Loki: 5 Big Misconceptions
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- Опубліковано 1 чер 2024
- Five of the biggest misconceptions about the Norse god Loki.
Jackson Crawford, Ph.D.: Sharing real expertise in Norse language and myth with people hungry to learn, free of both ivory tower elitism and the agendas of self-appointed gurus. Visit jacksonwcrawford.com/ (includes bio and linked list of all videos).
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Melissa Winters at Berkeley reminds me that, ultimately, the idea of Loki as a god of fire comes from Jacob Grimm's 'Deutsche Mythologie' (a work of genius and, I'd add, insane speculation), and that Grimm's book is also Wagner's (self-acknowledged) source for the idea.
does that idea come from Farbuti&Laufeys' personification as "lightning&tree"?
@@jill9133 That's possible
I think the idea stems from his similarities to Prometheus (a giant and a trickster deity rebelling against the gods who is punished by being chained to a mountain and tortured.) The problem with this theory is that there is no surviving Norse variant of a myth where humans are taught how to use fire, and Loki is punished for a very different reason than Prometheus. The only possible connection between Loki and fire in Norse mythology is if the Lóðurr that appears in Völuspá as the god giving Askr and Embla lá (which is sometimes translated as something akin to 'warmth of life') happens to be Loki. The fire Lóðurr gives is not necessarily physical in nature, though, so it's not really strong evidence for Loki as a god of fire.
@@kjetilhansen5363 House fire place " hearth fire."
Prussian/ German region, if your children gets burnt, the parents would say, " Playing with Loki again ?"
My extend born German hard core Lutheran family, and my great grand father, veteran German officer in WW I would joke every time he fire up the ovens in his father in laws barker in US Florida, " Give me a moment to ask for Loki's blessing." in joking tone.
I found out when I was 17, during 1994 that my German family has a hidden Angrboda wolf mother witchcraft cult in their ranks. All the children & young adults just though they had a tradition of telling silly folk tales with moral meanings. Since I was practicing my own bootleg version of Wicca mix with Asian martial arts, I was brought into the traditions one summer.
the twin loki amulets found had garnets for eyes which were representative of fire is what I was taught?
"There are some cool apples over here wanna go see em' ?" - Loki
To be fair, the most effective lies are the simple ones.
And while you're at it I've got just the *greatest* cask of mead in my cellar...
He didn't really have the choice : it was death or that.
You wanna shoot this spear at your brother? - Loki
@@ivydraws3245 yes, can I have the spear?
When I was in college 35 years ago studying this stuff our professor cautioned us against viewing Loki as an analog for Satan. he said that he was Merely a trickster, and this sometime agent of chaos, and sometimes a sidekick, and sometimes comedy relief. But he was not inherently absolutely evil like the Christian concept of the devil. We had trouble understanding this the way I was explaining it, so ultimately he said "the closest modern American equivalent would probably be Daffy duck. "
Then we were all like "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."
I realize how much of an understatement that is, but it was really useful for getting us out of that mindset at the time
It's interesting that in the Middle ages (at least according to some Wikipedia article I read once, so you know, top quality sourcing) Satan himself often appears in stories as comic relief, and while he was seen to pose a threat, he wasn't seen as the inherent cause of evil, nor even a particularly omnipotent being - I guess in these stories he is often tricked by Saints and Angels and sometimes even just normal people. I remember the article mentioning that the modern concept of Satan developed in tangent to the Witch trials mania; Probably should double check this info though.
Jared Bowden The modern Christian concept of Satan as a sort of evil anti-God isn't particularly biblical. At no point in the New Testament is Satan's ability shown to be anywhere near that of God or Jesus. He is definitely a foe but he is pretty much defeated the moment The gospels start, and whenJesus goes off in the wilderness satan is pretty much pleading with him and failing to strike a bargain. So he is definitely the bad guy, but he's not much of a threat. Personally it has always appealed to me that the major bad guys in the New Testament are humans, not supernatural beings.
Headed to the old testament concept of Satan, well, it was more convoluted. Satan, the serpent, Lucifer, and Bealzebub are simply not the same character. They are unrelated supernatural bad guys, and they were conflated into one character by Gentile Christians who didn't really know any better. And it could be argued that in the old testament Satan was unpleasant, but not necessarily evil. He appears more like God's bouncer. And the serpent is pretty clearly just a trickster character.
It's really pretty interesting how these concepts evolve over time. That said, I can't remember any moments of comedy relief off the top of my head. I'm not saying there aren't any, just that I'm an old man and my memory is faulty. If you look into it on your own and find out anything, I'd be really interested to hear what you find out.
