Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Loki was Called The Accuser

 
A depiction of Lokasenna (1895) by Lorenz Frølich (public domain)
 
 
 
Loki was expelled from the Aesir due to the death of Balder and the murder of a god named Fimageng by Loki.  A poem called the Lokasenna describes how he entered a banquet hall and confronted all of the gods as being guilty of something.  He is asked to leave and threatened by Thor.  Finally he leaves and hides in a river as a salmon.  Finally the gods find him, and chain him in a cave to be tortured by the venom of a snake for eternity.
 
 
Here are some passages from this poem from the Poetic Edda:
 
Loki spoke:
"Remember Othin, in olden days
That we both our blood have mixed;
then didst thou promise no ale to pour,
Unless it were brought for us both."
 
Othin spake:
"Stand forth then, Vithar, and let the wolf's father
Find a seat at our feast;
Lest evil should Loki speak aloud
Here within Aegir's hall."
 
Then Vithar arose and poured drink for Loki; but before he drank he spoke to the gods:
"Hail to you gods! ye goddesses, hail!
Hail to the holy throng!
Save for the god who yonder sits,
Bragi there on the bench."
 
 
Loki continues on making accusations about each god and goddesses and taunting them with his insults.  This is why he is called the accuser.  Finally, Thor threatens him with his hammer, Mjollnir.
 
 
Then came Thor forth, and spake:
"Unmanly one, cease, or the mighty hammer,
Mjollnir, shall close thy mouth;
Thy shoulder-cliff shall I cleave from they neck,
And so shall thy life be lost."
 
 
Finally Loki leaves and hides in Franang's waterfall, but is found and bound.  He tries so hard to escape that he causes earthquakes.
 
 
 
The title of "accuser" has been given to Satan.  My theory is that Loki is the same as Satan and his other name Lucifer.  He is hated by God Odin-Zeus for his part in the murder of Dionysus-Osiris-Balder.  This story is the Nordic way of telling the story in poetic form and with imagery that is easy to remember and pass on to future generations in the guise of mythology.
 
 
 
 
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