The Messed Up Origins of Loki, the Trickster God | Norse Mythology Explained - Jon Solo

[@JonSolo]

If you voted for Loki and don't hit the like button I'm coming to your house with a nerf gun full of mistletoe darts... ಠ_ಠ

[@JoeMama-kj7bq]

Oh no, my worst nightmare...

[@tayloredwards4968]

Please do Egypt mythology next and could you do the tale of princess kaguya

[@froggy5663]

YESSSSSSSS I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR A LONG TIME

[@cassidylynn6209]

@AYAH ASAD ha

[@Bloody_Buddha]

The original loki was just psychotic

[@piffba]

“Yeah, my children, they’re gonna cause some mischief” “What kind of mischief? :)” “The end of the world :)” “WHAT-“

[@nmoney6655]

I would be happy if I was a Norse god and my son was the cause of the end of the world 🌎

[@Motivationalwisdomspeech]

@@nmoney6655 u wuldnt be one thats y

[@dreamsucks6664]

loki is kinda like odins brother its weird

[@slimjim877]

To be fair, a lot of the stuff revolving around ragnarok was pretty self-fulfilling, like fenris, he would have joined the norse gods and been a friend to them if they hadn't let their fear get the best of them and chain him up.

[@CazRaX]

@@slimjim877 That's the problem with knowing the future there is a clear chance that you will walk into the thing you fear will happen. Then you have the whole thing about whether the future was set in stone or you made the future come true by trying to avoid it.

[@darthplagueis13]

Interesting detail on Fenrir: He originally wasn't hostile towards the gods and even became good friends with the god Tyr. The Aesir were however scared of Fenrir because how how fast he grew and because Odin had visions of him dying to the wolf, so they tried to bind him repeatedly, attempting to disguise it as tests of strength. Fenrir was able to break any chains he was bound with until the gods comissioned the dwarfs to make a legendary band named Gleipnir (not to be confused with Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse) which was indestructible, even if it seemed just like a thin scarf. Fenrir was suspicious of it and only agreed to be bound with Gleipnir after the gods promised that they would free him again if he was unable to break it and only after Tyr offered his right hand as a security by putting it in Fenrir's mouth. When he couldn't break free, the gods of course abandoned their oath and instead sacrificed Tyr's hand to keep Fernrir tied down. In his last moments before having a sword thrust in his mouth, Fenrir cursed Odin, told him that he just had sealed his own fate through his cowardly betrayal and that the gods had just turned the one who could have become their greatest ally into their fiercest enemy.

[@kawaiipika1059]

Fenrir grayback is a werewolf in Harry potter

[@exclusivelog2898]

Wait so did fenrir eventually escape or something or how did Odin die because I always thought Fenrir killed Odin

[@rehobothbitege4560]

@@exclusivelog2898 Fenrir didn't escape, the chains that bound him broke off when Ragnarok began. I guess you could call it escape but it was bound to happen. And you are right, Fenrir kills Odin at Ragnarok by swallowing him.

[@PNWBabe]

@@exclusivelog2898 Ragnarok is believed to not have occurred yet.

[@jessearriaga1371]

@@PNWBabe ragnorak has technically occurred because if ragnorak is an end its not, it's a new begging with even some gods coming back to create a new world.

[@heatherturner2366]

I remember learning that Loki was constantly getting screwed over every time, no matter how much he helped the others so he retaliates

[@kathryngeeslin9509]

I am sure he sees it that way. Minimizing the damage he does while maximizing the damage he suffers.

[@GrimmShadowsII]

Yeah it's kind of a cycle with him he does something the AEser punish him then he plots revenge for them punishing him etc

[@darthplagueis13]

I mean... Typically the reason he has to help is because of issues he himself caused. He's mostly not too keen on taking responsibility for his actions.

[@lunawolfheart336]

That would make sense.

[@josannebruce3096]

Yea this is how I felt when I watched this video he was useful but used and not really respected lol

[@fernandorios474]

Can you hate Loki? Yes Can you love Loki? Yes Can you send Hulk after loki then say "Puny god."? Yes

[@anders9646]

In mythos he was known for being neither good nor evil. A trickster god who just wanted chaos

[@fahrinurlaub01vg]

@@anders9646 you'd say he's an anarchist, and I'm here for it!

[@silverbullet1620]

Reminds me of a joke that ended with "Loki you little shit."

[@bellaknightR597]

I could never hate Loki

[@punkwrestle]

@@anders9646 Yet he did cause Ragnarok!

[@thoughtslikerabbits953]

I heard the only condition loki had about giving oden the eight-legged horse was that he couldn't ask where it came from.

[@IkedaSerra]

I heard that too. Someone spilled the tea.

[@philjones3824]

Fenris Wolf: Hey Brother! Sleipnir: Hey yourself! Odin: Wait, what the frak??! Fenris Wolf: (CHOMP)

[@jaqjynx]

I didn’t know this and I love it.

