What's in a name? Plenty. Laeviss would go so very far as to say, "Really, don't bother reading the ancient myths if you won't bother to look up what the names of the characters may have meant. Because that is, as Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story."
Laeviss has gone through many name changes over the years. His first two names, while pretty much describing his life's purpose, had the added baggage (among other things) of stemming from a religious tradition not his own. So he will admit to changing his name a number of times, first to plain initials and eventually (after a great many years) being gifted with the name Laeviss.
Not much of a gift, one might say. More like a Hobbit's mathom ("Here, take this ugly or useless thing away from me!") or a white elephant ("Though it is honourably given, the cost of this name is hard to bear.") But the magic is that of laeviss and the magic is me, so here it is, with explanation duly given.
Lae is nearly always translated (when it shows up in the lore) in ways that connote evil, destructive or vicious tendencies. However, my innate understanding of the magic involved in lae (and it is nearly always some form of magic that the word "lae" is describing) is that it is neutral as in the sense of any energetic purpose. It is merely the direction, or forcefulness of intention, that would make it destructive or not. (Rather like seidr, it can be used for harm or used for benefit.)
When I received the name, it was understood that the name, and the knowledge of lae, would be used to reclaim this magic in a positive way for the good of the Earth. Which is rather like Wiccans and other Pagans taking back and restoring the balance to the word "witch."
Almost everyone has seen the Star Wars movies. In the movie, "The Empire Strikes Back," Luke Skywalker is being trained as a Jedi by Yoda on the planet Dagobah. Luke finds a hollow tree in the swamp, which he feels he must enter as a challenge. He asks Yoda what he will meet inside the tree, and Yoda responds, "Only what you take with you."
In translating from ancient texts, it is almost impossible not to take baggage with you inside that tree. Despite hearing Yoda tell him that he won't need his weapons, Luke takes them with him inside the tree, convinced that he'll need them. In so doing, he sets himself up to need those weapons.
In Laeviss' discussions regarding the gift of his name, he was informed that his understanding of the name was correct: it has no negative connotation *unless the listener or reader chooses to give it one* and/or the speaker or writer *chooses to imply that it has one.*
Kevin J. Wanner's article "Cunning Intelligence in Norse Myth: Loki, Odinn and the Limits of Sovreignty" notes that the word lae can be translated into English in a number of ways, "from neutral terms such as "craft," "art," or "skill," to the more negative ones..." (and here he gives a long list of the more negative ones! Check his article out, it's available online and there is so much interesting information there.)
"Viss" is wisdom, knowledge, so "laeviss" would mean something like, "knowledge of magic-craft" or "wizard."
There are plenty of forms of magic, so what sort of magic is lae? Wanner also points out that Lothur gives this lae-stuff to humankind when they are formed from trees. The sort of stuff Lothur provides humans with has been described by various translators as physical form and colour, blood and/or "burning desire." So this would be the sort of magic of lae, the original creation magic of the Earth. (The physical manifestations on Midgard.)
This is probably, by Laeviss' UPG, the sort of knowledge held by Gullveig, the very old magic that some of the Aesir found distasteful as it was associated with women. Laeviss' UPG tells him that Gullveig (directly translated meaning "gold-greedy") actually was desirous of learning and sharing knowledge, and was offering to trade her magic secrets for those of the Aesir.
Those who did not like him called Loki by a name (Laeviss) that to them had negative connotations, and they likewise gave Gullveig similar negative connotations. Was that her real name? Or was it always Heid (bright, shining?)
The Aesir eventually did exchange magical traditions with the Vanir, as, after the truce between the warring gods, Freyja taught Odin seidr in return for his knowledge of galdr.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Monday, July 15, 2013
Bells and Whistles
Laeviss is the first to admit that self-created magick is about the energy, not the object. It's nice to have boxfuls of interesting magickal items: candles, wands, cards, crystals, incense and the darkly-energetic antique wooden box in which to stow them all when not in use. Nice...but totally unnecessary.
It's really, really just the energy, the focus and the intent that you need. Everything else is superfluous.
(Now, when performing for an adoring public, it gets trickier. Turns out, they believe better when the show is grander. So don't skimp on the magickal gewgaws when performing in public, creating magick for a public purpose. Because belief is most of the battle won.)
That said, even though magick works very well without the "stuff," Laeviss has picked up some pretty interesting magickal items over the years. Laeviss decided to perform an experiment using two of these items. One has been associated with Laeviss for so long it's like an added appendage, and is quite attuned to him. This one, Laeviss used to focus the energy and intent of the magick. The other one, a recent acquisition, had loads of energy of its own, though it wasn't attuned to Laeviss, yet. (Laeviss' wizard friend described the object as both loud and spinning really fast. Laeviss decided to use this one as an amplifier.)
