July For Loki Using 30 Days Of Deity Devotion Prompts, Day 9 Common Mistakes About Loki

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 9 • Common mistakes about Loki

Countless. So here are just a few I've heard myself.

•He's evil, "the Norse Satan" (as if Satan was originally evil himself, but that's another story). False. No deity is good or evil, but I guess it's easier to separate rather than consider the whole of reality.

•He's the bad boy of Ásgarðr, rebel without a cause, always messing around. False. He definitely knows how to create Chaos, and enjoys it from time to time, but he mostly loves to travel the Nine Worlds and take good care of his family and his people.

•He's dangerous to "work with". May be true, it wholly depends on your attitude - but isn't that so for any spirit/entity/deity?

•He will destroy your life. False. He will destroy what needs to be burnt, only to let what really matters grow free. That may include a huge part of the false truths you built around and for yourself. but would you rather live in constant denial of who you are?

•He will lie to you. Absolutely false. He will tear you apart with the hardest truths you never had the courage to face, he'll guide you and show you how to deal with them, and you'll be finally free.

•His devotees are dangerous people. Well. If I may say so myself. Just joking! Us lokeans generally tend to be respectful and inclusive people. You can always find the occasional arsehole, as everywher; but maybe because most of us experienced hard times in our lives, we tend to be compassionate towards others. Of course, Loki also teaches us not to take bullshit from anyone, so if you consider growing tired of your unfairness being a bad person, then yes, a lokean would probably very bad for you.

Art: Loki is scheming the murder of Baldr by joan789 on DeviantArt

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 23 • Your own composition – a piece of writing about or for Loki

Loki, my beloved Faðir.

You called me your Dóttir, and I hope to live by the name.

Loki, always the outcast.

Loki, always the wrong one.

Loki, always the beaten one.

And yet, you shine bright still.

You experienced pain, fetters and venom.

And yet, you shine to show us the way.

Show me your way, Faðir.

Teach it to me.

Imprisoned yet unfettered one, 

show all of us how to be free, 

and help us.

Help us see the light, Harbinger of Fire.

Help us make the cave we’re trapped in collapse.

Help us destroy what needs to be destroyed.

Guide us through Ragnarok and beyond.

Written November 30, 2021. I still feel this very much in my heart.

Art: Chaos Incarnate by OFools on DeviantArt

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 16 • How do you think this deity represents the values of their pantheon and cultural origins?

In the surviving myths, Loki plays the Trickster: smart, intelligent, funny, full of tricks (resources), not following any rule. Crossing all boundaries, breaking all rules, the Trickster is the one who destroys what is old and stagnant. Of course he is also a jokester and a prankster, given the right circumstances, but I wouldn't recommend taking him lightly. Tricksters are common around the world: just to mention a couple of Loki's colleagues, we find Anansi the Spider, Br'er Rabbit and Leuk Rabbit in West Africa (and therefore in the Caribbean due to the slave trade), Hermes in Greece, Coyote and Raven among Native American and First Nations mythologies… they have very much in common, though of course each has their own specific character. They're not one and the same, no more than two people with the same interests are one singular person. So, what does a Trickster like Loki tell about the cultures celebrating him? That these people knew the importance of Change, and knew Chaos is often needed to bring it forward. It is necessary to accept Chaos in our lives along with Order, in a difficult yet essential balance, the infinite cycle of Life, Death and Rebirth. Not only that: in his adventures, Loki often displays useful virtues, such as intelligence, shrewdness, diplomacy… these bring amazing gifts to the Æsir, and often get him out of trouble (or into trouble, but nevermind). I assume these qualities were considered as important as physical strength, and it’s no surprise. Loki, as most Tricksters, is also very well versed in seiðr and magic in general. This may be a bit controversial since in the infamous Lokasenna the practice seiðr is brought up basically as an insult, but let’s not stop at the surface. The great goddess Freyja is a mistress of witchcraft and seiðr, and is said to have taught it, or at least some of it, to none less than Óðinn. We know Loki masters the art, since he can shapeshift into basically anything he wants. It would be logical to assume seiðr, witchcraft, and whatever kind of magic, were probably not only accepted, but held in great consideration among Nordic people, since great two beloved divinities like Freyja and Óðinn practiced them. So, even though being well versed in magic is part of the Trickster's job, I'd dare to say this knowledge was probably very much respected in Loki too. So, does this answer today’s prompt? No. I found this question rather dull myself, so a rather dull answer seemed appropriate. 