[@smashty346]

well loki was then one that gave birth to it so i can see why he would say that

[@kevin4gwen]

If you had gotten the idea from reading the comments that might have been me but... I'm not sure if that's true.. can't remember.🤷 but it would be damn funny because you know that if all the other gods knew where sleptnear came from Loki would never hear the end of it😂😂😂

[@wordforger]

I admit Loki's my favorite of the Norse gods just because I'm a big fan of tricksters in general. Seeing the fact that most of his tricks never quite worked out well for him in the end just makes his stories better.

[@philjones3824]

You'd like what Neil Gaiman does with Loki in the pages of Sandman then.

[@thehippie3610]

He is less of a trickster and more of an agent of change.

[@HolyBiscuit69]

@@thehippie3610 more like professional instigator

[@Nikolaijg]

​@thehippie3610 exactly, he's not a trickster god his name translates closer to spark or catalyst, he's the spark that starts a fire and makes sure that the cycle of life continues even for the gods. Ragnarok is not the end of the world, its the end of a cycle and the beginning of another.

[@ladyoftheabyss13]

There is someone on TikTok that dresses up as Loki and hosts a show called Norse of course. They will say, 'I am your host Loki, Norse God of...' and inserts something different each time. For example Loki, Norse God of People without an Inside Voice, Norse God of People who Play the Kazoo at Inappropriate Times, Norse God of Eat my Shorts.

[@kangviktoria]

Oh my norse gods! I have to find that! Thanks for the info!

[@Phoenixash-delfuego]

Have a lot of people seen it or is it very low key?

[@ladyoftheabyss13]

@@Phoenixash-delfuego Well if you're interested in looking at their videos their handle is @muirin007 and they have over 300K followers.

[@SarahGreen523]

@@ladyoftheabyss13 I follow them! Love every thing they do!

[@ladyoftheabyss13]

@@SarahGreen523 Me too

[@thefoxesmind]

It honestly feels like the Norse Gods just overreact to everything that Loki does. Also, Ragnarok is 100% a self-fufilling prophecy.

[@eleanorlanpher34]

“Ahhh! Loki said some rude stuff while being drunk! Sentence him to eternal torture!” -The Norse gods

[@xarchangeles]

Pretty sure he shaved Thor's wife's hair and made it so it would never grow back, I'd be breaking some bones too, and wasn't he responsible for the death of baldur?

[@cecilialh]

@@xarchangeles jupp. he used mistletoe as an arrow and killed him.

[@tell-me-a-story-]

I mean, he murdered his little brother for funsies..

[@kinglewis6553]

​@cecilialh how many of Loki's children were captured and tormented by the others at these point? I'd want some revenge too

[@susannebeer-eyk7054]

As a survivor of breast cancer, I am all about cancer awareness. So, thank you Jon, and thanks to the TCS for helping men to get in touch with themselves to detect cancer early.

[@LT9TSilver]

How could you miss one of the funniest damn stories about the guy? He had an epic game of tug-of-war between a goat and his balls.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

And appropriate with this sponsor.

[@gabbyn978]

Never heard of that, probably because that story is inappropriate for children. But it would be a typical story for a trickster.

[@Ulvejenta]

It is on the same level as some Askeladden stories, and those are children tales. But it all depends in who you tell it to, the boy who had a eating contest with the troll is no walk in the park but a story I love a lot

[@LT9TSilver]

@@gabbyn978 Are we watching the same channel? After all the Greek stories this was tame by comparison. Especially Zeus's antics, and how Aphrodite was born from the "foam" of a lopped off dong. Censoring mythology just seems so wrong.

[@gabbyn978]

@@LT9TSilver I didn't mean the channel. When I was younger, I read a book about the Norse Mythology, which dropped that part of the story, because at that time (the book was antiquary) the auther did not dare to write about those unspeakable things. Standards have changed over time.

[@micah459]

I'm actually surprised you haven't covered this yet considering how popular Loki after the MCU. Either way I'm excited for this video

[@ChiChiCarter6411]

Ll

[@ChiChiCarter6411]

Ll

[@drfate2827]

He explained he waited on making this because Loki is so popular lol

[@Gabster161]

Plus the new Loki series is coming out on Disney plus soon

[@Outcastgrunt098]

Realy i thought i saw this a few months back.

[@blumcamp]

I feel so bad for Loki's children, Nari and Vali. They did nothing wrong, but Vali was forced to kill the other, and then got himself killed. So horrible.

[@durrangodsgrief6503]

As a cruel saying goes the sins of the father are that of the sons loki shouldn't have killed baldur, prevented his return or hint/reveal it was him

[@bitameah7745]

@@durrangodsgrief6503 I bet Baldur was stuck up.

[@lunawolfheart336]

@@durrangodsgrief6503 no child should be punished for something there perents did. That's really fucked up if you think that should be the case

[@lokelaufeyson9931]

Odin stole the fire from the humans since odin was irritated for something the humans did and loki entered hel and brought it back to the humans against odins rules. Loki got punished for it.. Lokis children? well, they were a lively bunch i guess, some of the kids got treated bad and other did have a bad future .. I would say that lokis childrens reputation is a bit missleading

[@janetbaker7848]

Of the gods in ancient history no matter what it was Greek, Roman or whatever, they were all absolute psychopathic assholes! They punished people who didn't have anything to do with whatever it was that pissed them off. They punished people's children for Stuff their parents did, which how does that make any sense? All of the old gods were nothing but psychopathic assholes! And we were supposed to worship them? My God am I glad that crap is over with.

