Kitty's Corner

Many people think that Loki was a God in Norse mythology, but he was really not. He was a giant, well respected among the Gods, because he was Odin's bloodbrother.

Loki was the father (and, in more than one instance, the mother) of many beasts, humans and monsters.

Relationships with giantesses is nothing unusual for gods in Norse mythology; Odin, Thor, Njörðr, Freyr are good examples; and since Loki was a giant himself, there is nothing unusual about this activity. Together with Angrboda, he had three children:

• Fenrir the giant wolf preordained to slay Odin at the time of Ragnarok
  
• Jörmungandr, the great sea serpent
  
• Hel, ruler of the realm of the dead
  

Loki also married a goddess named Sigyn who bore him two sons: Narfi and Vali. (This Vali is not to be confused with Odin's son with the giantess Rind). Once Odin wanted to punish Loki, he turned Vali into a rabid wolf who proceeded to tear Narfi's throat out. Narfi's entrails were used to chain Loki to a large rock until Ragnarok.

While he was in the form of a mare Loki mated with a stallion. That's actually a quite interesting story:

A giant came to offer to build a citidel for the gods in three seasons. He demanded to marry Freja, and also to get the sun and the moon as his rewards. Following Loki's bad advice, the gods accepted the deal, but they later urged Loki to deceive the giant in order to protect Freja. Loki turned into a mare and seduced Svadilfari, the huge steed of the giant. Without his horse, the giant could not complete his job. He was enraged, insulted the gods, and eventually got slain by Thor before the deal was completed. Loki's prank ultimately backfired on him, and he bore the son of the horse Svadilfari, Sleipnir, the eight-legged steed of Odin.

Loki is an adept shape-shifter, with the ability to change both form and sex. But he has to borrow Freja's cloak whenever he wants to change into bird form.

In the stories Loki mainly plays the role of a villain: a coward, liar, cheater, thief, and as a murderer.