By this metric, wouldn't Odin be Buggs Bunny?
Orksy Funny! But, no, it's not a metric. There's no 1:1 correlation, he was just trying to get across the concept of a "Trickster," which is kind of a tough concept if you were raised in an Abrahamic culture 30-40 years ago.
But Odin would totally be Yosemite Sam.
Perhaps Wile E. Coyote would be a fit? Always trying to get one over the Gods, but with more success.
“Loki isn’t a tempter”
The stallion: Sure about that?
😄
For all the bad things Loki does in the stories, he is also responsible for a lot of things that gives the Aesir their power. I imagine that if Loki was consciously attributed any type of special role in the myths, then it was probably mostly as a trickster, rather than any Satanic archetype. He seems like a necessary element of chaos, to keep things from stagnating.
Loki is Vegeta. The author doesn't like him or necessarily want to use him. But he moves the story along.
I think it's a misconception to view Loki as a trickster. As Crawford mentions he lies all the time but they are simple lies to get himself out of whatever situation he has gotten himself into. He does not create elaborate schemes with the intention of leading people astray.
Loki is a classic 'trickster' god. But, more importantly, Loki is the 'Lawyer' of the Aesir. Any time they want to break a contract, they send for Loki.
Ursula Le Guin always said that she couldn't stand Wagner because she read the actual Norse myths first when she was a kid.
About Loki being a liar ... as Red over at Overly Sarcastic Productions observed, he's honestly not that much more deceitful than the other gods, and in fact sometimes Loki's role is to be the Designated Cheater who operates with the other gods' blessing. I'm thinking especially of that story where he turns into a mare to seduce that giant's work-horse: the other gods needed someone to cheat on their behalf, and Loki did the cheating for them. That doesn't make the other gods blameless in any way.
Very true. Loki doesn't become a hated villain among the gods until he causes the death of Balder.
@@losthor1zon Baldur’s death is the only unequivocally bad thing I can think of that he did, tbh. Even the thing with Idunn was self-preservation, and he ended up fixing it anyway.
Every telling of it I’ve seen seems to play it as “Baldur made everyone happy so Loki killed him because he hates happiness” which... no?
I can’t help but think it was a vengeance thing related to the binding of his monster-kids.
@P Ciprian - Well, that is the story. It's not presented as "this was the gods' opinion".
@P Ciprian - 1) Taking such stories as "factual" (or as supposed to be such) is in itself a mistake, IMO
2) Several of the stories involve supernatural events, so even if the gods themselves aren't "doing" anything supernatural, it's very much part of the lore. And part of Odin's mixed reputation has to do with his taking up the (supernatural) practice of seidr, which in Norse culture was strictly the domain of women. (Men who practiced it were distrusted and feared.)
I'm just doubtful about your premise that these stories about the gods reflected on any earthly ruler.
Now, in a saga involving historical or semi-historical personages? That could well be a factor!
@P Ciprian - just to clarify, seidr is the shamanistic practice of going into trance and either having visions or (presumed) communication with spirits.
Didn't expect to see a page from Deities & Demigods whilst watching Jackson Crawford. It's great to see that D&D is so much more prevalent than when I was a kid.
Loki to Idunna: "How 'bout these apples?" ;)
"I have a sense of who Loki is when I sit down on a table with him, just as with Thor" probably the best description of the Norse Myths and how different they are from other myths.
Not completely different: you could easily say the same thing with the Irish and Welsh myths too. There are probably even more that fit that criteria.
I just put down one of your books to watch this.
I had heard some time ago that there is a star for Loki and that it keeps us warm in winter but drives us mad in summer. I'll have to search for that source again. --- found on myths and folklore wiki.
The most famous landmark from heathen Scandinavia that bears Loki's name is Sirius, the “Dog Star”, was known in Scandinavia as Lokabrenna (“Loki's Torch”). Still looking for the original source.
I think the Valhalla comics by Peter Madsen have a nice portrayal of Loki. He is kind of a schemer, but it's usually only to save his own hide, or to attain some kind of selfish but short-sighted goal. He's not some grand mastermind villain who opposes the other gods.
I think it goes a bit too far in the other direction tho. Madsen doesn't even have Loki oppose the Ásir at Ragnarok. He is a fine Loki for the "Thor and Loki have fun adventures" stories Madsen seemed the most interested in telling, but he dosen't change from that one phase of the mythological Loki, even when the myths Madsen draws on does. (Not that this is a bad thing, just that it diverges from the mythological Loki.)