[@embermoto]

I think Loki gets the short end of the stick. Yes, he does a lot of awful things but so do the other gods and yet Loki's punishments are so much worse. This might have something to do with most of his deeds being done to the Gods and the Gods deeds mostly being done to mortals and other races like the giants.

[@aceanarchy5554]

Loki slamming down insults while blackout drunk is iconic and the punishment for it will always make me mad because the gods are bitches and i have an authority problem

[@gabbyn978]

It was just the last straw to finally break the camel's back. He had strained the Aesirs' patience for too long and too much; and calling Thor the child of an incestuous relationship *is* gross.

[@DeadeyeToya]

@@gabbyn978 no it’s because they found out Loki killed baldur it was mentioned in the baldur episode dude

[@etsubedenkebekele5598]

Even tho not everything he said was true at least half of it was, ppl were just mad they got exposed and needed an excuse lmao

[@raelempyre7737]

Loki was a whole ass activist and hated the Aesir for their hypocrisy. The Aesir good and loki bad rhetoric stinks entirely too much of white people, billionaires, cops good and marginalized people bad. Like thor literally tried to insult Loki for shifting into A feminine form THATS TRANS MISOGYNY

[@gabbyn978]

@@raelempyre7737 The original story is from the Norse, and from a time nearly a millennium ago. There were no cops there, no coloured people (albeit Leif Eriksson managed to find Newfoundland, but they would not stay there), and *definitely* no psychological analysis. Or what you call, activists. Do your school work, man.

[@khalidhenry3857]

He's my favorite God and Marvel villain

[@tijanamilenkovic3425]

@@the_raven667 what do you think about The Messed Up Origins of Chthulhu

[@blueraven0788]

He’s handsome in the Marvel universe!!

[@taylorfostra9803]

He's my favourite god too!! Him and Sigyn. (Favourite goddess)

[@benjaminbruno6812]

Since you mentioned a possible association with fire... Let my add to it. His parents names translates to "fierce strike" and "pine needles". Depending on what the fathers fierce strike was, there's potential of sparks and tinder. Loki was described as having fiery red hair. Loki is one letter away from logi, the Norse word for fire. So basically, Loki might have actually been the God of fire. This would explain his duality in the myths, when closely supervised he was very useful to the aesir, when unsupervised he was destructive. Just like a fire would be

[@lokimidknight7319]

This parallel between Loki and Logi is emphasized in the story of "Utgard Loki" when he has an eating contest with Logi.

[@anna.owo.]

Ok can we say how mess up is what they did to his children? As a greek person i can say when there is a prophecy that someone will do something bad and you hurt them before before they do it then you get your self fulfilling prophecy. Also making his kid to be a beast and kill his brother? They deserve ragnarok

[@josephwalton487]

What does you being Greek have anything what-so-ever to do with Loki, a NORSE GOD?

[@clarahelena6910]

As a Scandinavian I grew up with the actual mythology Loki and I always just felt really bad for him

[@ivenorea]

Same he always made up for his Mischief with a good deed and still get shit thrown at him by the gods despite everything he's given them

[@jstitus916]

Any stories that you know that aren't very well known?

[@smb-c3po]

I'm 1/8 German as well as Dutch.

[@ivenorea]

@@smb-c3po interesting I am German actually but I love norse myth anyways always felt connected to it

[@taylorfostra9803]

Norse Loki freaking rocks.

[@EloiseRaeCullen]

Red over at Overly Sarcastic Productions did a video on Loki too and she actually presents a very interesting perspective. A lot of Loki's shenanigans are actually commands given to him by the other gods. Like, sure he has SOME that are entirely his own, but a good majority are done at the request of the other gods, and then when things go wrong, Loki gets stuck with the consequences. Idk just another perspective on the character that some of yall might be interested in :)

[@fayjune3008]

Gotta be honest, none of the Norse gods sound like good people to me. I mean, they locked up Loki's kids based on dreams, they thought it was fun to just throw shit at Baldur to the point his blind brother was sad he couldn't throw anything at him? All these guys seem pretty messed up, so I can't say I'd blame Loki for the shit he pulls.

[@cas5518]

It’s pretty ironic how in Odin’s attempt to stop Loki’s kids from ending the world he gave them the power and motivation to start ragnarok. Fenrir was super chill with hanging out with the Aiser until they tricked and betrayed him. Jormingander wouldn’t have been able to destroy the world if he wasn’t cast into the ocean where he then was able to grow big enough. And Hel was just hanging out in jogtenheim doing her godly suitors until Odin decided to trap her in Hel

[@brianvance1178]

The Aesir are the gods of society, and pairing Loki with them represents the chaos sleeping just below the surface of civilization. The Vanir, on the other hand, are the gods of nature and the wild, so are already embroiled in chaos because it is in their nature to be as chaotic as nature itself. Seeing that, it makes sense Loki didn’t fuck with the Vanir as much as with the Aesir, if he fucked with the Vanir at all

[@thesymbiotenation.4552]

Now we wanna know if the Vanir exist in the MCU...

