#grimnismal
One of the symbols used to represent Loki is that of two snakes, circling one another to form an ‘S’ shape, and biting the tail of the other (years of archaeological evidence; see Rundkvist below).
Loki is connected to the snake in a number of ways.
Jormungandr, the giant serpent of Loki’s offspring, is said to be so big that he/she can circle the world and bite his/her own tail (Gylfaginning 34), (Thorsdrapa 1).
In an older version of the myth about Idunn’s kidnapping by Thjassi, Loki turns into a snake at one point to wriggle into the room in which the potion of longevity (similar to Idunn and her apples) is being kept (Skaldskaparmal 5).
A snake was also used to punish Loki after the events of Lokasenna. Loki was tied down, and the snake was tied above Loki’s head, so that its venom dripped directly onto Loki (final prose section of Lokasenna).
Another notable serpent in Norse mythology is the Nidhogg, a being that feeds on the roots of the world tree Yggdrasil. However, Nidhogg is not directly associated with Loki in any significant manner (Grimnismal 32-35), (Gylfaginning 15).
Sources:
-Rundkvist, Martin. “Snake Brooches of South Scandinavia.” <http://www.academia.edu/313476>
-image used with permission from <http://aomiarmster.tumblr.com/post/27782533517>
-Gylfaginning, Prose Edda. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/pre04.htm>
-Thorsdrapa, Prose Edda. <http://www.nordic-life.org/nmh/thoreng.html>
-Skaldskaparmal, Prose Edda. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/pre05.htm>
-Lokasenna, Poetic Edda. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe10.htm>
-Grimnismal, Poetic Edda. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe06.htm>
The very first thing to notice is that some translations are lazy/abridged/whatever and cut the entire introduction out, which strips away critical information: who is in the poem, why they are behaving the way they are, what their previous interactions with Oðin are. _If you are reading from a version that is missing the introduction, go seek out a supplemental copy that includes the introduction text.
_The second thing to notice is how close Oðin and Frigg’s interactions in the introduction are to portions of Paul the Deacon’s History of the Langobards(andOrigo Gentis Langobardorum, which Paul draws from). Here Oðin and Frigg are both involved in a gamble involving the fates of men, and Frigg intervenes on the behalf of the Winnili against the Vandals. She gives them council and tricks Oðin, who then has to keep his word to give victory to whomever he saw first at sunrise, and the Winnili become the Langobardi in the process. Paul’s retelling of this tale are in Book 1, Chapters 7 and 8.
So Grímnismál isn’t Oðin and Frigg’s first time of competing and trying to outwit one another. It’s worth noting that in each of these instances, Frigg wins in the end. Frigg outsmarts, outmaneuvers, and tricks Oðin. This often gets overlooked by people. Frigg is scary, don’t mess with her, she let’s her own husband get stuck between torture fires to win, and leaves him there for a good long time.
On to the poem stanzas!