Laeviss set the intent and focus through the object already attuned to him, and then amplified the energy through the spinning object. He vocally directed the force. He then was treated to a most glorious inner-eyelid lightshow with some interesting Norse-themed symbols. Success! The amplifier works!
It's really, really just the energy, the focus and the intent that you need. Everything else is superfluous.
(Now, when performing for an adoring public, it gets trickier. Turns out, they believe better when the show is grander. So don't skimp on the magickal gewgaws when performing in public, creating magick for a public purpose. Because belief is most of the battle won.)
That said, even though magick works very well without the "stuff," Laeviss has picked up some pretty interesting magickal items over the years. Laeviss decided to perform an experiment using two of these items. One has been associated with Laeviss for so long it's like an added appendage, and is quite attuned to him. This one, Laeviss used to focus the energy and intent of the magick. The other one, a recent acquisition, had loads of energy of its own, though it wasn't attuned to Laeviss, yet. (Laeviss' wizard friend described the object as both loud and spinning really fast. Laeviss decided to use this one as an amplifier.)
Laeviss set the intent and focus through the object already attuned to him, and then amplified the energy through the spinning object. He vocally directed the force. He then was treated to a most glorious inner-eyelid lightshow with some interesting Norse-themed symbols. Success! The amplifier works!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Departure of the Ravens
Laeviss remembers his father.
He was a kind, generous, gentle man, with a good heart and a weakness for very bad jokes. My early childhood is filled with memories of the times I spent with him. He would give rides to neighborhood children in the trailer pulled by his tractor. He took me ice skating and swimming and horseback riding. We would go on walks together. He liked to sing me funny songs.
When he became ill, I was too young to know that he would never recover. I only knew that we had to hide the car keys, lest he try to drive, and that he had to be watched constantly to make sure he didn't accidentally cause a fire, or himself an injury.
Eventually, he was confined to a nursing home, where we would visit him. Except it was no longer him. The man we went to visit one day gave me a puzzled look and couldn't remember my name. He thought he was his own nine-year-old self again. He thought I was one of his siblings, maybe. But he wasn't sure.
Then, one day, he never noticed me at all, he just stared into space. The ravens had gone.
There is nothing more heart-wrenching than looking into the eyes of someone you love, knowing them, and remembering all of that shared history, and all of the feeling behind it, and finding that this beloved person does not remember who you are anymore.
Odin says remember who you are.
He was a kind, generous, gentle man, with a good heart and a weakness for very bad jokes. My early childhood is filled with memories of the times I spent with him. He would give rides to neighborhood children in the trailer pulled by his tractor. He took me ice skating and swimming and horseback riding. We would go on walks together. He liked to sing me funny songs.
When he became ill, I was too young to know that he would never recover. I only knew that we had to hide the car keys, lest he try to drive, and that he had to be watched constantly to make sure he didn't accidentally cause a fire, or himself an injury.
Eventually, he was confined to a nursing home, where we would visit him. Except it was no longer him. The man we went to visit one day gave me a puzzled look and couldn't remember my name. He thought he was his own nine-year-old self again. He thought I was one of his siblings, maybe. But he wasn't sure.
Then, one day, he never noticed me at all, he just stared into space. The ravens had gone.
There is nothing more heart-wrenching than looking into the eyes of someone you love, knowing them, and remembering all of that shared history, and all of the feeling behind it, and finding that this beloved person does not remember who you are anymore.
Odin says remember who you are.
You Made Me Believe in Magic
Is magic real? Yes.
Well, prove it.
Laeviss can only say with a great deal of certainty in this regard that the magic he performs is not only real, but he has seen the proof of its working.
When he was about seven years old, Laeviss had a dream. In this dream, Laeviss met a man with a top hat (referred to as the Doctor, though Laeviss is quite sure he was *not* a Time Lord) who explained to him the sort of pain he would be subjected to in this lifetime. This pain was referenced symbolically, but Laeviss has no doubt as to the reality of the lecture he was given. It would, the kind Doctor explained, begin here and end there and both Laeviss' father and Laeviss would have to agree to the manner of it. This we both did, as we were supposed to do. Laeviss has played this game often enough before, you see.
And then Laeviss lived his life, and played that game of Snakes and Ladders. He made sure the client got the ladders, and Laeviss himself took those snakes. (He has always had a fondness for snakes.)
Laeviss has had no doubt about the veracity of the information he was given by the gods later in his life, because it corresponds with memories of past existence. "This is how the magic works, this is what you specialize in, and this is what you do."