I think my personal favorite modern retelling of Norse myths is Tor Åge Bringsværd's "Vår Gamle Gudelære", tho I'm not sure it has ever been translated to any language outside of the original Norwegian.
Or bail the Aesirs collective asses out of situations, with sometimes... interesting (wink wink nudge nudge) methods. E.g. the origin story for Oden's horse, Loke, the goat, and Skade
YES! These comics are incredible! Adapted so kids can read them, but still fairly faithful to the source material. And they do Loki justice! Of course, they are...a bit more child-friendly, but they do an amazing job, in my opinion.
Well, he wants to kill all the other Gods at Ragnarök…
I like those too! 🙂🙂
These are honestly your most important videos lol
The conflation of Loki with "god of fire" has to originate with Wagner, who in the Ring cycle calls him "Loge" and associates him with fire when Wotan calls upon Loge to create a magic ring of fire around the sleeping Brunhilde.
Also Loki's daughter is Hel. I'm of the opinion that he is associated with fire and it survived as a folk tradition but not in the eddas. The thing where Loki fails to start a fire is probably a joke, like when Thor dresses up as a woman.
I also keep seeing comments by people saying Loki gave the gift of fire to humans & is the Norse Prometheus. I assume it is because of his being chained to a rock/tortured by the gods similarity of myth to that of Prometheus? Have also seen it asserted he is a Fire Giant. At first I thought he was being connected to fire by elemental symbolism: he is unpredictable, changeable & often destructive. But Idk, nobody ever sites their sources & the websites I've seen that make the Fire God assertion are usually neo-pagan & often copy-pasted from another neo-pagan website.( No offense intended to any neo-pagans )
@@yensid4294 - I suspect a lot of stories have been conflated over the centuries in the formation of myths, and this may be yet another in process.
@@yensid4294 His father "Farbauti" may have been associated with wildfires caused by lightning, that could make Loki a child of fire.
@@Kasarii what are your sources for this? just curious where all these stories are coming from since it's not the Eddas
I always had a real soft spot for trickster gods and anti heroes 🥰. They add some "spice" and motivation and make for great pivotal points in their respective stories. They often win through cunning and wit rather than sheer force and their moral greyness forces the reader to reevaluate. Their respective universes would definitely lack without them :)
Exactly! Trickster Makes This World!! 👍👍👍
I don't blame Marvel for essentially creating an entirely new IP out of Norse mythology. I blame readers who thought/think Marvel IS Norse mythology. Same kind of thing with Tolkien, I love his writing, but he didn't invent Elves, he didn't invent Dwarves, and the limit of their potential as storytelling tools shouldn't be limited to his vision now.
Religion for Breakfast crossing over with Jackson Crawford, to make a video on Loki, just as the Disney+ series starts...
Now that's just clever business.
Something I've found very interesting in the Marvel Universe is that these inconsistencies, once the writers realized they existed, were actually explained in a particular arc of Thor's comics. In the Marvel Universe the Ragnarok Cycle has occurred a number of times, with variations occurring over time leading to the inconsistencies between the myths and the comics. Obviously the original writers in the 60's weren't quite up to date on the scholarship about the Norse myths at the time, but I did find it very cool that later writers have included these explanations for the differences. :D
As always, LOVE your videos!
I have been watching Ragnarok, a Norwegian series on Netflix, which puts the gods and giants in conflict in modern Norway. I am very impressed with their handling of Loki; he appears truly conflicted in the struggle between the two sets. I would recommend it as a modern retelling of the mythology.
I am an Old English scholar, although I am now retired. For those who would like a good but modern interpretation of the ~900 AD period when the Vikings were conquering England, i recommend The Last Kingdom, also on Netflix.
Thanks for rec! I'm gonna have to buy a Netflix sub for my birthday now! 🙂 For those plus All's Quiet On The Western Front. 🙂
I have so much love and respect for Loki. Thank you for this.
Me too! 🙂👍
Today I'm also over on Andrew Mark Henry's excellent Religion for Breakfast channel, talking at more length about Loki in the Eddas and how he differs from Marvel's portrayal of him: ua-cam.com/video/BxmH5qbvLl8/v-deo.html
I was so pleased to see you two collaborating, two of my favorite channels.
Loki charms cereal on the menu? ;-)
@@krikeles Eight-legged horses, golden apples!
