July For Loki Using 30 Days Of Deity Devotion Prompts, Day 7 Names And Epithets

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 7 • Names and epithets

•Loptr: airy one or lofty one, from the Old Norse lopt (air, sky, or heavens). One of my favorite bynames for Loki, it underlines its bond to the element Air and I find it so fascinating!

•Gammleið: Vulture’s-Path, possibly a kenning for Air itself too, but even more intriguing when we think that Vulture is a scavenger animal, and Fire, Loki’s main element, is also a way to the Otherworld through the sacred ritual of cremation. So, is Loki a Death god too? In my experience, he totally is.

•Lóður: some see Lóður as a god on his own, but I agree with Dagulf Loptson’s analysis and think that’s another name of Loki. Lóður, with Óðinn and Hœnir, basically creates humanity: as they were walking together on a beach they came across two fallen trees, Askr (ash) and Embla (elm). Each god blessed them with a gift: Óðinn with önd (breath), Hœnir with óð (spirit or senses), Lóður with lá (blood?) and litu góða (good color). When Loki meets the Jötunn Þrymr, he calls him Lóður

•Vé: in Gylfaginning, Snorri replaces the names Hœnir and Lóður with the even more mysterious names Vili (will) and Vé (shrine). Assuming Lóður and Loki are the same, so should be Vé and Loki.

•Hveðrung, Roarer, probably a reference to his being a god of Fire.

•Inn Bundi Áss: The Bound God, referred to Loki’s punishment of being imprisoned and tied in a cave, waiting for Ragnarök.

•Frumkveða Flærðanna: Father of Lies, which is funny, because though Loki is of course cunning and smart, and more than capable of using lies to get out of trouble, his devotees know him for being, in fact, the god of truth. Harsh truths, too, but true all the same.

•Inn Slægi Áss: The Cunning God, what were we saying? Yes, he’s sly as a Fox, and brings the Æsir precious gifts thanks to this, not to mention how often he gets them out of trouble.

•Goða Dólgr: Enemy of Gods, one can’t blow the Nine Worlds to Helheim without being considered an enemy of these touchy Æsir.

•”Föðurbróður, vársinna ok sessa Óðins ok ása”, from Skáldskaparmál, Prose Edda: “brother, comrade, and table companion of Óðinn and the gods”. This pretty much explains itself.

Art: Loki as Gammleið by Dagulf Loptson

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 18 • How does Loki stand in terms of gender and sexuality? (Historical and/or UPG)

“A heart ate Loki,-- | in the embers it lay,

And half-cooked found he | the woman's heart;--

With child from the woman | Lopt soon was,

And thence among men | came the monsters all.”*

{{*Hyndluljóð (The Poem of Hyndla), Poetic Edda}}

Loki is famous for being a shapeshifter, and shifting through genders is one of his abilities for sure. In the myths he is usually described as male, and a very handsome one too, but there are a few exceptions. In Þrymskviða (“The Lay of Thrym”), Thor and Loki pretend to be Freyja and her handmaiden to get Mjölnir back from Jötunn king Thrym. Thor is in disguise and keeps his pronouns, but for Loki the text uses female pronouns when in disguise, which suggests a slightly deeper transformation on his (her) behalf. Another famous example you might be familiar with: in Gylfaginning (“The Beguiling of Gylfi”), Loki turns himself into a mare to lure the stallion Svaðilfœri away from his work. They run away together, and when Loki returns to Ásgarðr he is pregnant with Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse destined to become Óðinn’s steed. Speaking of Óðinn, it’s good ol’ Grímnir himself to reveal, in the Lokasenna, that Loki spent 8 years in a cave as a milkmaid tending cows, and there gave birth to a number of children while in female form. Curiously enough, Loki reminds Óðinn that he spent quite some time among men “in witch’s guise” as well. So you see, even the mighty Óðinn is not strictly male, according to such myths. What does it tell us? That these two are blood brothers for a reason, just for a start. Then, it gives us lots of food for thought.

Last but not least, the one that for me is among the most fascinating episodes in all of Norse mythology. In the above mentioned Hyndluljóð, Loki eats the heart of a woman and then gives birth to monstrous children. As the story goes, an evil woman (a “witch”) had been burnt (three times?) by the Æsir. Is she Gullveig? Is Gullveig Angrboða? Not the place to discuss this. What matters here is, her heart survived, half-burnt. Loki finds it and eats it - but why? Is it a metaphor of the crematory Fire? Maybe there is a deeper reason in the fact that the heart was considered the home of the principle of life and of the soul itself, so by eating the woman’s heart Loki was probably able to absorb her female magic and wisdom… So much so that he then gives birth to children, monstrous ones of course - much like their siblings born from him and Angrboða. Or maybe, just maybe, such monstrous children are a metaphor for magical powers and actions that were believed to be evil as the tales were being written down later in time? Who knows… who knows… 

In my personal experience, Loki remains mainly male. I call him Faðir (father), and refer to him with male pronouns, but as you can see using female or neutral ones is not wrong at all. 

I’m sorry there’s not enough space here to discuss these themes in a more elaborate ways, there would be plenty to say, but I hope I gave you some interesting hints to think about.

