LOKI

Also known as LOKE, LODER, LOKKJU, LOPTER, LOPTI, LOKI-LAUFEYJARSON

The notoriously naughty Norse Trickster Rascal

One of the world's major Trickster Gods, in his early days LOKI was a rascal; crafty, sneaky, silly and malicious — a Loki The Lad. The son of two giants, LAUFEY and FARBAUTI, he was so outrageously mischievous that he even sneaked his way into becoming a God. He was the first anti-hero, quick-witting his way out of the tight corners and confrontations caused by his misdeeds. But as time wore on he became increasingly nasty.

LOKI came up with the plan of contracting a Giant to do the job. As payment, the Giant asked for the Sun and Moon and also the Goddess FREYA if the work was completed to schedule. The Gods were not too sure. "Don't worry," advised LOKI. "He'll never manage it on his own, even if he works night and day — and the deal will be off. We'll let him keep the wheelbarrow or something."

Alas, the Giant was not on his own. He had a huge stallion called Svadilfari, which could haul boulders like there was no tomorrow. With three days to go, FREYA was in distress and the Gods aghast.

Now LOKI, like fire and smoke, was a shape-changer from the word go. A talent he'd developed to make him the shiftiest transmogrifier of all time — from flea to fish to fast flying feathers in 0.3 seconds. So he changed himself into a mare and seduced the Giant's stallion. By whinnying and prancing off into the woods, Svadilfari was led far away from the stone pile.

With his horse missing, the Giant didn't quite make the schedule. Seething with rage, he tried to take FREYA by force — until THOR cracked his skull with his hammer.

Meanwhile LOKI was having a fine old time frolicking in the fields. In fact he became pregnant, and decided to sample the joys of motherhood. He gave birth to a fine baby boy stallion with eight legs. He gave this as a gift to ODIN and it was called SLEIPNIR.

LOKI was now well in with top God ODIN and his son THOR, with whom he shared numerous adventures. THOR, the perfect fall guy, was persuaded to appear in drag as the prospective bride of a giant and other embarrassments. THOR could always be relied on to supply the muscle when corners became too tight for trickery.

LOKI had many run-ins with the dwarves, which he cheated at any opportunity until they stitched him up. Literally. They stitched his mouth shut, which kept him quiet for quite some time.

LOKI never missed an opportunity to take advantage of any Goddess, but he already had at least a couple of wives. The first was ANGRBODA, a giantess who spawned FENRIR the Giant Wolf, JORMUNGAND the Earth-encircling Serpent, and HEL the Underworld Goddess. Next was his wife SIGYN, who produced their ill-fated sons NARVI and VALI(2).

He also managed to sneak himself another wife — or did he? It is only by assiduous research that we have discovered the truth about the mysterious GLUT.

For further LOKI adventures, click your way to ANDVARI, FAFNIR, GEIRROD, THIASSI and BALDUR. We are still investigating the mysterious theft of FREYA's precious necklace Brisingamen. A flea was seen to flee the scene, and as a well-known god of bed-hopping, fingers of suspicion are already pointing at you-know-who.

As the most scandalous God of all time, LOKI was seldom out of the Nordic News or the Sunday Runes. But his tricks came to an end after causing the death of BALDUR. Now he's trapped in eternal punishment until RAGNAROK rolls around.