Loki caused her to
laugh - one of the terms of reconciliation demanded by her. Ódin and Hönir are
remarkably passive. ..the only real hero of the tale is Loki, the two other gods
doing nothing at all (de Vries). This myth again shows Loki as acting in
self-preservation rather than malice. For him, breaking his oath would be
impossible, just as leaving Idunn in Jötunheim. In Reginsmal, Ódin, Hönir and
Loki again travel together. By slaying a dwarf, Otr, in the shape of an otter
(they didn't know it was anything but an otter), he brings the wrath of
Hreidmarr onto the Aesir. They are forced to pay weregild for the slain dwarf,
and Loki is sent to Svartalfheim to fetch the gods' ransom. He catches another
dwarf, Andvari, who was in the form of a fish, and takes all his gold. Loki
borrowed Ran's net in order to catch Andvari. The dwarf tries to hide a ring of
gold, but Loki finds out and takes that too. The dwarf then lays a curse on that
particular ring and leaves. The ring would be the ruin of everyone who came into
possession of it. Loki gave the gold to Ódin, who covered the skin with it but
retained the ring. One of the otter's whiskers remained uncovered, and Hreidmarr
insisted on it being covered, so Ódin gave up the ring. Loki said that now the
ring and the treasure would be a curse to every posessor of them. When the
ransom is paid, the Aesir are free to go. Again we find that the two other Aesir
are merely passive spectators, and that the only active role, albiet a forced
one, in the story is played by Loki. LOKI AND THOR In Skaldskaparmál (18), Loki
flew to Jötunheim in the guise of a falcon (using Frigg's feather-dress), and
has been captured and starved by the giant Geirrřdr. The giant releases him only
if he promises to bring Thor to him without his hammer, belt and gloves, and
after having made his promise he is free to go. Loki manages to make it back to
Bilkskirnir, home to Thor and Sif and convinces Thor to leave his weapons at
home, but on their way he is supplied with a belt of power, a pair of iron
gloves and a power staff by a giantess named Grid. After having crossed a
dangerous river with Loki hanging on his belt, Thor confronts the giant and his
daughters, kills them and heads back to Asgard. Loki is not even mentioned after
the river incident: Loki, as it seems, accompanied Thor on the first part of his
journey, but he disappears from the scene (Turville-Petre). Snorri's version of
the myth in Skaldskaparmál differs somewhat from the older poem Haustlong where
the original story is told, where Thor is accompanied not only by Loki but also
by Ialvi. There is no account of this myth in the Poetic Edda.
This myth shows
Loki as acting in self-preservation rather than malice. Thus, Loki is again
victim of circumstance, out to save his own skin. In Thrymskvitha Thor wakes up
only to find that his hammer is gone. He approaches Loki, tells him about his
loss, and Loki assumes Freyja's falcon shape in order to go looking for the
hammer. He finds out that the giant Thrymm has stolen the hammer and that he
keeps it safe, eight miles underground, and that he will not give it back unless
he is promised Freyja's hand in marriage. Freyja herself does not approve of
being married to the giant, and the gods are quite at a loss about what to do.
They hold council, and Heimdallr suggests that Thor could disguise himself as
Freyja and go to ţrym and recover his hammer. Loki readily offers to follow as
the false Freyja's bridesmaid, and hence they arrive in Jotunheim in order to
celebrate the wedding. Thor is almost disclosed twice due to his excessive
eating and red-hot gaze, but the cunning Loki quickly saves him by his witty
explanations. At last the hammer is produced to be used in the ceremony and put
in Thor’s lap, only to be picked up by the most furious of gods and used to
smash the giants to atoms. We are not told that Loki had caused the hammer to be
stolen, but this may once have been the introduction to the story. Otherwise,
this is a myth where Loki volunteers to help another Aesir. No threats or pain
of death was involved. LOKI AS CREATOR In Voluspá 18, Ódin, Hönir and Lodur
create the first human beings out of two pieces of wood, a man called Askr and a
woman called Embla: Then from the host three came, Great, merciful, from the
God's home: Askr and Embla on earth they found, Faint, feeble, with no fate
assigned them. Breath they had not, nor blood nor senses, Nor language
possessed, nor life-hue: Ódin gave them breath, Hönir senses, Blood and life hue
Lodur gave. It is argued that Loki and Lodur are one and the same. Óinn and
Hönir are, when they are mentioned together, always accompanied by a third god,
sometimes Lodur and sometimes Loki. Lodur is not mentioned in the Poetic Edda
except for in this passage. Snorri does not mention him at all. LOKI AND SIF /
LOKI AS PROVIDER In the halls of Bilskirnir Sif and Thor were just wed. The next
night, Loki crept to Sif's chamber. She glanced up at Loki's approach and smiled
in welcome. She knew why Loki chose to visit her, since she could forsee things.