[@brianvance1178]

@@thesymbiotenation.4552 I think they do, but they probably don’t go out of Vanaheim much, so...

[@lunawolfheart336]

@@thesymbiotenation.4552 they might they just not as prominent

[@himum3429]

@@lunawolfheart336 I mean in the MCU Frigga is Thor's mum right and not the Giantess whose name I forget from the actual mythology. She's a Vanir goddess and is also conveniently Loki's favourite parent.

[@ismata3274]

@@himum3429 earth?

[@3ch1dna07]

I was hoping that you would have covered the story of the marriage of Njord and Skadi. Where they had to make Skadi laugh and Loki had an interesting tug of war with a goat.

[@crunchybubblewrap]

haha, yes, the feet XD

[@3ch1dna07]

@@crunchybubblewrap I'm dying!!!!!

[@elizabethannuk]

Omg I'm hooked someone please tell meee

[@crunchybubblewrap]

@@elizabethannuk i don’t know much but basically skadi chose her husband by looking at the feet but njord has really good feet so skadi thought it was baldur (before he died btw) but it was actually njord so ig he’s off bragging about his feet 🦶 now :)

[@elizabethannuk]

@@crunchybubblewrap 🤣🤣🤣🤣 thanks 😍

[@sunilpermaul7876]

I read somewhere that Loki could represent "fire". Laufey meaning "needle" might represent the pine tree while Farbauti meaning "hard striker" could be lightning. Loki would be the fire that is created. This also explains the parallels between him and Logi who is said to be fire. I also find it weird that the MCU made no relationship between Hella and Loki, where in the Marvel Comics, they are father and daughter.

[@cashagon]

In the MCU the relationship is brother and sister. edit: typo

[@sunilpermaul7876]

@@cashagon When they go to Hel during the War of the Realms, doesn't Loki refer to Hella as his daughter?

[@cashagon]

@@sunilpermaul7876 I meant to say MCU. The movies. I don't know how he refers to her in War of the Realms.

[@sunilpermaul7876]

@@cashagon OOOHHH...True. Yea MCU, of course it's done as a "sister" vibe. But yea, I was referring to the comics where they do play the Loki "father" role more. I know for sure he refers to Fenrir as his son in War of the Realms.

[@michellemybelle9286]

Me: * In a depressive state* Jon: * Uploads a video* Me: ah, temporary ✨ peace ✨

same

[@lindildeev5721]

There are two tiny details you seem to forget. First, Snorri was Christian and the Edda was based on Christian morality, which considered death, mischief and chaos as bad things. In fact, Loki was essentialy the chaos which allows order to exist. And the decision of Loki to kill Baldur was made after Fenrir was imprisoned by Odin so, as cruel as it was, it was the normal reaction of a father betrayed by his friend. If you think about it, Ragnarok was not caused by Loki and his children but by Odin, who thought that casting them away instead of trying to be nice with them was the only way to stop them.

[@1jotun136]

I'd love to see you do the daoist deities. Monkey king, the eight drunken immortals, Chung Kwei/Zhong Guei are all good stories.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

Guan Yin...

[@1jotun136]

@@fabrisseterbrugghe8567 Right? The possibilities are endless.

[@93FOBINHOOD]

Brilliant idea

[@minatoaudiph7883]

@@fabrisseterbrugghe8567 especially Guan Yin.

[@Sunshine_Ses]

yes! That would be great!!

[@ivenorea]

I immediately had a smirk on my face when I saw the thumbnail. I just love Loki no matter the version. The Loki in Mythology always manages to put a smirk on my face when I read about his shenanigans. He disguises himself a lot to do his Mischief and his children are the most interesting beings ever in norse myth. Even if I was one of the asier I would like him and find his actions hilarious and defend him in front of the other gods if needed. His punishment before Ragnarock is very cruel and he did not deserve it he didn't meant these insults like he said them after all and was just joking around tho I understand the gods he joked about not finding the things he said funny. The Marvel Loki is also a very accurate representation and Tom Hiddleston does a brilliant job at portraying him. He is said to be handsome after all and Tom definitely is and they hit his personality perfectly and gave him a very intriguing backstory that differed a lot from Norse myth. Loki is my favourite Norse god and nothin would ever change that

[@ineshomemcardoso]

I full fucking heartily agree

[@jenkhemhuffersanonymous3990]

I'm pretty sure albeit pissing them off is not the best I'm almost positive it's not the insults but the fact he killed Baldr which is why he was punished

[@Nick19904]

He didn’t mention it in the video, but what made the gods so mad about his insults is that he admitted to killing Balder

[@bearwithme9433]

Loki is most likely hated due to the fact he pranks gods and not humans or other creatures. While though gods do way more hideous things, it was against those they considered lower than them.

