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When I announced the publication of Loki for You, I came across something truly surprising. There are Heathens who are afraid of Loki. Some are so afraid that they will not even say his name! This is truly amazing. In a religion which prides itself on courage, how can we account for such fear?
The position of Loki is a matter of controversy for many Heathens. Is he indeed a God equal to the others? Is he the Betrayer of Asgard and the Foe of Mankind? Is Loki just a typical Trickster deity? Could Loki the God be different from the Loki who storms Asgard? Is Loki to be acknowledged, worshiped or ignored?
A good, solid Heathen would be willing to ask these questions. Sadly, some avoid them altogether due to fear. And what is it that they fear? is it that by saying Loki’s name, they may invoke him into their lives? That looking into Loki may so offend the Aesir and it will bring retribution? That contact with Loki will contaminate them?
Doesn’t this sound more like Christians and the Devil than Heathens and Loki?
Many Christians quiver in fear at their Devil. They are afraid to say his name, be it Satan or Lucifer. They think his “number” is 666, and so fear that, too. There have been Christians who were appalled to be issued license plates that included 666 in the numbers. Since when do Heathens behave like devil-fearing Christians?
Fear is what keeps a religion wallowing in snivelling superstition. Fear is what allows religion to be used as a weapon to browbeat and cow the people. Fear is what makes religious people cringe on their knees, rather than stand tall for the Gods. And what is there to fear? Just because one record of an old myth sounds bad, is that cause to be in mortal terror at the name of Loki? Maybe that record has errors. Of course, some folks are afraid to think that the Eddas might be flawed. Just as Christians treat their Bible as an infallible sacred cow, so do some Heathens try to Vaticanize the Eddas. They are all afraid that if they do not take their scriptures as if they were written in stone, they might get in “trouble.”
Loki is not the boogey man.
Loki is not the Devil
Ponder the story of Utgard Loki. It tells of a Jotun named Utgard Loki (Outsider Loki, loosely translated). He sets up three tests for Thor, Loki and Thjalfi. Here we find Loki the God versus “Outsider Loki” the Jotun. Could it be that somehow, in compiling the Eddas, the scribe may have gotten these two confused?
As some have speculated, could Loki have been confused with a fire-jotun named Logr or Logn?
Could the Ragnarok myth been tampered to satisfy the Christians, and thus turn Loki into an Adversary. Or might it be that Loki is just a mythic convenience in the Ragnarok tale?
There are many more questions to ponder. You cannot muse over these queries if you are in abject horror of Loki. Fear inhibits objectivity. Heathens need to think objectively rather than let this Loki-fear keep them back.
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If you would like a starting point for your inquiries, let me suggest our latest work, the bookLoki for You . Here you get to understand more of Loki’s place in the everyday world and his interaction with human society. We also include the Runes as Loki would see them. If you are Heathen enough, then buy the book and draw your own conclusion. Be warned: Loki for You is not written in an apologetic or “watered down” style. This is strong stuff for stalwart folks. It gives you the facts so that you can decide how you choose to view the God of Mischief.
Click the link below to order!