Art: Loki by Bubaben on DeviantArt

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 21 • Music that makes you think of this deity

Bulletproof Heart by My Chemical Romance will never fail to make me think about him (and Sigyn, too). Check the lyrics and you might get a clue of the reason why. Plus, it’s so catchy I just can picture him rocking to this!

Gravity don't mean too much to me,

I'm who I've got to be,

These pigs are after me, after you,

Run away like it was yesterday

And we could run away,

If we could run away,

Run away from here!

I got a bulletproof heart,

You got a hollow point smile,

We and your run away scars

Got a photograph dream on the getaway mile.

Let's blow a hole in this town,

And do our talking with the laser beam,

Coming out of this place

In a bullet's embrace,

Then we'll do it again!

How can they say, Jenny, could you come back home?

'Cause everybody knows you don't

Ever wanna come back,

Let me be the one to save you!

Gravity don't mean too much to me,

I'm who I've got to be,

These pigs are after me, after you,

Run away like it was yesterday

When we could run away,

When we could run away, run away from here.

I'm shooting out of this room

Because I sure don't like the company,

You stop your preaching right there

'Cause I really don't care,

And I'll do it again.

So get me outta my head,

'Cause it's getting quite cramped, you know,

Coming ready or not,

When the motor gets hot

We can do it again!

The papers say, Johnny, won't you come back home?

'Cause everybody knows you don't

Wanna give yourself up,

Tell the truth and God will save you…

Gravity don't mean too much to me,

I'm who I've got to be,

These pigs are after me, after you,

Run away like it was yesterday

When we could run away,

When we could run away, run away from here.

And though I know how much you hate this,

Are you gonna be the one to save us

From the black and hopeless feeling,

Will you meet 'em when the end comes reeling?

Hold your heart into this darkness,

Will it ever be the light to shine you out,

Or fail and leave you stranded,

Or are you gonna be the one left standing?

You're gonna be the one left standing…

You're gonna be the one left standing…

Gravity don't mean too much to me,

Is this our destiny?

This world is after me, after you,

Run away like it was yesterday,

And we could run away, run away, run away,

Run away from here…

Yeah, away from here…

Away from here…

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 20 • Art that reminds you of Loki

Very tough choice, as there is a lot of excellent art that reminds me of Loki, both dedicated to him or not. Among all the spectacular pieces out there, I chose this picture called Ginger Trickster by erebus-odora on DeviantArt for a particular reason. It’s the closest portrait of Loki as he appeared to me the first time he showed his face (at least that I can remember of), between 2011 and 2012. I was perfectly aware that it was him, though he chose Tom Hiddleston’s face. Yeah, yeah, silly fangirl projecting pagan fantasies on an actor, right? Wrong. Because when you’re in the presence of a deity, you can FEEL their energy, no matter what face they choose. Btw, later on I discovered, talking with other people too, that Loki does enjoy Tom’s portrayal of his MCU version, so I guess it’s no wonder that he chose a similar aspect to show up to me that night. And he had flowing red/cinnamon hair, bright yet dark green eyes, lips with scars from the accident with the Dwarves, just like this picture. So, of course my heart skips a beat everytime I see this wonderful piece of art. And I know there’s lots of prejudice, lots of people thinking that lokeans enjoying MCU Loki along with being devoted to the god Loki are just fakes, wannabes or whatever; this post is especially dedicated to them and to the people who were victims of such prejudice. If my experience is worth anything, and I hope it is (otherwise I don’t know why I’m writing this stuff out here), that’s just not true. Some people may daydream of having spiritual experiences when they’re just not, projecting their own fantasies into those unreal experiences, yes. But just because a deity shows up in a modern or even fancy aspect, it doesn’t mean the experience is faux. Each of us is the only one that knows which deity is talking to them, deep down inside we can feel it. And no one can tell others what is right or what is wrong, or how a deity should manifest or not. So, the moral of this post is, nevermind the bollocks. Which, incidentally, is a great lesson Loki loves to teach to his devotees.

Art: Ginger Trickster by erebus-odora on DeviantArt