Of course! I hope this is a good way to do it - I’m not very tumblr-savvy…
I’ve been meaning to start sourcing everything, but it will probably take a bit of time, since a lot of the information is just kind of my accumulated knowledge (I’ll do my best though!). About Loki’s life in Jotunheim specifically, let me see… I know the first time I read about it was in The Norse Myths by Helena Yvette Grimes, but that book is not really an academic one, and it’s very inaccurate in some parts. This website’s (http://shadowlight.gydja.com/loki.html) info on the subject is accurate and well-written, but this website is not academic either. Myths of the Norsemen by H.A. Guerber, an academic text, touches on Glut, Eisa, and Einmyria in chapter 22 (http://free.sbooks.net/H_A_Guerber/Myths_of_the_Norsemen/kindle.html), but not in exceptional detail. From a cursory sweep of my sources that I expected to have the right information, that is what I’ve found. Let me know if you want me to find more sources. I know there ARE more, but I’d have to reread a lot of material to locate the others. I definitely don’t mind doing this, since I should have been citing my sources from the beginning. Also, it’s always good to refresh knowledge. So just let me know if you’d like me to dig a little deeper. Thanks for bearing with me!
I’m so sorry for not responding sooner! The Laugardag/Saturday is also primarily from H.A. Guerber’s Myths of the Norsemen. Loki’s parentage is a bit trickier, because nearly every piece about Loki will mention Loki’s parentage, but they all say different things. It’s because no one is quite in agreement on Loki’s true origins. For that reason, what I’ve posted here might not even be the most accurate answer.
The H.A. Guerber text cites the three different possibilities of Loki’s parentage, in chapter 22 like the information on Eisa, Einmyria, and Glut. [1]One possibility is that Loki was among the family of original gods with Odin and Hoenir, since the three make up a common triad. There is also the possibility that Loki was:
“[2]the son of the great giant Fornjotnr (Ymir), his brothers being Kari (air) and Hler (water), and his sister Ran, the terrible goddess of the sea. Other mythologists, however, make him [3]the son of the giant Farbauti, who has been identified with Bergelmir, the sole survivor of the deluge, and of Laufeia (leafy isle) or Nal (vessel), his mother” (Guerber).
I’m sorry to keep suggesting the Guerber text, but many other mainstream texts are painfully inaccurate (with respect to older sources and artefacts) and suffer from some form of factual distortion. This is one of the few that doesn’t, so it’s a good source of information.
This (http://shadowlight.gydja.com/loki.html) well-informed/written but non-academic site that I’ve suggested before details Loki’s descent from Farbauti and Laufey.
I’m fairly certain that Rudolf Simek’s Dictionary of Norse Mythology provides a good explanation on Loki’s parentage, but I don’t know on which page it is.
Otherwise, you can always use more original sources, like Snorri’s Prose Edda Gylfaginning, in which it is explicitly stated that Farbauti and Laufey are Loki’s father and mother. It also describes their escape from the flood. The Prose Edda Skaldskaparmal calls Loki “son of Farbauti and Laufey”, “Farbauti’s son”, and “Farbauti’s sly son”.
I owe you a lot more sources than this, but I study this field for leisure only, so I haven’t kept very good record of my sources. I am currently going through all texts/research papers/articles/websites I have saved up, so that I can properly document everything on here (It may take a while though). Until then, I hope this will do!
One day, while borrowing Freyja’s falcon cloak Valsharmr, Loki came upon the jotunn Geirrodr’s expansive castle. Unfortunately, Loki was spotted, and seized before he could escape.
Geirrodr demanded to know who he was, and why he was spying on him, but Loki remained silent. Geirrodr had a famous hatred for Thor, so as Thor’s best friend, Loki was sure his true identity should remain hidden, at least if he valued his life.
When Geirrodr did not receive an answer though, he imprisoned Loki, denying him food, drink, and sunlight. Loki endured for three months before he started to think he could take no more of the torture. He called for Geirrodr and begged to be released, promising to do or say anything the jotunn desired. On learning that his prisoner was Loki, Geirrodr agreed to release him, provided that Loki brought Thor to Geirrodr’s castle, without his hammer, the gloves required to carry the hammer, or the girdle Megingardr, which increased Thor’s already prominent strength. Loki agreed, and was allowed to return to Asgard.