What about the modern concept that Loki is genderfluid? This is a huge one I see all the time
I saw you when I watched Religion for Breakfast today so came on over to check out your channel. Glad I found it. Definitely subscribing.
Thank you! There are just so, so many people out there who assume stuff about Loki that has no base whatsoever in the Eddas. The fire thing drives me up the walls! And interestingly, this is the one cliché Marvel didn't opt for. As for Satan, in many ways, Odin has maybe more things in common with Satan than Loki does...
Loki has lit at least one fire because he through a fishing net into a fire while running from the other gods
He has lit a fire, he must be a fire god! - Early Christians adapting Norse myth into something that Christians can understand
Great video!
As a Scandinavian who grew up with learning about Norse mythology and more modernized stories about them, and have friends and family who still believes in the old gods, it's great to see someone using the old eddas and teaching others how the gods are and not how popular pop culture wants them to be.
One of my favourite stories about lokes mischievous endeavours is when he got balder killed. And of course the stories about his "cursed" sons the wolf Fenrir and the Midgardserpent.
Poor Fenrir, he just wanted to become famous and Æsir betrayed him
@@nicholasoneal1521if Odin hadn’t been such a nut job, they would’ve had a big puppy buddy fighting on their side!
I thought Loki's association with fire was based on the way people depend on fire for warmth and cooking but it can also burn down a house or a whole forest. Like the way Loki is always helping the other gods but always the potential to turn on them and do damage at the same time
Jackson you are spot on.
Loki is not necessary evil, he is more of a trickster or the Joker in a set of cards and even though Odin has limited foresight into the future and their own demise.
Loki's path is hard to pin down, unlike the other gods.
Example: Loki is both the father of Fenrir's wolf and Miðgarðsormr (World serpent), that will both bring great destruction to the Æsir (Norse gods) on Ragnarök, but also the reason Æsir have 3 powerful items (including Mjǫllnir, Thors hammer) one of the few things that could possibly kill the Wolf and Serpent.
So one could speculate this is why Odin is reluctant to stop Loki, and several times actually protects him while other Gods would see Loki killed.
I've always enjoyed the Western Theme being a fan of Western History and movies as well as Viking and Norse Beliefs and seeing a Scholar in a cowboy hat talking about Norse Mythology always makes me chuckle and smile.
I feel like he's the physical embodiment of a wild card. He's just there to play some tricks and jokes and have some fun. He isn't explicitly 'bad' or 'good' in the strictest of senses, he's... human. That's the thing about a lot of Norse mythology is I don't think it made an attempt to paint a rigid 'good guy' and a 'bad guy'. It's just what it is. Christians are dead set on painting these figures in the purest of forms but if you really look at it, even the Bible's characters (including God) are full of flaws. Granted mythology doesn't outright tell you, the reader/believer, Loki is a deceiver who will trick you into going to Hell to be damned for eternity and what have you.
Kinda want to see a Jackson Crawford/Overly Sarcastic Productions crossover with either Red or Blue... ok i want to see an animated Jackson Crawford... don't hate me
Maybe, maybe not. But an overly sarcastic Jackson Crawford might be fun.
That'd be really cool imo
Yessssss it HAS to happen!!!!!
This made me giggle, I am a Dane, and I think someone with a fair understanding of old norse myths. But I have never heard any of these 5 "ideers" before. I wonder how that is :D
Same here, never heard of these misunderstandings.. must be from the entertainment business (ex MCU) that skewed the original stories. s/o from Sweden
Love the vids ❤️
At least here in America I think it’s the Marvel movies that really spread misinformation on the gods
As I stated in another comment, I think Wagner is partly responsible for incorrect ideas about the Norse gods.
@@losthor1zon ohh he is, its also him I blame for the horned helmets. But I still find it amusing that there are widespread miscunseptions out there that I dont even know about. To be clear, I had heard about the "loki + thor brothers" ideer before, but only in other vids from Crawford ^^
Thanks. I came here to write something similar. I have never heard of any of these misconceptions before, and I’m genuinely surprised that there might be any conceptions at all outside of a fairly narrow circle.
😄 Loki is that weird uncle that no one likes but tolerates at the holidays. Sometimes your dad goes fishing/hunting with him, but he's the only one who gets along with him.