Yes, creepy little dog though he may be, the Earth-wyrm that is Laeviss worked his magic with the help of his earthy cohorts, the Dwarves. And then saw the proof of its working with his own eyes, and heard the story of its working with his own ears. Success! And the Earth is a better place, even for old Laeviss.
The Dwarves will take any kind of energy in payment. Not only the "usual and customary" sort that a skratta might employ. It pays to be creative when, in Midgard, all time is of the essence and all space is not here.
Well, prove it.
Laeviss can only say with a great deal of certainty in this regard that the magic he performs is not only real, but he has seen the proof of its working.
When he was about seven years old, Laeviss had a dream. In this dream, Laeviss met a man with a top hat (referred to as the Doctor, though Laeviss is quite sure he was *not* a Time Lord) who explained to him the sort of pain he would be subjected to in this lifetime. This pain was referenced symbolically, but Laeviss has no doubt as to the reality of the lecture he was given. It would, the kind Doctor explained, begin here and end there and both Laeviss' father and Laeviss would have to agree to the manner of it. This we both did, as we were supposed to do. Laeviss has played this game often enough before, you see.
And then Laeviss lived his life, and played that game of Snakes and Ladders. He made sure the client got the ladders, and Laeviss himself took those snakes. (He has always had a fondness for snakes.)
Laeviss has had no doubt about the veracity of the information he was given by the gods later in his life, because it corresponds with memories of past existence. "This is how the magic works, this is what you specialize in, and this is what you do."
Yes, creepy little dog though he may be, the Earth-wyrm that is Laeviss worked his magic with the help of his earthy cohorts, the Dwarves. And then saw the proof of its working with his own eyes, and heard the story of its working with his own ears. Success! And the Earth is a better place, even for old Laeviss.
The Dwarves will take any kind of energy in payment. Not only the "usual and customary" sort that a skratta might employ. It pays to be creative when, in Midgard, all time is of the essence and all space is not here.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Transformers
Way back in the day, Laeviss had a witchy friend, who would cackle and conjure and do all of the sorts of things witches do. And she'd often look at Laeviss and say, "Little Wren, there is more to you than meets the eye."
Laeviss is so much more than meets the eye, in almost every way imaginable. In fact, what the eye sees of Laeviss is the worst possible judge of what Laeviss is, but is what most people use to base their versions of Laeviss reality on.
Unfortunately, the perceptions of the eye guide all with the ability to visually perceive things in ways that deeply affect their lives. Foods that don't *look* appealing to us are often not tried, no matter how tasty they might actually be. I know Laeviss certainly won't try foods that don't look appealing to him.
It's all in the visual presentation. If things aren't attractive to our personal sight, then they just aren't attractive. And there's not much we can do about it.
Like one person who would like very much for Laeviss to be attracted to her. Or him. Or whoever s/he is at any given moment. And Laeviss can't force it.
The person knows the rules about sexual attraction. They have recited them to Laeviss in rants on numerous occasions. ("If one more person tells me that being gay is a choice, I'm going to punch them in the face," s/he has told me.) One either *is* attracted, or is *not* attracted. There is no "choice" involved. One can't choose the persons to whom they feel an attraction.
But still, hope endures.
"I want to do what your boyfriend does for you," s/he tells Laeviss.
"You can't do what my boyfriend does for me," Laeviss responds honestly.
"Yes, I can!" S/he says. "Just tell me what he does for you, and I'll do it."
"You can't do what he does for me. It's not possible, because I'm not attracted to you in that way."
"You just haven't opened your mind, yet," s/he answers. To which Laeviss responds, kindly but firmly, "You can't force someone to want to f*ck you."
Yes. It is a Universal Law. You can't force sexual attraction. You can't change it. You can't control it. It isn't a "choice." It just *is.* Or it is *not.*
When there is more to you than meets the eye, it can be difficult to find partners with whom one shares a sexual attraction. (And, in Laeviss' experience, usually the attraction is all on one side or the other, almost never is it mutual. And it always, always - however much else spiritually and mentally and emotionally is involved - depends on the physical appearance.) And when you find such a mutually-agreeable partner, what do you tell them about yourself? How much do you tell them? Is the physical perception of who one is amounting to false advertising? Or is a verbal assertion a false truth?
Laeviss is more than meets the eye, indeed. But most people will never know. Because you can't force someone to want to f*ck you.
Laeviss is so much more than meets the eye, in almost every way imaginable. In fact, what the eye sees of Laeviss is the worst possible judge of what Laeviss is, but is what most people use to base their versions of Laeviss reality on.
Unfortunately, the perceptions of the eye guide all with the ability to visually perceive things in ways that deeply affect their lives. Foods that don't *look* appealing to us are often not tried, no matter how tasty they might actually be. I know Laeviss certainly won't try foods that don't look appealing to him.
