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Loki or Loke

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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in Scandinavian mythology, is the principle of evil, an impious, mischievous wretch, author of all intrigue, vice, and crime; father of the most abominable monsters, of the wolf Fenris, the midgard snake, and Hela (blue Hel), the goddess of death; the "spirit of evil," as it were, mingling freely with, yet essentially opposed to the other inhabitants of the Norse heaven, very much like the Satan of the book of Job. He is called the son of the giant Farbante, and is married to the giantess Angerbode. Sometimes he is called Asa-Loki, to distinguish him from Utgarda-Loki, a king of the giants, whose kingdom lies on the uttermost bounds of the earth; but these two are occasionally confounded. It is quite natural, considering the character of Loki, that at a later period he should have become identified with the devil of Christianity, who is called in Norway to the present day Laake. See Vollmer, Mythol. Worterb. s.v.; Chambers, Cyclop. s.v.; Weinhold, Die Sagen v. Loki in Haupt, Zeitschrift Jur deutsches Alterth. volume 7; Thorpe, North. Mythol. volume 1 (see Index); and the excellent article in Thomas, Biogr. and Alythol. Dict. (Phila. 1872), s.v.