On returning, he set about enticing Thor to travel with him to Geirrodr’s castle. However, Loki stipulated, Geirrodr did not want Thor dining in his hall with his hammer, gloves, and girdle of strength, since Thor could easily disrupt the party and kill him instead. Thor was not enthusiastic at the prospect, but Loki assured him Geirrodr would feed and house them well, and that Geirrodr’s two daughters, Gjalp and Greip, were stunning to behold. Trusting Loki’s judgement, Thor finally agreed to go.
On the way, Loki and Thor spent a night at the home of one of Odin’s past mistresses, the jotunn Gridr. When Gridr heard that Thor was journeying to Geirrodr for a feast without his battle accessories, she assured Thor that he had been deceived. Geirrodr was a fierce enemy of Thor, and was intent on killing him. Thor was outmatched without his weapon, but if Thor did not go to Geirrodr, Loki would be captured, tortured, and possibly killed for failing to keep his promise. Thor did not want such a thing, so he resolved to kill Geirrodr himself. He asked Gridr to borrow her girdle of strength and iron gloves, and also her magic staff Gridarvolr. Gridr agreed, and sent Thor and Loki on their way.
The two attempted to cross the river Vimur to reach their destination, but the river grew fierce, and Loki was forced to cling to Thor to keep from being washed away. Wondering why the river was behaving thusly, Thor looked upstream, and saw that Geirrodr’s daughter Gjalp was adding liquid to the river, causing the water to rise significantly.
Thor threw a rock at the jotunn to stem the river flow. He pulled himself and Loki out with the branch of a rowan tree, and they finished making their way to the home of Geirrodr.
Thor and Loki were led to a room with a single chair, and Thor seated himself. Suddenly, the chair began rising toward the roof, threatening to crush Thor against it. Thor acted quickly and used Gridr’s unbreakable staff to push himself away from the roof. This sudden action caused the two jotnar pushing his chair to the ceiling, Gjalp and Greip, to break their backs and fall to the floor.
It was then that Geirrodr entered, and took hot iron from a fire with tongs. He threw it directly at Thor, but Thor easily caught the projectile in the iron gloves he wore. Realising the danger he was in, Geirrodr hid himself behind a pillar, but Thor threw the molten iron back at Geirrodr, and it crashed through the pillar to pierce and kill Geirrodr.
Some versions of the myth include Thjalfi in Loki’s place, or Thjalfi making the journey with both Thor and Loki, but his involvement is uncertain, because he does little that is noteworthy in this myth.
In early Norse mythology, before the Aesir became a more prominent force, Loki was more closely related to fire and hearth, and to weather. His name was also very similar in pronunciation to the Jotunn fire spirit Loge, further casting him in that role. Presumably before he had met Odin, Loki lived in Jotunheimr with a wife called Glut (Glow) and their two daughters Eisa (Ember) and Einmyria (Ashes).
When waves of heat could be observed as rising from the ground, it was said that Loki was sowing his oats. When moisture evaporated, it was attributed to Loki collecting the moisture to make a drink. Among the Nordic people, when flames crackled on the hearth, it was said that Loki was beating his children. When rain fell despite the sun being out, it was said that Glut was weeping.
As stories of the gods of Asgard began to gain popularity, Loki’s role soon progressed to one of the Aesir. Loki left his old life behind and moved to Asgard, where he was at some point associated with a new wife, the Aesir Sigyn.
I read *a lot* of fanfictions, since when I was really young. I am forever grateful for all the talented writers that I’ve discovered, there are some really wonderful stories out there, some are even better than what is canon… This is one of them, for me It was such a comfort reading it that I needed to have it printed! So, thanks @maiden-of-asgard for your story
Yggdrasil, the World Tree By Simon E. Davies of Human Odyssey
In the beginning of the Norse cosmos, there existed an eternal Void, known as Ginnungagap. Out of this nothingness sprang Yggdrasil, a huge Ash tree. Its newly emerging branches held two primordial worlds; Niflheim, a world of ice & frost, and Muspellheim, a realm of molten fire.
When a spring erupted from Nifelheim (known as Hvergelmir), it created a river which crossed the void into Muspellheim. Here, the hot air scorched the freezing river creating a new world, known as Jotunheim, land of the giants.