It's all in the visual presentation. If things aren't attractive to our personal sight, then they just aren't attractive. And there's not much we can do about it.
Like one person who would like very much for Laeviss to be attracted to her. Or him. Or whoever s/he is at any given moment. And Laeviss can't force it.
The person knows the rules about sexual attraction. They have recited them to Laeviss in rants on numerous occasions. ("If one more person tells me that being gay is a choice, I'm going to punch them in the face," s/he has told me.) One either *is* attracted, or is *not* attracted. There is no "choice" involved. One can't choose the persons to whom they feel an attraction.
But still, hope endures.
"I want to do what your boyfriend does for you," s/he tells Laeviss.
"You can't do what my boyfriend does for me," Laeviss responds honestly.
"Yes, I can!" S/he says. "Just tell me what he does for you, and I'll do it."
"You can't do what he does for me. It's not possible, because I'm not attracted to you in that way."
"You just haven't opened your mind, yet," s/he answers. To which Laeviss responds, kindly but firmly, "You can't force someone to want to f*ck you."
Yes. It is a Universal Law. You can't force sexual attraction. You can't change it. You can't control it. It isn't a "choice." It just *is.* Or it is *not.*
When there is more to you than meets the eye, it can be difficult to find partners with whom one shares a sexual attraction. (And, in Laeviss' experience, usually the attraction is all on one side or the other, almost never is it mutual. And it always, always - however much else spiritually and mentally and emotionally is involved - depends on the physical appearance.) And when you find such a mutually-agreeable partner, what do you tell them about yourself? How much do you tell them? Is the physical perception of who one is amounting to false advertising? Or is a verbal assertion a false truth?
Laeviss is more than meets the eye, indeed. But most people will never know. Because you can't force someone to want to f*ck you.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Laeviss' Version of the Lokasenna
Another reprint from my other blog. Enjoy.
Laeviss’ translation of the Lokasenna in plain English, sprinkled liberally with UPG:
After he got hold of the gigantic cauldron, Aegir held a big feast in his hall for the Gods. A whole bunch of them came, including elves. Odin and Frigga were there. Thor wasn’t there, because he was out east. Thor’s wife, Sif, was there, and also Bragi, his wife Idunna, Tyr, Njord, Skadi, Vithar (one of Odin’s sons), Loki and Aegir’s two wizards, Fimafeng and Eldir.
Everyone at the feast was praising the abilities of Aegir’s wizards, and Loki, being thus challenged, bested Fimafeng, the Clever-Handed one, in a wizardly duel and won, causing Fimafeng’s death. The Gods shook their shields and howled. This was a good show. But Loki had caused a death in a place of celebration, and was driven out to the forest.
He turned back on his way to exile, and returned to the feasting hall. Outside, he met Eldir.
Loki: Tell me, Eldir, what they are talking about in the feasting hall.
Eldir: They are boasting of their weapons and prowess in battle, but not one here speaks of you.
Loki: I think I’ll go to this feast and give them reason to talk of me.
Eldir: If you go in there, it will be the worse for you.
Loki: If you bar my way, I’ll best you in a battle of spells for I’m richer by far in that art than you.
Eldir knew this to be true, so Eldir let him pass.
Loki: Set a place for me at your banquet, Gods. (There is a pause during which you can hear crickets chirping.) Hey, answer me, Gods! Are you too proud to respond?
Bragi: There will nevermore be a place for such as you with the Gods. Only real men gather here.
Loki: (ignoring Bragi and turning to Odin) Remember your oath to me, Odin. We are sworn brothers, and in your oath you vowed to pour no drink unless it was shared with me, also.
Odin: Arise, Vithar, and let the wolf’s father sit at our banquet. If we do not, he will curse us.
Vithar pours a drink for Loki, and Loki toasts the crowd.
Loki: Hail, to all the Gods and Goddesses here tonight. Except Bragi, who is a coward.
Bragi: Oh, my Gods, I will pay you off if you just shut up and go away!
Loki: You will never have enough money to pay me off, Bragi. Only those brave in battle earn the spoils of war.
Bragi: If it weren’t forbidden to shed blood in this hall, I’d have your head for that statement.
Loki: Oh, brave words now when we all know you can’t back them up! Come on outside the hall and we’ll have a duel, then.
Idunna: Bragi, do not fight with Loki! He is Odin’s brother, and the repercussions would be vast.
Loki: Shut up about brothers, Idunna! You slept with your own brother’s killer!
Idunna: (Sticking her fingers in her ears) La la la, I can’t hear you!!! I am merely trying to prevent my drunk husband from causing a scene.
Gefjion: Why are you arguing? It’s part of Loki’s job to point out hypocrisy.
Loki: I see through your disguise. You’re really Freyja, and I know who you’ve slept with.
