LOKE
Loke was born from the Jötnar.
His mother was Laufey,
the patron of dry leaves and branches,
- the leftovers of nature in fall.
His father was Farbauti,
the patron of lightning bolts,
- the creator of wildfires.
And then there was Loki himself,
the Jötunn patron of wildfires.
Spreading his chaotic nature
across the nine realms.
"And so I dined with fire, ironic as is."
Yet, 'though fire burns - it is also a saviour.
.
Loke was never evil, nor did he mean ill.
He was witty and quick, and he used his wits for good.
But what is good intent when those who watch see but chaos?
He's gone from brother of the Gods,
To bringer of end times.
A villain, not by choice, but circumstance.
A hero destined to end all things.
The brother who brought Ragnarök.
Do You Know Who I Am?
.
Trickster or Saviour?
.
When the Aesir of the South and the Vanir of the East immigrated into greater Scandinavia,
there were many feuds between them, which eventually included the Jötnar.
Both the Vanir and the Aesir saw themselves as higher beings,
while they viewed the Jötnar as primitive savages.
This lead to the creation of Utgård - the hidden capital of Jötunheimr.
Through powerful ancient magic, the king of Jötunheimr - Loki, hid the city from prying eyes.
Only when Utgårda-Loki wanted the city to be found, could one see it from the outside.
In Utgård, the Jötnar prospered in peace.
Eventually, the Aesir and Vanir ended their war through a marriage
between the king of Asgård - Odin, and the queen of Vanaheimr - Freyja.
And once they joined forces, they began eradicating Jötnar across the land,
driving them into hiding.
Only Utgård, the Iron Woods, Muspelheimr, and Niflheimr remained safe for the Jötnar.
Utgårda-Loki prepared for the worst, gathering the remaining Jötnar at Utgård.
But a witful young Jötnar - the son of the lightning bringer Farbauti, a respected warrior,
and Nål, or Laufey, the slender beauty of the Iron Woods - soon came into the picture.
He was named after the great king himself.
He was a strong Eldturse, with a silver tongue and the slyness of a fox.
His name was Loke - he who roars like a raging fire.
This young newcomer advised the king against battle,
to instead strike a chord with Odin to end the dispute.
And Loke was thus sent to Asgård to speak to the king of the Aesir.
And indeed, a silver tongue can be worth gold tenfold.
Then-wise Odin and Loke became as brothers.
Through bond by blood, they shared equal wit and wisdom.
And no more would Jötunkind be hunted down like bushmeat.
Betrayal Sparks a Flame
.
Most are familiar with the tale of how Loke came
With the sons of Muspel from across the sea
Accompanied by his monstrous brood
And laid waste to both Man and God.
Yet stories are like trees.
The older the grow,
the more it branches out
further from the root.
.
"From North comes Hrym
And lifts his shield.
Jörmungandr rolls
In giant's wrath,
The serpent strikes the waves,
The Eagle screams,
He tears the corpses.
Naglfar is loose.
From East comes ships,
The sons of Muspell aboard,
They sail over seas,
And Loki steers.
The brood of monster,
Are all with the Wolf.
And the brother of Byleist
Fares with them."
.
Sometimes the greatest stories have the smallest beginnings.
-
And this story began with a dream.
A dream of Baldur´s death.
Baldur the favourite.
Baldur the beautiful.
.
Upon a nightmare heard,
Allfather Oðdin fearful went
To edge of mortal realm near Hel
Where wisest of woman he summon would.
A way to stop dear Baldur's death,
Wanderer Oðin would never get.
And more than what he asked, he got
When woman told him of a plot.
Revealed was woman as Loki´s lover,
Ángrboðda the mother of monstrous brood.
Of doom, she told Allfather wise,
And end of Aesir power might.
Back to Aesir council, Oðin went,
And spoke of woman's doom event.
But worried Loki never was,
for he had plans to help the Gods.
To Freyja wife of Oðin, Loki said;
Out in world for pleading head.
And Freyja asked each live and dead,
To please not harm poor Baldur's head.
.
Who are the Jötnar?
.
Loke was born pure Jötunkin. Direct descendant of Ymir the Great.
As man he mostly walked, but feared not female form.
Born when giants fought, yet never old.
.
Taller than most of mortal man, yet little for a giant.
A pale complexion paints his skin, with darkened marks to show his kin.
But eyes glow green, and hair burns bright.
And thirteen marks around his lips, show scars as payment for his wits.
