Norse Loki vs. Anime Loki (from Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok), Part II
Loki's Punishment
It's possible that Loki's banishment to the human world could be equated to the punishment (where he was chained to three rocks) that he received in the Norse legends for his part in the killing of Baldr, the god of light and beauty.
In the anime, Loki doesn't seem to know why he was banished, but anyone familiar with Norse myths might have guessed that to be the reason, as Norse Loki's hand in killing Baldr was probably his most serious offense and the act that eventually would lead to Ragnarok. (Although... I think the anime Loki is actually innocent of any wrongdoing, if I'm remembering right.)
Other bits
In the anime, Loki is sometimes referred to as a 'dark' or 'evil' god, and he gathers power from the evil in human's hearts. (However, despite this he is not really that evil.) This title probably comes more from the Norse Loki's reputations for deception and cruelty more than anything.
Interestingly, Norse Loki is not always reported in the myths to be a god (I think it changes with the source). In many accounts, he's the son of two giants, and a giant himself. Although I haven't read anything about whether he's that large in stature (perhaps his shape-shifting power makes it so it doesn't matter...). Though not a god himself, he does spend a lot of time among the gods, especially Thor and Odin.
I didn't find much reference in Norse canon to Loki's aversion to water (as in the anime). It may have been an idea drawn from the fact that Norse Loki is often connected with the element fire. (It's because he's a fire giant that he was able to wield the flaming sword Laevatein mentioned before.)
Have you read the book Eight Days of Luke by chance? It's a fantasy novel written by Diana Wynne Jones (Howl's Moving Castle, Hexwood, etc) that has some loose allusions to Norse mythology. In this book, the character of Loki (Luke) is a mischevious child who has a knack for playing with fire. If you're interested in fantasy books, it's a quick read you might want to check out.
ReplyDeleteNo, haven't heard of it, but it sounds interesting. Thanks, I'll be sure to check it out.
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