[@wcapewell3089]

Ive been waiting for this video. Loki is one of my two favourite gods, along with Anubis.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

I'm a Ma'at girl myself.

[@fahrinurlaub01vg]

My birthmum used to say, "if I die, my mouth will need to be killed extra." I am sure my headstone will read "didn't know when to shut up!!"

[@larryking211]

jon solo make loki video , marvel makes a tv show and markbrook is marking a loki omnibus vol 1 comic its good day to be loki fan

[@lespena3722]

And don’t forget that there are two video games have Loki as center. (With god of war having loki be one of the protagonist and the other Loki is the only aesir to survive)

[@tijanamilenkovic3425]

@@lespena3722 what do you think about The Messed Up Origins of Puppy In My Pocket Adventures In Pocketville or My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic

[@darthplagueis13]

Loki is an interesting one. I like how Neil Gaiman describes him in his book on norse mythology, how Thor has his personal method of dealing with issues. If something is wrong he'll 1: Wonder if Loki is to blame and if that isn't the case for some reason he'll 2: Ask Loki for advice.

[@Ciprian-IonutPanait]

1. Blame Loki even without any proof 2. use this to ask him to fix their problems. You can see that almost every time is not Loki's fault but the Aesir's themselves

[@maeahem]

Yes, my favourite trickster god! Clicked so fast! Low key High Key loving it. He’s wicked but I like the chaos. His children are very important as well.

[@jordanbuxton3270]

Why is no one talking about Loki‘s wife? Like she didnt leave Loki and she stood there and held that bowl above her head for a long time. what a good wife!

[@lokelaufeyson9931]

loki did have 2 wifes, one that held the bowl and a second wife that was a gigant. Loki did have 2 kids with the gigant woman but she is only mentioned on one line in snorres in the beginning.

[@Jauhl1]

@@lokelaufeyson9931 Sigyn is the only one named Loki's wive, Angerboda, even though they have two children, never.

[@kingrockkid]

You know whats funny, in doing all these things to prevent Ragnarok, they created Ragnarok. Imagine the hatred that lokis children had for them. They should have embraced them and changed course but fear overrode common sense, ending in their destruction.

[@darthplagueis13]

That would have worked for exactly one of them, that being Fenrir. The world serpent was feral and Hel... Well, Hel wasn't really on bad conditions with the gods in the beginning. She certainly wasn't unhappy about becoming the ruler of the dead but when the Ragnarök came she was going to pick a side and she took her fathers side.

[@kingrockkid]

@@darthplagueis13 Wolves are often feral, doesnt mean they cant be domesticated. Hel would have joined the aesir if not of their treatment toward her and her family. Yes she could have suffered worse, but being cast down to be the ruler of the dead forever working in servitude to harbor the deceased isnt a great life. If her and her sibilings were treated better, Ragnarok most likely wouldnt happen.

[@darthplagueis13]

@@kingrockkid Wolves aren't serpents however and the world snake would have had to be cast into the sea either way, nowhere else was enough space. And I'll say it again, Hel did not consider being made ruler of the dead an insult or punishment. She had a natural affinity towards them, being quite literally half-dead herself and she actually preferred the dead over the living to begin with. She did not harbour any grudges against the Aesir, she just wasn't on their side and never would have been as long as she was made to pick between them and Loki. Ruler of the dead was a promotion from her previous status as abomination and bastard child.

[@kingrockkid]

@@darthplagueis13 Hel made an army out of the dead to march in Ragnarok. You dont make an army against someone if you are on good terms. She made it quite clear she wasnt on the aesir's side. Being cast into the underworld because of how you look will create hatred and make someone cruel, which is what she was in the few depictions of her character, Baldur for instance. Wolves arent serpents, thats obvious, they are still wild creatures though. Feed a serpent and they become friendly toward you, thats how you get them as pets. Sure Jorg would have to be put in the sea, but throwing him in there and abandoning it as a child will in fact make it hostile and feral. If feral was all that was in Jorg, it would not have marched on to fight and kill Thor. I will say it again, the ill treatment given to Loki's children is what most likely caused Ragnarok.

[@kingrockkid]

Another thing, hel is what it was because she made it her home, she created that landscape not the Aesir. She made herself into a ruler instead of servant.

[@reiganlewis3487]

Me: *getting into Norse mythology* where the Loki vid? Jon: *uploads video* here you go!

[@emmasmith2380]

I love the logic make a vote then completely blindside the voters by doing the opposite of what the vote was for

[@phyllisdicks9830]

I still love him, no matter what anybody says. Sixty-four years in this lifetime, and that hasn't changed. I'll love him until the end of ages.

[@08fighter08]

Loki was a rolling stone sleeping with anything with a pulse, took on different forms, made deals that were interesting and dangerous, had an insult battle, etc. I only knew half of this. Very informative. Thanks Jon.