Odin: Don’t anger her, Loki. She and I both have the gift of foresight, and know the fates of men.
Loki: Shut up, Odin! How often have you set someone up as your champion, then given the prize to another?
Odin: That may be so, but you used sex magic to get treasures from the Dwarves for me, and in doing so, played the woman.
Loki: Well, it is said that on Samos Isle you learned seid and dressed as a witch in order to do so, thus playing the part of a woman yourself.
Frigga: Let’s not talk about these things you did together in your youth. It isn’t seemly to make such information public knowledge.
Loki: Oh, be quiet, Frigga! You’ve had both of Odin’s brothers in your bed!
Frigga: If I had a son like Balder, he would challenge you for making that statement!
Loki: It’s technically my fault that Balder is no longer with the Gods.
Freyja: Don’t say that. Frigga knows well the truth, though she keeps quiet about it.
Loki: Well, you can just hold your tongue, too, Freyja! You’ve slept with all of the Gods and Elves here present!
Freyja: You have angered the Gods by telling these things, grief will come to you from it.
Loki: Oh, shut up! Don’t call the kettle black! You, yourself, have slept with your brother!
Njord: We don’t care that Freyja slept with her own brother. We just can’t stand it that you slept with yours.
Loki: Yeah, you drank giant piss, Njord. Who cares what you think?
Njord: Well, anyway, I have a really cool son in Frey. He’s the best!
Loki: You slept with your own sister to produce Frey. So there!
Tyr: When Frey joined the Aesir, he freed himself and his men from those old Vanic traditions! They now follow the Aesir laws of matrimony.
Loki: Tyr, do you really want me to tell everyone the story about how you lost your hand to a wolf?
Tyr: Yeah, I lost my hand, but you lost something just as important to you, didn’t you? How does that make you feel, bitch?
Loki: Shut up, Tyr. Your own wife bore a son to me, and I got away with that scott-free! How does that make you feel?
Frey: The wolf will remain in fetters until the world’s end. And we’ll make sure you stay fettered, too, wizard of evil!
Loki: You gave your sword up for the daughter of a giant. Now you will be weaponless at the last battle!
Byggvir (Frey’s servant) : If I were in a higher position like Frey, I’d crush you like barley corn.
Loki: Get back to your grindstone, you little kernel! Who the Hel are you to speak to me in this way?
Byggvir: I am Frey’s proud servant, and pour ale out to all!
Loki: You would cause argument and strife in the banquet hall, except you, being cowardly, are the little pieces they missed during harvest gleaning. Thus, we walk all over you.
Heimdall: Be quiet, Loki! You are drunk and raving. Why not leave this be?
Loki: Be silent, Heimdall! You, especially, among all this crowd know what I speak of, as you have been privy to its secrets.
Skadi: What I say is now coming to pass, that you, Loki, will no longer have the freedom you have long enjoyed. The Gods will bind you to the stones by iron bonds, forged at the death of your son.
Loki: That may be so, but I remind you that I led your father to his death.
Skadi: I have nothing but grim words for you, Loki.
Loki: You had better words for me when I gave to you my manhood.
Sif: (Pouring Loki a drink) Loki, have this fine drink of mead, and remember that I am one you cannot find fault with!
Loki: (Taking a drink) Well, I do know someone who slept with you besides Thor, your husband! So there!
Beyla: (Frey’s servant) Speaking of Thor, I hear him coming! He will silence your slander, Loki!
Loki: Shut up, Beyla! You have dirt enough on you for all of the Gods!
Thor: Shut your mouth, Loki, or my hammer will shut it for you! In fact, I’ll knock your head off!
Loki: Big words, Thor! Will you have as big an action when the wolf is threatening to consume Odin?
Thor: Shut up, unmanly one! My hammer will send you flying so far east that you’ll never be seen again!
Loki: I plan on living a long time, Thor. Remember how poorly you fared in the realm of giants? I am at home in that realm.
Thor: I tell you my hammer will shut your mouth and send you to Hel!
Loki: Oh, okay. I’ve said all I came to say. But since you really might smite me with that blessed hammer while you are in battle frenzy, I’ll go. But before I do, I say that Aegir will serve no more banquets for the Gods. I will curse Aegir’s hall with fire, that it be consumed by it.
After that, Loki went and hid himself at Franang’s waterfall, disguised as a salmon. The Gods found him, and captured him. They turned Loki’s son Vali into a wolf, who then tore apart his own brother, Narvi. Loki was bound to the stones with Narvi’s entrails. Skadi fixed a poisonous serpent over Loki’s head, and the poison drips down onto his face. Loki’s wife, Sigyn, catches the poison in a bowl. When the bowl gets too full, she walks away to empty it, and it is then that Loki writhes in agony. Men call these writhings earthquakes.
