chasing-isis:
I keep finding fantastic illustrations of Loki with red hair, and I was wondering if this was part of the mythology, or something artists simply adopted later, and since my google search has turned up nothing, I thought I’d ask tumblr. I was also wondering if someone could link me to some…
(I’m responding to this here, because I know some of my followers are here for whatever information they can find…also because if I have any more helpful info on this blog, I hope it will find you, and I hope it you will find it useful.)
If it helps, one of Loki’s kennings is “flame-hair.” I’m not sure if there are many more references to the color of his hair in the Eddas, but this name for him is most likely the reason for his hair being red.
He is a fire deity, but more specifically that of controlled, man-made fire. “Hearth fire” is just an easier way to say it, but to the Norse, the fire they cooked over was at times (especially when travelling or hunting, or even when cooking big game) a simple outdoor fire or bonfire.
Most people assume that just because Loki is on some levels an element of chaos, that he is too be more associated with wildfires, or generally fire out of control. In tellings of Ragnarok, the world is consumed by fire. This seems to be the only thing that might support the idea of Loki being a god of wildfire.
In reality, Ragnarok was a time when Loki was out of control; he was consumed with rage and felt betrayed. He was launching an attack on the whole of existence, and refused to be controlled. At this time, he has a higher purpose to ensuring his own victory rather than to help humans cook their food and keep warm.
That’s another thing about controlled fire in viking culture; it was their only hope of survival in the dead of winter. The thing, is that while fire created warmth, it also was a source of danger. Keeping a fire indoors ran the risk of setting a home on fire (but when it gets cold enough, and in a blizzard, you don’t dare to venture outside) at times, this could lead to huge fires. Wildfires, even. However, the dead of winter is the point in the yearly cycle which Ragnarok is associated with. It’s likely that the raging fires of Ragnarok were often associated with hearth fires that had gotten out of hand.
There is a myth that tells of when Loki and Thor had gotten into contests with Jotunn. Loki got into an eating contest with one, and while both ate incredible amounts, Loki lost because he did not eat the bones of the meat as well. If my memory serves me correctly, Thor had accepted two challenges - a drinking contest, and a wrestling match. He lost the first and tied at the latter. Later on, they found out that they had no reason to be ashamed for losing, (or to laugh at the fact that Thor tied in a wrestling match with an old woman) because they had faced invincible opponents and proven themselves worthy. Loki had lost the eating contest against Logi, the personification of wildfire itself. (It’s interesting to note that wildfires can burn hot enough to burn bone to ashes, while a controlled hearth or bonfire, does not.)
There is another story that tells of when Loki had gone out of Asgard with Odin (I forget specifically why). They had caught dinner and went to cook the meat in the fire they had made, but no matter how long they waited, or how hot they made the fire, it simply would not cook. Odin chose to return to Asgard, because he suspected Jotunn magic and decided it wasn’t worth the risk, but Loki was furious and refused to leave until the meat cooked. It seems a bit unreasonable for him to become so upset over the matter that he would risk being an open target and that Odin would let him, unless controlled fire and cooking meat was basically his job and his forte, and here that meat was refusing to be cooked. Defying to be cooked; taunting him. Needless to say, he in fact was an open target, and it ended up sucking for him. He got put on a deserted island by the Jotunn that attacked him, and he was only allowed to leave once he promised to give him one of Idunna’s apples.
It’s also interesting to note that in some Scandinavian countries, they still burn the top of their oatmeal and place it in the fire as an offering to him. Glut, whose name means ‘glow,’ ( and though often forgotten) is said to be his first wife. He had two daughters with her: Eisa and Einmyria, whose names mean ashes and ember (his children by Glut support his role as a fire deity at least, if not one of the hearth fire.)
He also is very family oriented (he loves his family to pieces, and he can be very fatherly) and is always happy to make his family grow. This aspect of him also seems to work well with him being identified as a god of the hearth. He seems to enjoy watching people flit around the house, but if there’s one thing I can tell you, he isn’t a god of the hearth in the way many people would see perhaps a ‘goddess of the hearth’ or a ‘mother goddess’. He’s more about family and controlled fire, but never forget his mischeif. You know the phrase “don’t play with fire?” It’s probably the mentality that fire is something that you should always keep an eye on that brought about his identity as a trickster.
Tips from someone who deals with his silliness time:
He’s messy. He may be of hearth fire, but if you let him cook, it’ll be a mess, if not a ‘disaster.’ He’s the type to burn the food you make for him, or want you to throw random stuff into the recipe because it’s fun. Or maybe he’ll make your hand slip and get flour all over the kitchen. He likes cooking, don’t get me wrong, and he loves getting cooked for, but just a head up that it’ll be chaos. Total chaos. Messy and chaotic…but fun. Very fun. Just, sometimes you can’t let him into the kitchen.
