Of gods and men

[Thalia]

I do personally think Loki falls under ‘chaos’ – but that’s a good point. Trickery/mischief might be an aspect of chaos (insomuch as chaos is a result) but they aren’t the same thing. I’m also probably erroneously using the word chaos as synonymous with change.

I don’t think Loki was bitter towards the other gods pre-snake torture, but he did speak blunt and hurtful truths against all custom, tradition and honour, which probably did little to foster positive relationships. He has plenty of reason to be emo, they’re never really very nice to him. Is it the gods who sew his lips shut though, or one of the dwarves he tricked? (he’d offered his head in the wager, then when he lost pointed out his neck was not part of the bargain, so they sewed his mouth closed to quite literally shut him up. Or something like that).

<dl>
<dt>Jaxen</dt>
<dd> </dd>
</dl>
However, Loki did not do what he did to serve some greater purpose beyond himself. Therefore, I find it hard to think he was an anti-hero, because he served his own agenda.

Okay. So what was his agenda?

The other gods continually benefited from Loki’s mischief. They got the wall around Asgard, for free, plus the various weapons and cool stuff. Things turn out great for the other gods, but Loki always gets punished for his misdemeanour. I think that makes him a pretty rubbish villain – particularly if a villain’s goal is purely selfish and centred on self-preservation. Surely the first rule of villainy is to NOT get caught. He was also supposedly Odin’s blood-brother – and presumably the all-father had a reason to invite a jotun into the family in the first place. Guy was a seer, right? Ragnarok was inevitable, and Baldur’s death was one of the signs of its coming. Irrespective of Loki, Baldur was going to die and Ragnarok was going to end the reign of the gods. So if you’re Odin, what do you do about it?

Loki indirectly kills Baldur, then prevents Hel from allowing him to return by shifting into the only being who refuses to shed a tear; he’s pretty much the only god who could have hoped to accomplish either feat. Fastforward to Ragnorak, and all the gods are slaughtered. Except Baldur, who’s immune in Hel. And once it’s over, he’s released. What better god to bless the new world than him? And the only reason he survived at all, was Loki.

So yeah, I think you can see Loki as an anti-hero. He did the dirty-work, maybe even at Odin’s behest*. And he suffered for it, to the point that it destroyed him and he ended up fighting against his brethren. Before he’s imprisoned, he delivers a final set of home truths to the others. He exposes their secrets and hypocrisies and… uh… sorry to get too academic again, but it’s symbolic of their crumbling society. It was time for it to end, and Loki was the catalyst. He destroyed the world, but he also laid the seeds for the new.

*He goes from cutting off hair and tying a goat’s beard to his balls to make funny, to murder. It’s the first time his mischief has been harmful – so why? Maybe he didn’t intend murder and was just making a point that had kinda horrific consequences - he did use a blind god, after all. Maybe he was jealous, malicious and totally embittered by that point and did act from spite. But I think that all his previous trickeries and their ultimately beneficial outcomes set a precedent. He knew what he was doing. And so did Odin.

What did Odin say to his dead son on the funeral pyre? Why did Sigyn stay so utterly devoted to a man like Loki? It was a conspiracy I tell you!

<dl>
<dt>Jaxen</dt>
<dd> </dd>
</dl>
Just admit it, Thal. My characters are irresistible.

Pft.