[@srg24601]

One of my favorite things about Norse mythology and Loki in particular was how much the Swedish girl I was friends with in high school HATED every book on the subject. Apparently where she's from the stories are told as folktales still (she compared Loki to our Br'er Rabbit a lot) and certain gods are looked at different. Odin's a bit more of a jerk and Loki is a trickster but not outright malicious. One difference: in her version that she heard growing up the mistletoe spear was an accident. He knew it would hurt Baldr and be a surprise laugh, but didn't realize it would kill him. My favorite part of the stories is how much time Loki spends with humans. He has a ton of half human children and is actually a good father (and sometimes mother). Most of the time when he appears as a character he's hanging out with one of his kids when the (usually human or demigod) protagonist is nearby and needs help and Loki will use his wits to assist them. I'm not sure how accurate these stories are to the ancient myths but modern, pre-Marvel, Loki seems to have a similar role to Jack from English folklore. I say pre-Marvel because apparently since then my friend has moved home and last I heard she was pissed off cuz now that the movies are so popular kids are looking into the book versions of the tales or think that the movie version is the right one and telling their grandparents that their versions are wrong and not bothering to listen to them. It's kinda sad how we're actively watching a diverse oral tradition die out and be replaced by a homogenized written account that we don't even know how accurate it is.

[@GrimmShadowsII]

I grew up in the US and the stories I read/heard about Loki mostly painted him as a dick who didn't set out to do harm most of the time but also didn't care or atleast didn't consider the effect his actions would have on others. This could very well just be my interpretation.

[@srg24601]

@@GrimmShadowsII yeah I'm from the US too that's why I was always so interested in her versions. I really wish I knew other Swedish people so I could ask what they heard growing up. Over here the only versions are what's in mythology textbooks and accepted on an academic level. Her and her parents/grandmother are the only people I've heard with different interpretations.

[@catoninetails]

"Your saviour is here!" Was the first thing I thought of when I saw the notification 😂

[@lobosolo2884]

How about a compilation video on the Trickster Archetype through out all the myths legends and fables?

[@markuhler2664]

Second this

[@gabbyn978]

That would be a humonguous task. Be it the Coyote of the north american plains, rabbits and spiders in Africa, Till Uhlenspygel, Reinecke the fox, Sun Wu Kung (the Stone Monkey); their number is legion. Be prepared for a multi-partite series, then.

[@lobosolo2884]

@@gabbyn978 i would love a multi part series. Always been intrigued by the Trickster.

[@monkeydfaded]

I wonder does Loki still get the shit beat out of him constantly by Thor and an equivalent of the Jolly Green Giant and calls them puny

[@ezra2701]

As a worshipper of Loki (I'm pagan) I just gotta say he's a chill dude. I love Jon looking into him tho. It's really nice to see people being open to the real Loki

[@lunawolfheart336]

Hello fellow pagan

[@stephanieanne2352]

Hello fellow Norse pagans!

[@Endoplexer]

How do you worship loki?

[@ezra2701]

@@Endoplexer every pagan is different but I leave offerings at an alter for him. Ale, sweets, trinkets, etc. I also do acts of charity both for myself and for Loki (Loki appreciates acts of charity). Like I said, every pagan worships differently

[@Endoplexer]

@@ezra2701 interesting. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@JoeMama-kj7bq]

*Been waiting for this.*

[@DalkSarraroZerkulin]

I laughed so hard when loki cut thor's wife's hair. Hahaha that's so mean!

[@lunawolfheart336]

He aperently thought it was funny somehow

[@emiigriffin2929]

As a nordic follower, that was one of the MOST disrespectful things he could have done to her.

[@jmbiiesq]

I don’t know that much about Norse mythology, so every episode is as informative as it is entertaining

[@samuelmoore8611]

I actually wrote a book on Loki, "Loki: God of Rage" - just saying. I really like the character. He is change when the Nordic gods do not like change

[@bellaknightR597]

I'm starting to get why Hela looked like a female Loki in Thor: Ragnarok (did I spell it right)

[@OhGaaamon]

Norse mythology has so much to talk about, I vote speaking of mimir next 💯🔥

[@crunchybubblewrap]

the head 👨

[@omarreyes7626]

considering that modern games like "assassin's creed valhalla" and "god of war" picture the aisir as a*holes I still like loki, hell I've been reading some norse mythology and yeah, the aisir being a*holes seems accurate, thor and odin have done pretty messed up things.

[@dearingrogers2785]

I've always knew about the Marvel version of Thor but I honestly never got into Norse Mythology until I play the last GOW in 2018,after reading a lot of the comments about Loki made me wonder if Santa Monica Studios will have Atreus grow to be like man that Kratos raised or the sometimes lucky trickster that he's portrayed as in the Norse Myth

[@airicastarwall1349]

To be fair to Loki though, almost every god from just any mythology is pretty messed up

[@MrAtnarama7]

Personally I’m just soooooo happy that Jon included Sleipnir history.

[@PurpleLugia]

I’m kind of surprised John didn’t include a brief clip or image of Sleipnir from the part of the first Thor movie when Odin charged into Jotenheim to bring Thor and friends home. It’s just one of several awkward things that the Ultimate universe/MCU reassigned from the original myths.