.
"Loki was certainly not evil, although he was not a force for good. Loki was... complicated". - Neil Gaiman
Loke is a Jötun, an ancient race of shape-shifting giants related to the Titans
and Olympians of olden Greece.
.
Although originally male, Loke has no specific gender identity.
But he's grown accustomed to being a male as that was what the kin of Asgård preferred.
.
Not even Loke himself could keep track of how old he is,
but he knows he was the second last generation of Jötnar.
.
Loke is 198 cm (6'6"), which makes him very tall even by today's standards.
But he can technically change his body mass to become bigger or smaller.
.
His entire body is covered with Jötnar tattoos which glow when using stronger magics.
He also boasts several runic tattoos that form different spells.
.
The skin around his eyes is darker than the rest due to scarring after having venom
constantly dripping into his eyes for centuries.
.
Like most Jötnar, Loki also has a tail.
But due to habits, he keeps it tucked away most of the time.
.
He also boasts pointed ears, much like elves, as well as a pair of curved horns.
Horns are not a common feature among Jötnar though.
.
When it comes to pleasures of the flesh, Loke is rather shallow.
He doesn't care what species it is, as long as it's good-looking.
.
He is very witty, but not always wise.
And his quick thinking can be both a strength and a weakness.
.
Loke also has a weakness for striking deals with others.
A sort of gambling addiction almost. One that doesn't always benefit him.
.
He's honest about being dishonest, but he never lies beside a few white little ones.
He likes to distort the truth and trick people into misinterpreting him.
.
Loke is also a very talented pyromancer. His gift of fire is unique and powerful.
And he's had issues with pyromania in the past.
.
He also owns a spear - Laevateinn which was given to him by his mother, Laufey.
It is forged from mistletoe, and was used to kill Baldur. It was also once stolen by Sinmara.
.
When the Aesir of the South and the Vanir of the East immigrated into greater Scandinavia,
there were many feuds between them, which eventually included the Jötnar.
Both the Vanir and the Aesir saw themselves as higher beings,
while they viewed the Jötnar as primitive savages.
This lead to the creation of Utgård - the hidden capital of Jötunheimr.
Through powerful ancient magic, the king of Jötunheimr - Loki, hid the city from prying eyes.
Only when Utgårda-Loki wanted the city to be found, could one see it from the outside.
In Utgård, the Jötnar prospered in peace.
Eventually, the Aesir and Vanir ended their war through a marriage
between the king of Asgård - Odin, and the queen of Vanaheimr - Freyja.
And once they joined forces, they began eradicating Jötnar across the land,
driving them into hiding.
Only Utgård, the Iron Woods, Muspelheimr, and Niflheimr remained safe for the Jötnar.
Utgårda-Loki prepared for the worst, gathering the remaining Jötnar at Utgård.
But a witful young Jötnar - the son of the lightning bringer Farbauti, a respected warrior,
and Nål, or Laufey, the slender beauty of the Iron Woods - soon came into the picture.
He was named after the great king himself.
He was a strong Eldturse, with a silver tongue and the slyness of a fox.
His name was Loke - he who roars like a raging fire.
This young newcomer advised the king against battle,
to instead strike a chord with Odin to end the dispute.
And Loke was thus sent to Asgård to speak to the king of the Aesir.
And indeed, a silver tongue can be worth gold tenfold.
Then-wise Odin and Loke became as brothers.
Through bond by blood, they shared equal wit and wisdom.
And no more would Jötunkind be hunted down like bushmeat.
.
Most are familiar with the tale of how Loke came
With the sons of Muspel from across the sea
Accompanied by his monstrous brood
And laid waste to both Man and God.
Yet stories are like trees.
The older the grow,
the more it branches out
further from the root.
Þurs er kvenna kvöl
ok kletta búi
ok varðrúnar verr
Once, someone had a glimpse of a terrible future.
Once, someone looked to stop it.
Once, someone caused a greater terror.
Once, greet let gods asunder.
"From North comes Hrym
And lifts his shield.
Jörmungandr rolls
In giant's wrath,
The serpent strikes the waves,
The Eagle screams,
He tears the corpses.
Naglfar is loose.
From East comes ships,
The sons of Muspell aboard,
They sail over seas,
And Loki steers.
The brood of monster,
Are all with the Wolf.
And the brother of Byleist
Fares with them."
.
Sometimes the greatest stories have the smallest beginnings.