Hope you don't mean creepy uncle! 🙂
I also enjoy a kind of comparison that can be made between Loki and the concept of the african Orixá Exu (the name in my language Portuguese, I believe in their native would be Esú) that here in Brazil is also mistreated as a representation of the christian Satan. But it's actually a much broader concept that a lot of times behaves as a trickster, fooling those that are so sure of themselves. But it does so to remember us no point of view is absolute. Amongst other stuff hahah
Great video!! Thanks for keeping up with this work! Cheers from Brazil
Yup! 👍 People interested in Tricksters would also do well to read Trickster Makes This World, by Lewis Hyde. 🙂
I was under the impression that he was associated with fire because of the Snaptun stone being a hearthstone and suspected to be depicting Loki.
Yes. And I think you're not wrong! Read Playing With Fire by Dagulf Loptson for further reinforcement.
Awesome video! In Overly Sarcastic Production's Loki video, they bring up that while Loki is not a fire god, he seems to be referenced in a lot of folk customs and sayings related to hearthfires. Do you think that's just due to non-standard pronunciations or spellings of Logi being confused at some point for Loki or is there the possibility of something there?
I probably won't be able to talk about this as well Crawford, as i am by far no expert
But from what I can tell, the idea of Loki being a god of fire comes from the 1800s when Jacob Grimm proposed the theory that Logi and Loki are the same entity, that we know now isn't the case
Gods and customs related to the hearth (from my understanding, at least) don’t often share a connection with being thought of as “fire Gods.”
For example, Hestia doesn’t seem to be a “God of Fire” (even though it would make some sense, given that hearths contain fires, hahaha). Frigg, I believe, is also seen as a “hearth God,” and I’m not aware of Her having any connections to elemental fire either.
That said, that was a pretty good reckoning of how Loki may have come to be associated with fire!-albeit I imagine it’s incorrect.
(And as for how or why Loki became associated with hearth rituals in the first place, well... that’s an idea that fascinates me in itself, LOL!)
I learned from one source that Loki's Elder Futhark symbol is Kenaz (the sideways V) which symbolizes 'Wildfire', or Chaos. He's a shapeshifter, after all. If I'm mistaken, I'd like to know any sources (besides the Eddas) that mention his basic essence. There was a reason Loki and Odin made the oath to be blood brothers. Odin needed Loki's creative chaos to do deeds Odin, as All Father, could not risk doing himself. If I'm not mistaken, I'm more than certain this is all referenced in the Eddas, as well.
There's a BIG possibility of something there, imo. I pretty much know all the Nordic folk sayings about Loki, collected over a hundred years ago by Axel Olrik.
What you really need to do, is read a well-researched book by a bona fide Lokean: Playing With Fire: An Exploration Of Loki Laufeyjarson, by Dagulf Loptson. 🙂
The folk sayings collected by Olrik are collected therein, along with much other research, all accessibly presented.
@@Sanguivore See my comment at the bottom of this thread!
My understanding of Loki being associated with fire comes from the Snaptun stone which was believed to be a heartstone from a forge, and in the creation of Ask and Embla Lodurr(Loki) gave them heat, which of course doesn't equal Loki as a fire God/God of fire, but seems to hint at a connection to fire in some way.
My first two dogs were named Loki and Heidi. They are my earliest memories.
I would say the conniving/sneaky liar is Odin, and the plainer liar is Loki; same with magic, Odin is more the magician in the usual sense.
I do see Loki as a god for us non-binary types, in that he was changeable of his human-like shapes, and sex and gender are no barriers to him.
I am Danish, I grew up with these myths, having them taught in school alongside Christianity and the whole thing just being mixed into each other along with the myths and legends we are taught at home. On top of that I have a masters in history with a focus on folklore ... I am not sure I can entirely express how much I am completely blindsided by the idea of equating Loki to Satan. I mean, it makes sense, we are taught to leave our Christian worldview behind when approaching ancient Greek or Roman religion. I can only marvel (pun not intended) at the fact that I have never considered how that might be necessary for outsiders to do as well, when they look into norse mythology.
Dr. Crawford, I wanna thank you for all that you do. I'm a pantheist and I do a lot of work with heathenry and i recommend your channel and books to absolutely everyone in the community. Your translations are by far the best out there, your channel is bursting with the most comprehensive information about old norse mythology, language, and life that I've seen out there, you're awesome and what you do is greatly appreciated by a lot of people.
These ‘clearing up the confusion’ vids are constantly needed, thanks!
Loki always seemed like a trickster but it's interesting to hear what is actually known or not known about about him and just how far things are taken out of context sometimes lol. Thanks for sharing!
You don't know the HP of the Norse gods, and you call yourself an expert? ;-) Thanks for another enjoyable video, Dr. Crawford.
