Sunday, May 30, 2010

Loki, the Opponent of Aryan Order


There are many studies which focus on Loki as the agent of change and transformation amongst the Germanic Gods but I would like to discuss one aspect, indeed a major aspect of his role and that is Loki as the opponent of order, Aryan order in particular.
One must start by examining his origins.He is the son of the giant Farbauti and his mother is Laufey, meaning leaf island, a Norse kenning for tree. Rudolf Simek in his Dictionary of Northern Mythology suggests that she may be a tree Goddess but we cannot be sure about her origins. An alternative name for her is Nal meaning needle. Loki is surnamed Laufeyjarson. Certainly Loki at the very least must be assumed to be half giant if not a giant of the full blood.
Despite his alien origins he was accepted by the Gods into their community but he usually betrayed their trust and generosity with disloyalty and treason. We must not forget that although at times he could be useful to the Gods and helped them out of many difficult situations he was usually the cause of their difficulties and sought on every occasion to work for their destruction. He lived amongst the Gods and partook of their hospitality but covertly and eventually overtly worked for their destruction.
Loki cut off Sif`s hair, Thor`s wife. Her golden hair is a metaphor for the golden corn in the fields. He thus sought to deprive the earth of her rich harvests. He did of course replace her natural hair with hair made from gold but gold is symbolic of money, the means of exchange in a capitalist economy. Aryan man thus degenerated when his society exhanged co-operation and barter with capital and unworked for usury.
Loki also was responsible for the theft of Freyja`s necklace Brisingamen and also assisted in the theft of Andvari`s gold. The gold was cursed and led to the downfall of all who wrongfully possessed it. Indeed it forms the basis of the tale of the Nibelungs which was reworked by Wagner into the four part Der Ring des Nibelungen.
Loki was also responsible for the kidnap of the Goddess Idun. The seperation of Idun and her apples from Asgard caused the Gods and Goddesses to age prematurely.
Loki was a blasphemer and slanderer of the Gods and Goddesses as told in Lokasenna in the Poetic or Elder Edda.
He was instrumental in the murder of the God Baldur by his deception of the blind God Hodr. He also prevented the release of Baldur from hel by refusing to weep for Him and ensured the demise of the Gods.
Loki fathered Hel, the Fenris wolf and the Midgard serpent, all of which were instruments of destruction.
At Ragnarok he openly opposes the Gods when he sides with the giants and other forces of destruction and chaos amd takes the helm of the ship Naglfar and moves into battle against the Gods and the Einherjar. He is eventually slain by the God Heimdall who in turn is killed by Loki.
Significantly there is absolutely no evidence of any kind to suggest that Loki despite being a major figure in Germanic mythology was ever honoured by our peoples. There exist no shrines, temples or any literary evidence for his worship.
I believe that the story of Loki holds great significance for the Aryan peoples and our attempts to survive the coming Ragnarok. We ignore this lesson at our peril.

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