Is Loki really the villain of Norse mythology?

As I write and brainstorm The Gods Are Rotting, I've been diving deep into the mythologies I want to include in its series - one of which being Norse mythology.

I've especially been researching the stories surrounding the infamous trickster Loki and his fascinating children, as I plan on having them play large parts in the TGAR books (especially Hel, but for now let's focus primarily on Loki).

In my research, I've come to find that many people believe Loki is the villain of Norse mythology, full stop. But I don't necessarily see him that way.

That's not to say I don't understand and respect the interpretation, because I do. He's usually depicted as evil, not only in older texts, but also in modern-day novels (like Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, which I highly recommend). However, over time, I've reached my own conclusions about Loki.

For one, I'm not entirely convinced he's the "villain" of Norse mythology.

Now, don't get it twisted. I'm not going to sit here and argue that Loki is some kind of hero, because he isn't. But I don't think the other gods (especially Odin) are either.

The evidence is clear as day, nestled between the lines of the old stories themselves...

If you know even the tiniest bit about Norse mythology, then you probably know Loki is hardly ever on good terms with the gods.

Sure, he's Odin's blood-brother, and he sometimes acts as a (sort of) companion to the Aesir, but for the most part, he causes meanspirited mischief and mayhem among the pantheon.

Loki eventually becomes a genuine threat to Odin, though - when he sires three monstrous children with the giantess Angrboda: the half-corpse girl, Hel; the serpent, Jormungandr; and the wolf, Fenrir.

You see, it's prophesied that Jormungandr will kill Thor at Ragnarok, and that Fenrir will kill Odin at Ragnarok.

So, in typical gods-avoiding-a-prophecy fashion, after Odin discovers the existence of the three children of Loki and Angrboda, he demands they be captured and brought to Asgard.

Odin then proceeds to banish Hel to the underworld. He also attempts to drown Jormungandr by casting the serpent into the sea.

Strangely enough, Odin allows Fenrir to live with the Aesir on Asgard for a time, and Fenrir even befriends Tyr.

But Fenrir grows at an alarmingly fast rate, and Odin decides the wolf must be bound. In a heartbreaking sequence of lies and betrayal, the gods do just that: they chain Fenrir on the island of Lyngvi, where he will remain trapped until Ragnarok.

I imagine that what's done to Hel, Jormungandr, and Fenrir further strains Loki's relationship with the Aesir. Yes, he's a no-good trickster, but does that justify punishing his children before they've ever actually done anything wrong?

Some time passes, and Loki kills Baldr, a most beautiful and beloved son of Odin and Frigg. The Aesir actually love Baldr so much that they try to retrieve him from the underworld after his death. Loki ruins their plans, and Odin decides Loki must be punished for this.

Loki flees and goes into hiding, but the other gods eventually find him. Some of the gods capture Loki and drag him into a cave (where they plan to trap him), while the others track down two of his other sons so that the gods can punish them just as Odin punished Hel, Jormungandr, and Fenrir. The sons in question are Vali and Narvi, and they're Loki's children by his wife, Sigyn.

The gods transform Vali into a wolf and make him tear his brother Narvi to pieces. Vali runs away afterward, and the gods take Narvi's entrails to the cave where Loki is being held. They bind him there with his own child's innards, which then become "hard as iron."

And the gods don't stop there. They bring in a serpent next, and they fasten the creature above Loki's head so that its venom drips down onto his face forever.

At the end of the day, Loki definitely does some terrible things. He's not a hero - that's for sure - but the other gods don't act very heroic either. That's why I'm not entirely convinced Loki is the "villain" of Norse mythology.

I hope you enjoyed September 2023's favorite folktale!