[@charmaintrout174]

I declared as a young child that LOKI was my guardian angel. I still know this to be true. After watching this...Well..I'm more excited and scared then ever! I shall continue to be on my guard and chose my words wisely when I ask for help. Lol

[@lunawolfheart336]

You have any personal stories about him protecting you in any way or guiding you?

[@ashleymontgomery3967]

2k views in 12 minutes. Jon Solo the man,the myth, the legend.

[@Eyeseathem]

It’s not super ironic for the river to be named “Hope” because as long as the river flows, there is Hope that Fenrir will stay contained.

[@torcedrake]

Just thought I would throw this out there. It has been a while since I read this, but there are some who speculate, that Loki was actually a god of necessity. Yea, a lot of what he did could be called unmoral, but a lot of the tails about his antics end with a benefit to the gods.

[@TheCinnylovely]

This is so fun, hearing about the myths surrounding Loki. I'm currently playing Assasins Creed Valhalla, lots of stories mentioned in the video are referenced and even played out in the game. *light spoiler alert for the game* (sorry) so far i got some of fenrir's story and the builder who turned out to be a frost giant. Just wanted to share, if you like the myths i highly recommend the game. Either play it yourself or watch a lets play on KZbin!

[@jainabeard523]

Your videos are the only reason I know what day of the week it is

[@yvesforbesfloresii]

Can you please do the messed up origins of Freyja, a Norse goddess who is associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr* next? *In Old Norse, seiðr (sometimes anglicized as seidhr, seidh, seidr, seithr, seith, or seid) was a type of magic practiced in Norse society during the Late Scandinavian Iron Age.

[@Dragonmistress83]

And Freya is not an Aesir she is a Vanir as her brother Frey and Father Njord. Mother unknown sadly.

[@heloise_flores]

I love it when the intellectuals request for more awesome Norse sauce

[@Katzztar]

I heard there are two versions of Loki's origins. Oldest version had him as oath-brother to Odin and Odin, Thor & Loki would travel around with each other. Younger versions had him found as an infant after a war between Asgardians & Frost Giants and was fostered by Odin. I'm bit dissapointed that you didn't mention that there are two versions of Baldr's death. It was Icelandic versions that had Loki involved but the Danish one didn't.

[@Katzztar]

@@giovannibalbosa-mcintosh5119 In Marvel comics he was. It was a old Thor comic.

[@Katzztar]

I must have been distracted to not mention that. Wasn't it Snorri's version in the Icelandic version that says Loki caused Baldr's death? I always found that 'odd' (or most so much) once I found out that Snorri was a Christian that was writing down the legends. I couldn't find any other mentions of connecting Loki to Baldr's death in Icelandic lore except Snorri's version. I've held off blaming Snorri for putting his own spin on things, to make Loki the Lucifer of Norse myths, until I could find out if there were others predating Snorri making that connection.

[@lunawolfheart336]

One thing I love about loki is he's actually pretty gender fluid as there's multiple myths were he turns female. This happens with Odin too. Odin is also a trickster. Also just because loki might of coused the end of the world dosent mean he is evil. As the world is supposed to be reborn after that he's just a god who brings change weather that change is good or bad

[@theflowerhead]

I finally made it early. \0.0/ This should be fun. Thanks for helping us through the pandemic. I've been sick too. You give me some cool shit to binge through this depressing time. Thank you. *Edit: Also, your mario coin noise always messes me up. It's my text noise for the guy I'm dating.

[@thegeofam4677]

Him prefacing saying Loki doesn’t sound like Loki we love and know and getting half way through, just picturing Tom hiddleston cutting off thors wife’s hair....

[@VoodooAngel63]

I have heard of Loki referred to as "The Doer of Good and the Doer of Evil". He seems almost to be like Set in Egyptian, the creator of chaos which frightening but without chaos there is only static, nothing, nothing develops, nothing grows.

[@Logitah]

The funny thing is that I've always kinda liked him. This was wayyy before I even knew that Marvel had their own version of him. Yes he is an insufferable wanker, but he actually makes things happen and provides the world with the necessary element of chaos. Also, his killing of Baldur is most likely a Christian addition. In most versions of the tale, Loki isn't even mentioned.

[@glasshorse6893]

loki legit sounds like the youtube idea of a prankster. its either actual pranks... or him risking actual life and limb of anyone and everyone involved

[@mysticalarrow1]

Best way to round out my evening, Mythology video. Hell yah!

[@danielqualls-zh4ct]

So basically when Loki was told to give the twins his head, he zipped away in his magic shoes, that reminds me of that line from Forrest Gump. "Mama said these was my magic shoes, they would take me anywhare."

[@tigerlily2941]

Loki is still my favorite God in the north mythology and everything that you've explained on this episode is true I've done the research on the god. Also I feel as though if the gods had Shawn lucky respect and thanked him for when he did things right and proper he wouldn't have messed with them nearly as much and it would have probably prevented Ragnarok.

[@glennhalila8279]

The Artifact found used as a Hearthstone is quite a find. It actually explains a lot. Kinda like a picture is worth a thousand words.

