#lokasenna

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>

Warning: this post is pure speculation.

Since there are many gaps in modern knowledge of Norse mythology, some of the posts here will be more contemplative than informative.  If you have some ideas to contribute to the topic, please feel free to reply to the post.  :)

Why did Loki cut off Sif’s hair?

It is a bit of a strange thing to do.  Loki and Thor are close companions, and it is well known that Thor has a tendency to resort to violence far too quickly when angered.  This clearly would not end well for Loki, so why do it?

One explanation is that Sif’s hair was something in which she and Thor had great pride, and therefore Loki in his role as a trickster figure interfered with this contentedness (tricksters often work to bring humility to the prideful).

Another characteristic of tricksters is that they are unpredictable, and do not need a reason to do anything; so there is also the possibility that Loki simply cut Sif’s hair because the opportunity arose. However, contemplating a motive for Loki based on the assumption that he acts in the same way as other trickster archetypes may not yield accurate conclusions, as Loki’s behaviour is not identical to tricksters of other mythologies.

A further thought: it was custom to cut a woman’s hair when she had been unfaithful to her husband.  Was Loki punishing Sif for adultery?  With whom would Sif have committed adultery?

In Lokasenna, when Loki is drunkenly revealing all the dirty secrets of his fellow gods (which may or may not be true), Loki accuses Sif of cheating on Thor with none other than himself.  It seems a bit weird for Loki to lie with Sif, and then to cut her hair in punishment for it.

However, it does provide an explanation for how Loki accomplished the hair-cutting in the first place.  Sif would need to have been asleep, Thor would need to be gone, and Loki would need to be alone with Sif - the perfect opportunity would arise after a bout of secret mingling.

In Norse Mythology, Loki is credited with having invented the fishing net.  He developed it while he was living in a hut on his own, hiding from the gods.  Loki had insulted each of the gods while in a drunken stupour, and despite the extent of his inebriation, the gods were very keen on finding and punishing Loki.

Unfortunately, Loki’s invention of the fishing net was what eventually got him captured.  When the gods discovered Loki’s hut, Loki threw the net into the fire, turned into a salmon, and hid himself in a nearby stream.  Unfortunately, the gods found the net, still burning, and realised its purpose.  The stream was the only means of escape, so the gods reconstructed Loki’s net and used it to block fish from leaving the immediate area.  The salmon Loki attempted to leap over the net, but he was caught in mid-air by Thor.

The salmon’s thin tail was said to be from how firmly Thor had held Loki.  Loki returned to his true form, seeing no reason in prolonging the ineffective farce, and was severely punished for his harsh words.