What's HP ?
@@Dysill Shorthand for "Hit Points" or sometimes "Health Points" i.e. how much physical punishment can your character take before being incapacitated or killed.
@@Dysill Hit points, as used in games. He referred to it in the video.
Oh, I thought it was something else thanks
I didn’t know hp sauce was Norse- but really what is it called?
Was hoping for a video on Loki, with the new show coming out and all , thank you dr Crawford
Mentioning Þjazi and Iðunn reminds me: could you make a video about Iðunn? I’ve only ever really seen her mentioned in the context of that story and I find her to be a pretty interesting figure
I don't know if you'll see this or not, but thank you Dr. Crawford for personally doing the Librivox readings of your two books (Prose Edda & Saga of the Volsungs) I got both of the readings last night. There is something particularly special about listening to the author read their book :) Loki it seems is one of the most commonly misinterpreted gods, along with Odin's actual intentions, cause or however you'd like to say it. Odin's favor wasn't always a good thing to the one granted his favor in the eventuality of time. "magic always comes with a price" suits this inference quite well! Thank you for your time and for all you do to share your vast knowledge with us!!!
After Marvel Loki, the redheaded thing is harder to find. And i freaking love them every time i do. His personality is that of a spitfire so it works to depict him as a redhead.
I would also argue that a story where he completes with fire is more than enough to look association to fire with him. Though, i lean into the tangling, untangling, spiders, snakes, horses, transformation via his shapeshifting associations more. (But idk how those associations help you find a good candle color or scent for an alter)
I can't remember the name or author but I read a book back in 1980s on Norse Myths and they went over several myths and theories. It mentions how Loki was more of a "modern" god than Thor & Odin. As in he doesn't have a counterpart in the earlier Germanic myths that evolved/inspired Norse myths such as Thor/Donner and Odin/Wotan. Loki just appears in the Nordic countries, though the Icelandic & Danish myths differ between each other in how they treat Loki. Snorri's Icelandic version had Loki be responsible for Baldr's death because he suggested to Hoder to use mistletoe arrow. But in Danish myths Loki was not responsible, it was just a tragic accident that Hoder used that arrow.
Besides suggesting that a early norse character Lopt may be earliest form of Loki, this book also mentioned that Loki's first wife wasn't Angrboda but a fire giantess whom he had 2 daughters with. I forget their names but they meant embers and ash.
Thank you Dr. Crawford for enlightening many folks on this topic. I was raised in a ‘Christian’ family. That is… I went to Sunday school until I was 3-1/2 years old and then took up fishing with my Dad on the weekends. At 24, I tried again to be a good ‘Christian’ by going to the same Methodist church where I would later get married. I tried to be a good ‘Christian’, but as a student of history, and a realist, it just wasn’t me. So I became a ‘Heathen’, and I’m a solo practicionist at that. Knowing of your people’s ancient lore and understanding that the tales told are not meant to be taken as , ‘gospel’, but are meant as tales to be learned from as lessons for mankind. It took me some time and lots of reading and understanding, not only of the Eddas, but of the period that ancient Heathens lived, their origins, the unexplained around them that they sought to give meaning too, and so on. The hardest thing I found was how many times I had to stop myself from making a quick opinion on Norse/Germanic history, and to think on things from their views at that time, without a ‘Christian’ influence within my mind. I did this while learning of my own views and outlooks on life and the many challenges that I faced. I was a policeman for 25-1/2 years, and spirituality, as a whole, and which is not based on doing evil, is good. It’s often good for people too. Much of the assistance that I offered while talking to people had its foundations in the nine noble virtues, which is not far from many ‘Christian’ values. And often I found myself referring them to seek further assistance from their own church, mosque, or temple, as state, county, and local aid and programs can only go so far. I began using my ‘Heathen’ faith as a guide to aid others, all while viewing life and its many issues that people have, suffer from, and the wrong that they do, from a ‘Heathen’ view and without a ‘Christian’ view influencing me. It took time, but in the end, it allowed me to be truthful and decisive spiritually, and to aid others by guiding them to not only receive help, but to help themselves. It was pretty cool!
Stay Safe Dr. Crawford! Love learning from you on these videos!
Never really thought about this before, but Loki is the god of mischief. the sources we have are all related to scalds and poets. Since mischief can be found everywhere at anytime, Loki's shapeshifting could be an allegory to that. Also, this could be supported by how the ways of nature are personified in the Old Norse society, it would be fair to assume that Loki was the personification of mischief.
