Day 3 – Loki, The Fractal Face of Change

The question for the third day asks about symbols and icons of Loki. Because I’ve been musing about Loki as a sort of “Lord of Fractal Forces,” whose shapeshifting begins at subatomic levels and probably follows fractal-like patterns in the process, I’m going to answer this question about just a few of his symbols and iconic moments, using a selection of fractal images.

Please see references at bottom of this article.

Hail Loptr!

Fract027 — Author: Pakaran. Public Domain.

Hail Flamehair! Loki as a sky-walking god of fire and lightening. [1] [2]

Hail Lóðurr!

Julia_set_(C_=_0.285,_0.01) — Author: Solkoll. Public Domain.

Loki as Lóðurr (or Lóður) grants blood and “good color” to the first humans, Ask and Embla, who start out as trees (18th stanza Völuspá). [3]

Hail, Father of Monsters!

Fractal_Sentinel_SterlingW3165 — Author: Soler97. September 2008. Public Domain.

Loki, as father of Hel, Fenrir, and Jormungandr. [4]

Hail, Mother of Witches!

Avi_Kedmi_10:8:06 — Avi Kedmi, Oct. 2008. Public Domain.

Mother of witches (troll women), after eating a burnt woman’s heart, left on a tree, possibly as an offering (see stanza 12, Völuspá hin skamma).

Hail, Mother of Sleipnir!

Fractal Flame, Made with Gimp — Author: Nevit Dilmen. 2000. GNU Free Documentation License.

Loki gives birth to the magic, eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. [see 2 again.]

Hail to the Bound God! (Let’s get you out of there!)

Fractal_tower_Sterling2_1837 — Author: Soler97. October 2008. Public Domain.

Loki’s agony: bound with his child’s entrails, unable to escape the venom dripped from a snake. [5]

Hail Vulture’s Path!

Fk-386 — Author: Avi Kedmi. October 14, 2006. Public Domain.

Loki as Gammleið, “the vulture’s path” and perhaps a reference to cremation fire. [6]

Hail Worldbreaker!

Burning_Ship_Fractal_Overview — Author: Mikecondron. May 3, 2011. Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

Loki captains Naglfar, the corpse ship also known as the “Ship of Dead Men’s Nails,” prior to Ragnarok. (See stanza 51, Völuspá.) [7] [8]

Fractal_fire — Fractal Fire. Author: Stevo-88. May 21, 2007. Public Domain.

The Star Sirius, Lokabrenna (Loki’s Torch)

Sveshnikov Andrei_Young_star_ — Young Star. Author: Andrei Sveshnikov. Public Domain.

References

Voluspa.org

[1] Loptson, Dagulf. 2014. Playing with Fire–An Exploration of Loki Laufeyjarson. Asphodel Press. pp. 27-29.

[2] Grundy, Stephan. 2015. God in Flames, God in Fetters. Troth Publications. pp. 35-40.

[3] Loptson, Dagulf. pp. 22-26.

[4] Grundy, Stephan. p. 4.

[5] Loptson, Dagulf. pp. 31-32.

[6] Loptson, Dagulf. pp. 29-31.

[7] Grundy, Stephan. pp. 26-27.

[8] Loptson, Dagulf. pp.182-185.

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