Laeviss’ translation of the Lokasenna in plain English, sprinkled liberally with UPG:
After he got hold of the gigantic cauldron, Aegir held a big feast in his hall for the Gods. A whole bunch of them came, including elves. Odin and Frigga were there. Thor wasn’t there, because he was out east. Thor’s wife, Sif, was there, and also Bragi, his wife Idunna, Tyr, Njord, Skadi, Vithar (one of Odin’s sons), Loki and Aegir’s two wizards, Fimafeng and Eldir.
Everyone at the feast was praising the abilities of Aegir’s wizards, and Loki, being thus challenged, bested Fimafeng, the Clever-Handed one, in a wizardly duel and won, causing Fimafeng’s death. The Gods shook their shields and howled. This was a good show. But Loki had caused a death in a place of celebration, and was driven out to the forest.
He turned back on his way to exile, and returned to the feasting hall. Outside, he met Eldir.
Loki: Tell me, Eldir, what they are talking about in the feasting hall.
Eldir: They are boasting of their weapons and prowess in battle, but not one here speaks of you.
Loki: I think I’ll go to this feast and give them reason to talk of me.
Eldir: If you go in there, it will be the worse for you.
Loki: If you bar my way, I’ll best you in a battle of spells for I’m richer by far in that art than you.
Eldir knew this to be true, so Eldir let him pass.
Loki: Set a place for me at your banquet, Gods. (There is a pause during which you can hear crickets chirping.) Hey, answer me, Gods! Are you too proud to respond?
Bragi: There will nevermore be a place for such as you with the Gods. Only real men gather here.
Loki: (ignoring Bragi and turning to Odin) Remember your oath to me, Odin. We are sworn brothers, and in your oath you vowed to pour no drink unless it was shared with me, also.
Odin: Arise, Vithar, and let the wolf’s father sit at our banquet. If we do not, he will curse us.
Vithar pours a drink for Loki, and Loki toasts the crowd.
Loki: Hail, to all the Gods and Goddesses here tonight. Except Bragi, who is a coward.
Bragi: Oh, my Gods, I will pay you off if you just shut up and go away!
Loki: You will never have enough money to pay me off, Bragi. Only those brave in battle earn the spoils of war.
Bragi: If it weren’t forbidden to shed blood in this hall, I’d have your head for that statement.
Loki: Oh, brave words now when we all know you can’t back them up! Come on outside the hall and we’ll have a duel, then.
Idunna: Bragi, do not fight with Loki! He is Odin’s brother, and the repercussions would be vast.
Loki: Shut up about brothers, Idunna! You slept with your own brother’s killer!
Idunna: (Sticking her fingers in her ears) La la la, I can’t hear you!!! I am merely trying to prevent my drunk husband from causing a scene.
Gefjion: Why are you arguing? It’s part of Loki’s job to point out hypocrisy.
Loki: I see through your disguise. You’re really Freyja, and I know who you’ve slept with.
Odin: Don’t anger her, Loki. She and I both have the gift of foresight, and know the fates of men.
Loki: Shut up, Odin! How often have you set someone up as your champion, then given the prize to another?
Odin: That may be so, but you used sex magic to get treasures from the Dwarves for me, and in doing so, played the woman.
Loki: Well, it is said that on Samos Isle you learned seid and dressed as a witch in order to do so, thus playing the part of a woman yourself.
Frigga: Let’s not talk about these things you did together in your youth. It isn’t seemly to make such information public knowledge.
Loki: Oh, be quiet, Frigga! You’ve had both of Odin’s brothers in your bed!
Frigga: If I had a son like Balder, he would challenge you for making that statement!
Loki: It’s technically my fault that Balder is no longer with the Gods.
Freyja: Don’t say that. Frigga knows well the truth, though she keeps quiet about it.
Loki: Well, you can just hold your tongue, too, Freyja! You’ve slept with all of the Gods and Elves here present!
Freyja: You have angered the Gods by telling these things, grief will come to you from it.
Loki: Oh, shut up! Don’t call the kettle black! You, yourself, have slept with your brother!
Njord: We don’t care that Freyja slept with her own brother. We just can’t stand it that you slept with yours.
Loki: Yeah, you drank giant piss, Njord. Who cares what you think?
Njord: Well, anyway, I have a really cool son in Frey. He’s the best!
Loki: You slept with your own sister to produce Frey. So there!
Tyr: When Frey joined the Aesir, he freed himself and his men from those old Vanic traditions! They now follow the Aesir laws of matrimony.
Loki: Tyr, do you really want me to tell everyone the story about how you lost your hand to a wolf?