Wow i didnt excpect to find the theme of mount and blade viking conquest. That takes me back, great video as always
Posted the same day of the launch of a Disney series about Loki. I see what you are doing here... hahaha
But great. I have read the prose edda, but I need a second read. Also bought your book and it is on my list. Great video!
Ahh, I always thought the association of Loki with flame came from the 1st Edition Dungeons & Dragons take on him in Deities & Demigods.
Thank you for this!! With the new Marvel show coming out and WoO Loki week this is a much needed refresher.
Oh man, serious points for the D&D shout out. Roll the 20..... :)
The “Lord of Spirits” podcast episode on giants will blow your mind. References to giants make so much more sense.
10:30 - "Pictured: a more influential portrayal of Loki than anything written down in medieval Iceland."
😂😂😂😂😂
The only time I enjoyed an advert from the sponsor!
I think this is one of your most important videos. I have met entire groups worshiping Loki, and I often felt like maybe they'd read the wrong texts. Or just made stuff up.
Yeah, unfortunately, a lot of people believe these and other misconceptions about Loki and the other gods. I'm a Loki worshiper, but I'm starting to get tired of/disillusioned with my fellow Pagans/Paganism in general because I'm tired of seeing people reject what is there in the myths for misconceptions/speculations and then expecting everyone else to do the same. Also, I've realized that some people can't accept that some of their beliefs are a modern creation and thus must insist that the texts validate their beliefs. I honestly accept that Loki worship is a modern thing, and that Loki is morally dubious at best and bankrupt at worst. That is not to say he's evil, but just that he's morally gray and nuanced. I've been told emphatically that Loki is one of the only full Jötnar allowed to live in Asgard according to the myths and that makes him special so many times that I've decided that a lot of the people spouting this, are a lost cause. I don't know if I want to continue worshiping Loki, if I'm going to be lumped in with these people.
@@MyaKHamilton I've always been fond of Loki, paid homage to him, but I wouldn't consider myself a Loki worshipper in the strictest sense. But still, I think if Loki's presence is what brings you peace you shouldn't worry about being lumped in with other people. It's not about them, anyhow. It's about you and your personal journey. There's always going to be someone who mucks things up by being there, no matter where you're at. That's human nature.
I once read an article discussing Loki's importance as the lesson bringer. In that he had reminded me of Rabbit or Coyote. He's not always wise, but I think he is crafty and a bit street smart - and I like that. So we have a spot for him in our house.
I think Loki is very mischief in nature BUT he gets a bad rap because he is the one who often sacrifices everything for the gods… example he takes one for the team, when building the gate around Asgard. Puts his neck at risk when crafting the gifts for the gods (I think his plans for his mischief can be elaborate or simple- he stays in character of someone people, trolls, and dwarves love to hate- and he uses this as an enticement to achieve his goals) Loki deserves a lot more credit than he gets.
You need to understand the ancient tales in order to break them.
My creative writing professor always told us that the reason why authors like José Saramago are so "radical" in their writing is because they understand grammar and know exactly how to break it. Poets do the same.
You have to master the rules before you can break them.
Wonderful! Thank you for these!
The fire misconception and all other varied modern interpretations remind me of Hades (Pluto) which is another deity completely different from its original “personality”. In this case, a rather pleasant accounting type, an the only ethical greek god out there.
I'm never disappointed with the videos on this channel. Thank you!
Excellent, timely video :)
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom.
Beautiful backdrop! I could watch that opening shot on a loop! :)
Your videos are always so comprehensive and interesting - thanks.
I think your discussion on point 4 is the best I have ever heard on the nature of Loki. I am fairly new to the Eddas and my biggest takeaway was that he wasnt an opposition figure but more of an actual man who had his own motivations (though usually nefarious in nature) and acted on them. If memory serves, the other Asir gods occasionally ask for his help in some of the tales and he obliges- again though with his own motivations.
As soon as I have a little extra cash, I'm definitely going to order your Saga of the Volsungs and Poetic Edda. I truly appreciate you sharing your knowledge with all of us. I always felt like there was never enough info online until I found your channel.
This is one of my favorite channels.
I always enjoy your videos and I appreciate how they're educational and not just storytelling.
I have several translations of the eddas but his it the best I have found so far! Great work!
Excellent as always. Thank you!
You use the best sources that exist and convey it with really high quality. Very interesting, thanks! Greetings from Norway
It's odd to me as someone who is a nordic person that people can get real mythos this much wrong. And it saddens me too.
