he was worshipped or not but there was a stone that was found in England that supposedly depicts him on it, so he very well might have been worshipped but we just don't know, and as Jackson Crawford says when we don't know something we don't know something, but that doesn't mean we can't worship him if you want because remember he's not the only guy we don't know if they were worshiped.

[@lindaliljecrona4404]

@@MyaKHamilton If that is Loki he is chained; not worshipped. Christians don't worship Satan because the make pictures of him. He helps to destroy the world at Ragnarök, why should anyone want to worship him?

[@MyaKHamilton]

@@lindaliljecrona4404 Just look up Loki worshippers on Google or KZbin and you will see that there are people like me, who respect and honor Loki just as any other god. I don't worship him because I think he's evil but rather I believe that he protects us from Odin because Odin doesn't care about who he kills and Thor and Loki do. People were wary of Odin and what he could do to them, so I agree with Dr. Crawford when said that Loki might have been worshipped because people feared Odin. Read Lokasenna.

[@lindaliljecrona4404]

@@MyaKHamilton Where did they worship him? There are no places of worship named after him like there are for many gods. Even relatively unknown gods like Ullr have place names where they worshipped him. Do you think it was a secret cult?

[@roblivingston6341]

Some circles claim that Loki is more of a literary tool than a being that was attested in Norse myths of any sort. Any thoughts on that?

[@kirstenwhitworth8079]

Could not a case be made that the death of Baldr was an affront\insult to the gods? Isn't it interesting and ironic that Loki, the locked one or one who locks, fights Heimdallr, the guardian of Bifrost and therefore a gatekeeper of sorts. Norse myth seems replete with irony.

[@kato093]

Kirsten Whitworth ye what but not as much as in the christian bible :D

[@kirstenwhitworth8079]

LOL

[@darthplagueis13]

Another interesting thing is that Loki's crime is actually echoed in his punishment. Loki made Hoedr kill his brother, with fratricide being considered particularily loathsome. The punishment of the gods then consisted of one of Loki's sons killing another with the entrails of the slain being used to bind Loki, as if the spirit of the atrocity that Loki is responsible for is now used against him.

[@SonofDiablo97]

That explains Hel, Jormungandr and Fenrir are monstrous and scary because there father is a mix of jotunn and aesir and there mother is pure jotunn so cool it's like Typhon is like a mix of monster and god at same time and fell in love with a monster Echidna

[@michaelhansen2818]

Didn't you also mention that you're trying to publish a childrens book too?

[@asafupps]

Loki seems to be a really jealous guy lol like a cat who hisses when you pet a different cat lmao

[@AltrightBuddha]

Is that sasquatch country you're in?

[@ranidudeBRUH]

Do a video on Greenlandic Norse.

[@ingerandersson2449]

Hej jag jag heter Inger från Sverige och följer dig på KZbin! Jag uppskattar verkligen det du gör! Provar att skriva på svenska gissar att du kan läsa vad jag skriver. Thanks Dr Crawford

[@4li3n.t.p]

So if i may ask.. Is Loki NOT. an actual god as Odin and Thor being that he is a giant and most of the giants are not directly gods them self but more of another super powered being/race? Or am i mistaken in my understanding?

[@4li3n.t.p]

Ynga Gammm ok thank you!!

[@JacksonCrawford]

As I think I stated in the video, he is called an "áss" (i.e. a member of the Æsir, the highest family of gods)--not only in the Prose Edda, but in Lokasenna in the Poetic Edda when Njord insults him. So at based on our surviving sources, it seems safe to count him as a god, as anomalous as his role is.

[@leonardorivera8349]

Loki is a powerfull joten Blood Brother to the allfather himself.

[@screamingfox5666]

Are you thinking I am Loki, dude? I am but an old scoundrel and I have no part in it!

[@MatejRRL]

Hello (=

[@juliaconnell]

hello :)