Tyr: Yeah, I lost my hand, but you lost something just as important to you, didn’t you? How does that make you feel, bitch?
Loki: Shut up, Tyr. Your own wife bore a son to me, and I got away with that scott-free! How does that make you feel?
Frey: The wolf will remain in fetters until the world’s end. And we’ll make sure you stay fettered, too, wizard of evil!
Loki: You gave your sword up for the daughter of a giant. Now you will be weaponless at the last battle!
Byggvir (Frey’s servant) : If I were in a higher position like Frey, I’d crush you like barley corn.
Loki: Get back to your grindstone, you little kernel! Who the Hel are you to speak to me in this way?
Byggvir: I am Frey’s proud servant, and pour ale out to all!
Loki: You would cause argument and strife in the banquet hall, except you, being cowardly, are the little pieces they missed during harvest gleaning. Thus, we walk all over you.
Heimdall: Be quiet, Loki! You are drunk and raving. Why not leave this be?
Loki: Be silent, Heimdall! You, especially, among all this crowd know what I speak of, as you have been privy to its secrets.
Skadi: What I say is now coming to pass, that you, Loki, will no longer have the freedom you have long enjoyed. The Gods will bind you to the stones by iron bonds, forged at the death of your son.
Loki: That may be so, but I remind you that I led your father to his death.
Skadi: I have nothing but grim words for you, Loki.
Loki: You had better words for me when I gave to you my manhood.
Sif: (Pouring Loki a drink) Loki, have this fine drink of mead, and remember that I am one you cannot find fault with!
Loki: (Taking a drink) Well, I do know someone who slept with you besides Thor, your husband! So there!
Beyla: (Frey’s servant) Speaking of Thor, I hear him coming! He will silence your slander, Loki!
Loki: Shut up, Beyla! You have dirt enough on you for all of the Gods!
Thor: Shut your mouth, Loki, or my hammer will shut it for you! In fact, I’ll knock your head off!
Loki: Big words, Thor! Will you have as big an action when the wolf is threatening to consume Odin?
Thor: Shut up, unmanly one! My hammer will send you flying so far east that you’ll never be seen again!
Loki: I plan on living a long time, Thor. Remember how poorly you fared in the realm of giants? I am at home in that realm.
Thor: I tell you my hammer will shut your mouth and send you to Hel!
Loki: Oh, okay. I’ve said all I came to say. But since you really might smite me with that blessed hammer while you are in battle frenzy, I’ll go. But before I do, I say that Aegir will serve no more banquets for the Gods. I will curse Aegir’s hall with fire, that it be consumed by it.
After that, Loki went and hid himself at Franang’s waterfall, disguised as a salmon. The Gods found him, and captured him. They turned Loki’s son Vali into a wolf, who then tore apart his own brother, Narvi. Loki was bound to the stones with Narvi’s entrails. Skadi fixed a poisonous serpent over Loki’s head, and the poison drips down onto his face. Loki’s wife, Sigyn, catches the poison in a bowl. When the bowl gets too full, she walks away to empty it, and it is then that Loki writhes in agony. Men call these writhings earthquakes.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Loki: Bound and Determined
Laeviss is running a reprint of something that previously appeared on my other blog:
Thirty spokes share the wheel’s hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore benefit comes from what is there;
Usefulness from what is not there.
(Tao 11, from Tao Te Ching)
We know Loki as a shapeshifter, a magic-worker, the bench-mate and brother of Odin, chief of the Aesir. But Loki was seen as so powerful that he frightened the Aesir, and they bound him on an island off the coast of Europe. What about Loki was so powerful that it had to be contained, and how was it so confined?
Why the stones? Why the holes? Why the bowl? Why the snake venom?
Snorri gives us one description of the binding of Loki. According to Snorri, after the Aesir got hold of Loki, they took three flat stones, set them on edge, and drilled a hole through each of them. They then fastened Loki to these three stones. He was bound with iron bonds across his shoulders, his loins and his knees, making him damn near immoveable, unless one had the key.
What exactly are these stones? This type of standing stone can still be found today in parts of northern Europe, and smaller versions of it are worn as amulets. One stands today in Cornwall, and is known as the Men-an-Tol, the Holey Stone. And one, unfortunately, from the Orkney Islands has been lost to us. This stone, which has been long destroyed, and the smaller amulets like it which are still worn today, are known as Odin Stones.
The purpose of these stones, as recounted in the lore which surrounds them, was to witness the swearing of oaths. Lovers would plight their troth on the Odin Stone, and any oath sworn thereon was accounted unbreakable, and anyone forsworn would suffer dire consequences, and be considered infamous and excluded from society.
“It is the holes which make it useful.” The Odin stones would not be able to be used to bind Loki were the holes not present.