Art: The God of Mischief by NickRoblesArt

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 17 • How does this deity relate to other gods and other pantheons?

As a multi-pantheon pagan, honoring deities from Nordic and Celtic tradition, I can say they go along well - in my case, at least. Same for Loki and other deities from the Nordic pantheon, at least the ones I happened to celebrate outside his own family. I know some had different experiences, but that's so personal I think there's no other way to find out than try.

One thing I'll say, though. Each of us that is called to serve the deities, is called to do so in different ways. From some of us, one specific deity could claim a special kind of devotion. That's my case with Loki - obviously. He never asked me to celebrate him and him alone, but in my case he can be pretty exacting in terms of time and energy - which is lovely of course, feeling him present and near! Even so, I manage to dedicate some time to my other deities too, whenever I feel called to do so, and it's never been a problem. On the contrary, Loki is curious by nature, and often encourages us to explore beyond what we know.

Art: It's a Shapeshifter Thing by slysilver42 on DeviantArt

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 12 • Places associated with Loki and his worship

To my knowledge, there are no places associated with Loki’s worship, but some places carry (or once carried) his name. Loki-Fögrufjöll, a volcano in Iceland, aka Hamarinn or Lokahryggur, is a modern example of a place named after him. The volcano was named in modern times, but it’s still interesting! Lockbol, Luckabol, Lockesta, and Locastum were Swedish places probably named after him (“Loke In Younger Tradition”, Axel Olrik). In the Faroe Islands we still find Lokkafelli (Loki’s Fell). Transcending Miðgarð, the largest volcanic depression on Io, one of Jupiter’s moons, is named Loki Patera, and it contains an active lava lake. As you can see, volcanoes are very dear to Loki, and if we think of his Hveðrung (Roarer) aspect it's no surprise.

Apart from volcanoes, which I still have to try, I personally find it easy to connect with him in a variety of locations. In the open air, among the wild mountains, the nearer to the top, the better. He seems to enjoy high open spaces, much like a Hawk or a Vulture, in fact. Mountains, woods, rivers, all rich with life, allow me to meet the animals that are dear to him, so they're great places to commune both with their spirits and with Loki himself. Same goes for the Sea: salt water, strong winds and possibly hot Sun create a marvelous environment to get in touch with him. But let's not forget Loki is also a keeper of the hearth, therefore home is a great place to honor him! No need for majestic altars if you can't have one, a simple burner with a bit of coffee or some nice food prepared with love and intent will suffice.

Pic of Fagradalsfjall volcano eruption by Brian Emfinger

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 15 • Any mundane practices that are associated with this deity?

In my experience, Loki is a very multidimensional god, so there are a number of things we can do that please him. He’s not one to ask for huge, solemn rituals to celebrate him - though he doesn’t despise one, mind you: but that’s not the only nor main way to honor him. For example, he’s associated with a number of animals, both from the lore and from modern paganism sources. Fly, Spider, Vulture, Hawk, Fox, Salmon, Wolf (UPG?), Snake, and the list could go on, but it gives you the idea: in our everyday life, we can help “his” animals, or better yet animals in general since he seems to love them all. How? By not killing the critters in our house, for a start, but rather set them free outside. Then, according to our possibilities, we can either make a donation to, or volunteer in, an animal shelter. Loki is a god that stands up in defense of the victims of all kinds, so to honor him we can try and do the same by defending someone who’s being victimized, or again, we can donate to/volunteer in associations and such helping those in need. Along with Sigyn, they’re both very protective of children, so consider doing the same, the way you prefer. Then, of course, there are the Dead. Loki is very much a Death god in my practice, so taking care of the Dead can be a great way to homage him. Basically, since he’s usually ever so present in the lives of his devotees, whatever you do can be a way to honor him, as long as the intent is there. Experiment, do what you feel, listen to him and find your ways, that will always be my advice.

Art: Witch by Erlyenda

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 13 • What modern cultural issues are closest to Loki’s heart?

Many. 

Loki has a big heart. It burns with love for the oppressed, and with rage towards the oppressors. If you're a victim of injustice, whatever form of injustice, you can trust him for help. He's very protective of his devotees, and he understands the burden of being an outcast; an innocent blamed for something they didn't do; someone cruelly punished for following their own nature. He understands. And he stands with us. He fights by our side for our chains to be shattered, he does so from the beginning of time itself.

There are many things that just don't work in our society. Hate and discrimination still go strong. So if you're among the hated, know that you will always find comfort in him. Maybe you're part of the LGBTQ+ community and you struggle with people around you; maybe your skin, or your accent, or your life choices are different from your judging neighbours'; maybe you're a woman fighting for her body; maybe you're a man who doesn't wanna be like the society taught you to be; maybe you're a frightened child, hiding in a corner, calling for their Dad. Well. He's there. Call him by his name, and he will comfort you. And his love will heal the bruises of the hate. And his flame will burn the haters' hearts. Call him. We should all call him to teach us how to set ourselves free and help us destroy this sick nightmare that's dying around us, before it drags us down in its own grave.

Art: Loki by Run1and1hide