From this bloodline of primordial beings came Odin, Vili and Ve, who despised the father of giants who ruled his people with malice and brutality. When the chance came, the brothers slew the frost giant, and from his body they created Midgard, a world of mortals. Surrounding this realm they placed a great ocean which nourished the roots of the great tree.
Yggdrasil grew ever higher, forming a new realm called Asgard, which is located on the highest branch of the world tree. This was where Odin, king of the Aesir would take his people to settle a new civilisation. It was said this race of gods brought culture and technology to the world of mortals via a great causeway called Bifrost.
Bifrost was a burning rainbow bridge, connecting Midgard (the world of mortals) with Asgard. This colourful overpass emerged from Himinbjörg, a mountain hall guarded over by the ever-vigilant Heimdall. This watchmen of the gods kept an eye on the mortals below, making sure no giants breached their homeland.
As Yggdrasil continued to grow, a new land emerged on one of its branches called Vanaheim. It was a land full of luscious forests and wild meadows. From this primal wilderness emerged a race of gods known as the Vanir. This tribal people lived near the coast, ruled by Njörðr, a seafaring god who loved wealth and magic, a trait common among his people.
A great tension broke out between the Vanir and the Aesir resulting in a long winded war. It eventually ended in a stalemate, so many of the gods sent their families as hostages to the opposing tribe to help bring them closer together. Njörðr’s son, Freyr, was placed in charge of Alfheim, homeland of the Elves. This class of god-like beings were said to be “more beautiful than the sun.”
These elves were also linked to another realm far below the Earth. Legend says a tribe from Alfheim were exiled from their homeland many eons ago, and eventually sought refuge with the dwarves of the underworld. These subterranean beings had build their homes around the roots of Yggdrasil, carving a network of labyrinths, mines and forges for their empire. They called it Niðavellir, and the elves, who skin eventually became black as night, called it Svartalfar.
All the beings of Yggdrasil, mortals, gods, dwarves and elves would eventually die, and their souls were destined for several realms. If the Aesir died valiantly in battle, they would find rest in Valhalla, for all others, Helheim was their inevitable destination. This dark and gloomy abode resided at the tip of Yggdrasil’s deepest root. This afterlife was ruled over by Loki’s daughter Hel, a strange being who was half black and half flesh-coloured, characterised by a gloomy, downcast appearance.
There are a number of sacred creatures which live within Yggdrasil. this includes the monstrous wyrm Níðhöggr who gnaws at the roots of Nifelheim, weakening the great tree of Yggdrasil. This frost dragon was also known for eating the corpses of the Nifelheim when found guilty of murder, adultery and oath-breaking.
Atop the highest branches of the world tree is perched a great eagle and his hawk companion Vedrfolnir, who sits between his eyes. The two stare deep into the Norse cosmos, perhaps representing insight and awareness.
Ratatosk is a squirrel who runs up and down the world tree to carry messages between the unnamed eagle and Níðhöggr the wyrm. This mischievous critter is said to stir trouble between the all knowing eagle and the world hungry dragon.
Among the branches of the Great Ash tree live four stags known as Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Duraþrór. These ravenous beasts eat the branches of the World Tree, perhaps representing the four seasons. When they eat too much, winter ensues, when they are full, the leaves grow thick and lush in the midst of summer.
Perhaps the most important guardians of Yggdrasil are the three Norns (witches) who lives at the well Urd (below Midgard). Their names are Urd “past”, Verdani “present” and Skuld “future”. These three hags are the goddesses of fate, who spend most their time spinning the threads of life, deciding the fate of every human, animal and god. Every day the Norns will also carry water from Urd’s well, and pour it over Yggdrasil. The water from the well is of vital importance to keep the tree green and healthy.
It is the Norns who foretold Ragnarok, the twilight of the Gods and the fall of Yggdrasil. It is said that Ragnarok will begin when the wolf, Fenrir, son of Loki, breaks free of his imprisonment. This will lead to a chain reaction of events including the Midgard snake Jormungandr rising from the sea and a wolf (known as Skoll) devouring the sun, and his brother Hati, eating the moon, plunging the earth into darkness. The stars will vanish from the sky.
Everything will come to a head in a huge battle that draws in all the races of the nine worlds. It will conclude with Surter, king of the fire giants, setting fire to the great Yggdrasil. The nine worlds will burn, and friends and foes alike will perish, culminating with the earth sinking deep into the abyss of the sea.