Why the snake venom? Snorri claims that Skadi hung a venomous serpent over Loki’s head, so that the venom would drip onto his face. Now, Loki is no stranger to snakes, in fact, they are part of his family. They have been a part of Goddess-worshipping people’s households for millennia. But this snake is a venomous snake. Venom is an interesting word. It comes from the same root as the word Venus, the Love Goddess and Roman equivalent of Freyja, and originally meant a love potion, not a poison. Gives new meaning to the phrase “in your face.” The root “van” meant “wish, desire, gain.” And in modern German, the word venom signifies a “gift.”
Why the bowl? “It is the space within that makes it useful.” Cauldrons and bowls are transformative vessels. They are symbols of the womb of the Mother Goddess, and the creation of all works of magic, whether of the flesh or of the spirit. Loki’s wife, Sigyn, patiently sits, holding the bowl over Loki’s face so that the painful venom will not fall on him. She is the Keeper of the Bowl. But she must make periodic trips to empty the bowl, and when she is not there, the venom does fall. Snorri says the writhing that Loki engages in during this time is the cause of earthquakes.
So what was it about Loki that the Aesir felt they had to confine by not just one, but three solemn, binding oaths? What was his magic, and why was it so powerful that it frightened such mighty Gods?
It is said that the Dwarves made a jewel for Freyja that far surpassed the beauty of any other, and that Odin coveted this jewel, and ordered Loki to get it for him.
There is your key.
-Laeviss
websites for reference: (Odin Stone) www.orkneyjar.com (Snorri’s Prose Edda) www.sacred-texts.com
Thirty spokes share the wheel’s hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore benefit comes from what is there;
Usefulness from what is not there.
(Tao 11, from Tao Te Ching)
We know Loki as a shapeshifter, a magic-worker, the bench-mate and brother of Odin, chief of the Aesir. But Loki was seen as so powerful that he frightened the Aesir, and they bound him on an island off the coast of Europe. What about Loki was so powerful that it had to be contained, and how was it so confined?
Why the stones? Why the holes? Why the bowl? Why the snake venom?
Snorri gives us one description of the binding of Loki. According to Snorri, after the Aesir got hold of Loki, they took three flat stones, set them on edge, and drilled a hole through each of them. They then fastened Loki to these three stones. He was bound with iron bonds across his shoulders, his loins and his knees, making him damn near immoveable, unless one had the key.
What exactly are these stones? This type of standing stone can still be found today in parts of northern Europe, and smaller versions of it are worn as amulets. One stands today in Cornwall, and is known as the Men-an-Tol, the Holey Stone. And one, unfortunately, from the Orkney Islands has been lost to us. This stone, which has been long destroyed, and the smaller amulets like it which are still worn today, are known as Odin Stones.
The purpose of these stones, as recounted in the lore which surrounds them, was to witness the swearing of oaths. Lovers would plight their troth on the Odin Stone, and any oath sworn thereon was accounted unbreakable, and anyone forsworn would suffer dire consequences, and be considered infamous and excluded from society.
“It is the holes which make it useful.” The Odin stones would not be able to be used to bind Loki were the holes not present.
Why the snake venom? Snorri claims that Skadi hung a venomous serpent over Loki’s head, so that the venom would drip onto his face. Now, Loki is no stranger to snakes, in fact, they are part of his family. They have been a part of Goddess-worshipping people’s households for millennia. But this snake is a venomous snake. Venom is an interesting word. It comes from the same root as the word Venus, the Love Goddess and Roman equivalent of Freyja, and originally meant a love potion, not a poison. Gives new meaning to the phrase “in your face.” The root “van” meant “wish, desire, gain.” And in modern German, the word venom signifies a “gift.”
Why the bowl? “It is the space within that makes it useful.” Cauldrons and bowls are transformative vessels. They are symbols of the womb of the Mother Goddess, and the creation of all works of magic, whether of the flesh or of the spirit. Loki’s wife, Sigyn, patiently sits, holding the bowl over Loki’s face so that the painful venom will not fall on him. She is the Keeper of the Bowl. But she must make periodic trips to empty the bowl, and when she is not there, the venom does fall. Snorri says the writhing that Loki engages in during this time is the cause of earthquakes.
So what was it about Loki that the Aesir felt they had to confine by not just one, but three solemn, binding oaths? What was his magic, and why was it so powerful that it frightened such mighty Gods?
It is said that the Dwarves made a jewel for Freyja that far surpassed the beauty of any other, and that Odin coveted this jewel, and ordered Loki to get it for him.
There is your key.
-Laeviss
websites for reference: (Odin Stone) www.orkneyjar.com (Snorri’s Prose Edda) www.sacred-texts.com
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