Everyone treats our ancestor's Gods like comic book characters (they do the same with Greek gods), and then think they know best when in reality they understand absolutely nothing.
None of these misconceptions exist where I'm from. I wonder why that is
Thank you for sharing the real stories. It’s great to think about while enjoying the shows.
Outstanding as usual Mr. Crawford. :)
Loki, God of WTFery and shapeshifting into random stuff to troll people. Also stealing things for no reason and getting into trouble that Thor has to fix. And for bonus hilarity, Thor: God of Crossdressing so spectacularly well that a Giant fell for it. XD
I love the original myths. They are delightful.
Fantastic video, also I love the new aesthetic... edged up, lookin good.
Thank you, Jackson, for this very subtle & informative approach to Norse mythology which I have been in love with since my boyhood!
Fantastic channel- beautiful backdrops for the amazing Nordic videos you show. I plan on getting all of your books- thanks- easily one of my favorite YT presenters.
Im a Swedish historian/Religion historian, and have studied norse mythology for many years. This is a extremely good video. Thank you.
Good job posting this on the same day that Marvel is launching the new Loki series, haha.
Also I love to see Yvonne Bonnetain's book on Loki mentioned, it's one of my favourite non-fiction books ever.
I appreciate the distinction of Loki and Satan. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned about the practice of medieval study is that you have to be careful not to discount either the similarities or the differences between our assumptions and worldview and those of medieval peoples. One the one hand, the Norse mythology we have is very likely quite influenced by Christian syncretic responses to the stories, through Snorri and others, but we also shouldn’t assume that this means any single thing is meant to have a one to one correspondence to any aspect of Christian beliefs or literature.
Ragnarok on netflix has a depiction that is almost, a little bit more correct
And to be fair that version isn't the classic Loki we all know, but rather a reincarnation of him.
A lot of these misconceptions aren't found in Scandinavia, so it makes sense that a Scandinavian production would be more accurate. I had never heard of Loki being a god of fire, for example. The Danish comic 'Valhalla' has also had a far bigger influence on a layman's understanding of Norse mythology here than the Marvel comics that were completely ignored before the movies.
Graet video that highlights some of the disparities between the original sources and modern reinterpretations. Would love to watch similar videos on Odin and Thor.
I just got my copy of your Poetic Edda! It's beautiful!
I’ve always felt like people misunderstood Loki, he has always seemed sort of neutral to me. It’s nice to see that not everyone sees him as an overtly evil being
Thanks Jackson I grew up on Wagner and his ring not marvel comics and Wagner changed
Quite a lot of the myths for his own ideas he uses loge (Loki) to represent fire and other characters to represent earth wind and water. Wagner Totally used the Norse Myths to enhance national Germanism and deal with his solution to the industrial revolution Thank you
I am sure you are a well aware of all this
I remember seeing/hearing somewhere that Loki's name could mean something along the lines of "the Entangler", and so Útgarða-Loki's name would then be something like "the Entangler of Útgarð". Though I don't remember where I encountered that theory at all.
I'm wondering whether Dr. Crawford finds any merit in this theory.
No one has found out yet what Loke's name means. Some have theorised that it comes from the word lukke, which means close in nordic languages. Close could be tired to his role as the the one who starts ragnarok.
Others have suggested it might come from the word lue, which would mean a connection to fire.
I have no clue what it is YOU are talking about though, but it sounds far from right.
Listening to you while planning how to make my next viking age garments are truly a delight! Thank you for another wonderful and interesting video! Most of these myths were new to me. Especially the one about Loki supposedly being the equivalent of Satan. Never heard of it. But perhaps that is a good thing.
All the best from Sweden :)
Excellent - referencing the sources and quietly countering the welter of internet misinformation.
Thank you, I am learning a lot from you 🙂🙏
Found the channel through the books. Awesome!
WOW. I have not seen anyone in recent times quote AD&D it is usually 5e. Thanks for the old school reference.
The moment 'M&B: Viking Conquest' started playing.
When you have a bit of time, could you tell me how to spell and say “epic journey” in old Norse?? I’d greatly appreciate it. I’m learning sooo much from your channel. Thank you sooo much!!
I'd like to thank you once more for shining a light into the murky, unknown and misunderstood world of Scandinavian mythology. I have been reading the Poetic Edda, but wondered if I should have started with the Prose Edda. Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks again.
Ignorance and incorrect information has become rife, especially because of movies re this subject. What you're doing here is greatly appreciated.