[@sarawildheart8386]

I hope you do Celtic and Druidic mythology soon... My absolute favorite mythology/religion

[@itsdoofen]

I second this(人 •͈ᴗ•͈)

[@THEORDEROFSTARS]

9 is a holy number in Norse myth. (Odin hung from Ydrassil for 9 days, 9 worlds etc) so 9 words for Lokis death is actually very awesome.

[@renamon5658]

Finally my favorite Norse god gets a video on this channel

[@francescagreetham1804]

I love your intro music. Always makes me feel calm.

[@heathenly_aesthetic7233]

*Yes!!* My patron deity 🤌🏻🔥 Thank you for covering some of his stories

[@justineharper3346]

Wow. I didn’t know Loki was the father of Fenrir. You learn something new every day

[@bethmarriott9292]

Loki and Thor going on a buddy cop road trip to get Thor's hammer back though is one of the B E S T stories. Also the version of Baldur's death where the objects don't dive aside to avoid harming him, instead they just bounce off him harmlessly is so much more hilarious if you think about Thor dropping an entire mountain on him or something and it just bouncing off and creating a fjord

[@enzopalma5376]

21:55 Odins death isn’t avenged by Vali( Lokis son ), he’s avenged by Vidarr ( Odins son )

[@nyxonfleek5500]

Like always you did a great job at explaining him I don't necessarily hate the marvel one but the og one is wayyyy better

[@GrimmShadowsII]

Yeah the OG is really a trickster the Marvel one is more of a bratty little brother.

[@adex_1014]

Almost there Jon! One million subscribers, here we come !

[@tyrant-den884]

Snorri Sturlason sounds like such a fake name. "It was written by... Snore... Snorri! Snorri... Stir... Sturlason. It was written by Snorri Sturlason.

[@whymihere86]

Honestly, I do love explaining Sleipnir to people. It's fun to see their confusion and attempts at rationalizing the how's and whys

[@coffeewchanel6921]

Named my pup after Loki. He’s only 10 months old and have already made it known this was the perfect name for him 😂

[@davesaylor7829]

Loki shares some interesting parallels with Prometheus. -Both are descendants of the deposed ruling beings, kept around for their intelligence. -Both gave fire to man. -And both were chained to slabs to be tortured by animals for near eternity.

[@eliyoungblood4234]

Loki and his children are very misunderstood by everyone who doesn't have compassion.

[@Nani.101]

I needed to pause for a sec. Can we appreciate this glo up that we've seen over time? Jon looks good!

[@mazza4190]

I always believed Loki to be the god of fire. Mischief just part of the trickery of fire. Cool video. Cheers.

[@yokaihvk]

Im sick at home and I've been seeing your videos, they've brought me so much knowledge, but most of all joy because I'm learning something new with an entertaining person, thank you good sir for making my life much more enjoyable thes past weeks! Much love from Portugal 🇵🇹 ❤

[@LaineyBug2020]

Loki's like the scorpion from the frog & the scorpion fable. It's just his nature. Scorpions gotta sting, Loki's gotta stir sh!t up...

[@shreyan1698]

A Messed up origins video on the Vanir please. Like a video for Njord, Freya and Freyr each. It'll be interesting to hear your take on them.

[@martymcflyy6775]

I'm writing a Norse mythology inspired story and am still trying to figure out how to characterize him. Hopefully this will help!

[@feathers457]

Good luck! I hope it goes well :)

[@tijanamilenkovic3425]

@@feathers457 what do you think about The Messed Up Origins of Gravity Falls

[@GrimmShadowsII]

Honestly the easiest way to characterize him is someone who does whatever he wants to achieve something and when it fails does whatever he can to cover it up or punish whoever he views as the cause of it failing.

[@Sillygooseeeeee3]

Watch overly sarcastic production 's video on loki or any norse mythology video 👍

[@martymcflyy6775]

@@Sillygooseeeeee3 yeah I have

[@johnbrooks2122]

Ur best I've ever seen at this stuff, awesome job!!!

[@cobaltowl4553]

"I don't really like him (Loki)" 54 seconds in and this video already earned a like from me

[@raquellofstedt9713]

I mean, Loki´s that guy you have to do group work with who just can´t shut up and work, you know?

[@Maxine_haz06]

I remember when I went over mythology at school and I did a project on The Kidnapping of Idun which is a story that involves Loki that I thought was very interesting.

[@extoyshred2957]

Loki was originally just a prankster but christianity's influence turn him into a villian

[@lunawolfheart336]

Yup becuse christens don't like any kind of fun or not fitting into their tinny little box so anything outside of that is audimadicly evil

[@PhazonOmega]

To be fair, the Aesir put themselves in that situation with the wall builder. I have heard another perspective (Red from OSP) that Loki actually kept the Aesir in their place, all things considered. But that's the thing about Norse mythology: it's old, broken, and open a bit to interpretation.

[@asyaharel3707]

I knew about some of these myths from "magnes chace" but now I understand them.

[@mariaochenas3634]

I still love him. He just causes drama for everyone and everything and tries to get himself or the gods out of it.