NAME: Loki's name, as so many things about this difficult figure, is puzzling. The name is not cognate to that of any other Indo-European figure. Attempts to see it as a variant of Old Norse logi, "flame," (because of his elusiveness?) are not linguistically satisfying. One major study attempts to derive the name from a word for "spider," but even if correct, the etymology is not illuminating. (Curiously, the spider is the trickster animal in many sub-Saharan cultures of Africa. Loki is the quintessential trickster, but no one has found any explanation for the possible similarity other than coincidence.)

CHARACTERISTICS: Genealogically Loki is a giant, although he seems to be viewed, at the very least, as an honorary Áss. (He is also known as Loptr and perhaps he is also the same as Løðurr. The latter is counted as an Áss.) As a companion to the gods, he frequently stirs up mischief, then comes up with a solution to extricate the Æsir from their dilemma (as in the Building of Ásgarð's Wall.) Loki is androgynous, giving birth to the horse Sleipnir while in mare form, but himself sireing Fenrir, the Miðgarðsórmr, and Hél. In short, Loki is the quintessential trickster. Analogs to his exploits are found in nonmythic folklore all over the world. On the other hand, a close parallel to the story of Loki and Balder is found among the Ossetes, Indo-European speakers of an Iranian language.

WORSHIP: There is no evidence that Loki was worshipped in any way.