-
And this story began with a dream.
A dream of Baldur´s death.
Baldur the favourite.
Baldur the beautiful.
.
Upon a nightmare heard,
Allfather Oðdin fearful went
To edge of mortal realm near Hel
Where wisest of woman he summon would.
A way to stop dear Baldur's death,
Wanderer Oðin would never get.
And more than what he asked, he got
When woman told him of a plot.
Revealed was woman as Loki´s lover,
Ángrboðda the mother of monstrous brood.
Of doom, she told Allfather wise,
And end of Aesir power might.
Back to Aesir council, Oðin went,
And spoke of woman's doom event.
But worried Loki never was,
for he had plans to help the Gods.
To Freyja wife of Oðin, Loki said;
Out in world for pleading head.
And Freyja asked each live and dead,
To please not harm poor Baldur's head.
.
Never did Loke mean any harm to the other Gods.
Though hated by Freyja for his unorthodox ways,
Loki always tried his best to help.
Though hated by Freyja for his unorthodox ways,
Loki always tried his best to help.
Though he was not opposed to a couple pranks,
and he was like all things prone to jealousy.
and he was like all things prone to jealousy.
But never would he have wished harm upon anyone.
.
And so each rock, and beast and tree,
To never harm the boy agreed.
To never harm the boy agreed.
And so did water, flame and steel,
To cause Baldur harm they did repeal.
And so did poison never to begot.
But there were some dear Freyja forgot.
The Jötnar were the original inhabitants of Northern Europe and Scandinavia
before humans had settled there. They were the children of Ymir
- an enormous giant and offspring of the Titanides of Southern Europe.
before humans had settled there. They were the children of Ymir
- an enormous giant and offspring of the Titanides of Southern Europe.
.
Many confuse the Jötnar with giants, and although related,
the Jötnar were shapeshifters and could change their body mass at will.
The Jötnar were also guardians of natural aspects.
the Jötnar were shapeshifters and could change their body mass at will.
The Jötnar were also guardians of natural aspects.
.
The Jötnar are known under several names:
-
Jötnar
Trolls
Thurs
Tursar
Risi
Thurinan
Etunaz
Iaeti
Risar
Gygr
-
The Jötnar are known under several names:
-
Jötnar
Trolls
Thurs
Tursar
Risi
Thurinan
Etunaz
Iaeti
Risar
Gygr
-
Originally there were only two families; the Rimtursar of Nifelheimr - the land of ice and mist,
and the Eldtursar of Musplelheimr - the land of fire and smoke.
The North was inhospitable until the Aesir came to be.
The Aesir were the first humans who ventured up North through Great Germania
to uncover the ancient magics of Scandinavia,
and when they killed Ymir, the Jötun's flesh gave life to the soil.
And from it, new families arose:
.
The Skautursar of the great Iron Woods - lords of that which grows,
The Thrumtursar of the Thundering Clouds - masters of the mountains and clouds,
The Vargatursar of Jötnar's Home - mistresses of all beasts,
The Vatnatursar of the Great Water - rulers of the rivers, lakes, and oceans,
The Vindratursar of the Grey Skies - kings of the Northern winds,
and the Fjatlatursar of the Deep Grottos - keepers of the rocks and caves.
And along with the Rimtursar of the Mist Home - protectors of the snow and ice,
And the Eldtursar of Fire Mountains - guardians of the flame,
they form the 8 elements of the North;
and the Eldtursar of Musplelheimr - the land of fire and smoke.
The North was inhospitable until the Aesir came to be.
The Aesir were the first humans who ventured up North through Great Germania
to uncover the ancient magics of Scandinavia,
and when they killed Ymir, the Jötun's flesh gave life to the soil.
And from it, new families arose:
.
The Skautursar of the great Iron Woods - lords of that which grows,
The Thrumtursar of the Thundering Clouds - masters of the mountains and clouds,
The Vargatursar of Jötnar's Home - mistresses of all beasts,
The Vatnatursar of the Great Water - rulers of the rivers, lakes, and oceans,
The Vindratursar of the Grey Skies - kings of the Northern winds,
and the Fjatlatursar of the Deep Grottos - keepers of the rocks and caves.
And along with the Rimtursar of the Mist Home - protectors of the snow and ice,
And the Eldtursar of Fire Mountains - guardians of the flame,
they form the 8 elements of the North;
Plantlife
Storms
Animals
Water
Winds
Earth
Ice
and Fire.
.
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