Post by Laurasia on Sept 16, 2006 12:10:46 GMT -5
The jokester of Valhalla became its' chief villain towards the end of the legend cycle, & set forth the events that brought the realm of the Gods to an end. Yet it is thought that in doing so he was acting as an agent for that which was fated to happen. Loki is a very real personage & a very real God, & whatever is said by those who comment on the Eddas, is is still very real today. The legends should be viewed as giving not only his good features of humor, wit, questioning, pranks & parodies, but the darker side of these aspects as well - an object lesson of what can happen when these go wrong. The darkness that slowly rose in Loki's personality can happen very actually in the soul & spirit of any human being, & can eventually have similar destructive consequences. He is like the child portion in each & all of us: either fun-loving or destructive.
Also, he can be a personification of a sometimes dark aspect of the Great Goddess known in the most ancient legends of all peoples & all lands, named in Northern Europe as Erda, Erce, or Hulda, & along the rim of the Mediterranean as Euronyme. There are times when destruction is needed & inevitable, to clear away the decadence of the past. Robert Graves most aptly wrote her words:
When the water stinks
I break the dam.
In love I break it.
Loki would not want to mention "love", but he would break the dam anyway.
Loki is Thor's half-brother, being born from the Elder Gods who held sway before Valhalla. The legends state that Odin, Thor & Loki went on many adventures together, & together accomplished great deeds.
He has domain over fire, & is a master magician & conjurer as well as a shape-changer. Bearing always in mind Loki's dark side as well as his good one, he is most valuable as a witty, entertaining acquaintance, & someone to call upon when his positive aspects are needed. Additionally, his cleverness & sharp wit are most useful in dealing with the deceptiveness & decadence of a world which has lost the Old Ways.
Loki represents both our divine intelligence & also the freewill whereby we can choose for good or ill, & if we make a mistake, to correct it. He typifies the human mind: on one hand clever, foolish, immature. On the other hand, he personifies the elevating, aspiring traits in human intelligence.
Taken from the book "The Rites of Odin" by Ed Fitch
Also, he can be a personification of a sometimes dark aspect of the Great Goddess known in the most ancient legends of all peoples & all lands, named in Northern Europe as Erda, Erce, or Hulda, & along the rim of the Mediterranean as Euronyme. There are times when destruction is needed & inevitable, to clear away the decadence of the past. Robert Graves most aptly wrote her words:
When the water stinks
I break the dam.
In love I break it.
Loki would not want to mention "love", but he would break the dam anyway.
Loki is Thor's half-brother, being born from the Elder Gods who held sway before Valhalla. The legends state that Odin, Thor & Loki went on many adventures together, & together accomplished great deeds.
He has domain over fire, & is a master magician & conjurer as well as a shape-changer. Bearing always in mind Loki's dark side as well as his good one, he is most valuable as a witty, entertaining acquaintance, & someone to call upon when his positive aspects are needed. Additionally, his cleverness & sharp wit are most useful in dealing with the deceptiveness & decadence of a world which has lost the Old Ways.
Loki represents both our divine intelligence & also the freewill whereby we can choose for good or ill, & if we make a mistake, to correct it. He typifies the human mind: on one hand clever, foolish, immature. On the other hand, he personifies the elevating, aspiring traits in human intelligence.
Taken from the book "The Rites of Odin" by Ed Fitch
