Question: I love your new Loki picture.
Thanks! We love it, too. The original artist is the fantastic anndr, who created it as cover art for the release of the album "Bog Obmana" (in English, "Liar God" or "God of Deception") by the Russian metal band Magistr. There are a few other pieces of Loki from the same project in the gallery, as well as a lot of other art that will make your eyeballs cry with joy.
Incidentally, for those wondering, the old Loki picture was by talented fantasy artist Mauricio Herrera, and was also fabulous. We swapped out because we felt the new one captured the idea of a highly manipulative and mercurial god a little better, but the old one also deserves some love!
Do you know any epithets or kennings for Loki?
ReplyDeleteAnon's list below is straight from Snorri's pen; those are all kennings for Loki, and if you look any of them up in Norse translation could be used as by-names for him (Goðadólgr, for example, would be the Norse for the kenning "enemy of the gods").
DeleteLoge, a Germanic corruption of his name (and the source of all those confused scholars who think he must have something to do with fire, logi), is common in continental sources, and Lopt or Loptr ("of the air") is used for him here and there in the Eddas, probably because he does a lot of flying around in various forms.
“How shall Loki be referred to?
ReplyDeleteBy calling him
son of Farbauti and Laufey, of Nal,
brother of Byleist and Helblindi,
father of Vanargand - Fenriswolf,
and of Jormundgand - the Midgard serpent,
and Hel’s and Nari’s and Ali’s relative and father,
brother, comrade and table-companion of Odin and the Aesir,
Geirrod’s visitor and casket-ornament,
thief from giants,
of goat and Brisingamen and Idunn’s apples,
relative of Sleipnir,
husband of Sigyn,
enemy of gods,
Sif’s hair-harmer,
maker of mischief,
the cunning As,
accuser and tricker of gods,
contriver of Baldr’s death,
the bound one,
and the wrangling foe of Heimdall and Skadi.”
The Prose Edda CAN be useful. That being said, the most common names are Laufe's Son (a rare matronymic) and Scar-Lip. May Anne add many more to his glory.
Perfection.
DeleteThanks for linking to Anndr :) and for correcting my grammar :P when i wrote the statement i had just seen the updated picture and quickly needed to get it off my chest ^^
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! And no worries - I promise, I see much crazier spelling and grammar in the question box than yours. :)
DeleteHoly...that pic is amazing! (The lost one wasn't bad, but it was too...marvelly)
ReplyDeleteAny other's you guys changed while I wasn't looking?
Heh, we don't change them wholesale all the time, just once in a great while. I don't think we have any other new ones lately. :)
DeleteI was wondering...have you guys ever considered changing Kali's picture? It's a beautiful picture and everything...it's just...she looks too calm, mildly pissed at best. Kali should really not be looking mildly pissed.
DeletePerhaps something more like this?
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q6JioPBDo0U/TWu7iRVyfqI/AAAAAAAABRM/kCgv1VKSFDo/s1600/kali_rudhira_c.jpg
Just a thought.