Lokasenna (Loki's flyting, Loki's wrangling, Loki's quarrel) is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. In this poem the gods trade insults with Loki. Image File history File links Lokasenna. ... The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems from the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. ... This picture, from an 18th century Icelandic manuscript, shows Loki with his invention - the fishing net. ...

The poem Lokasenna is linked with the death of Baldr, which was arranged by Loki, and Loki's eventual punishment for this. In the poem, many facets of the divine malice, insight and treachery of Loki are exposed, as are the inevitable shortcomings of the gods with whom Loki is trading insults. Loki, it should be noted, as well as being a god of mischief is also a highly skilled worker with words, full of guile and eloquence. Baldr. ...

Lee M. Hollander, in his introduction to his translation of the poem, claims that it was in no sense a popular lay and suggests we should not necessarily believe that the accusations of the "sly god" were an accepted part of the lore. Nevertheless the poem provides a great deal of incidental and secondary information about the gods, their doings and their propensities: the character of Loki (particularly in this poem) was to the Norsemen what a contemporary gossip columnist is to modern society, both mischievous and muck-raking. A gossip columnist is someone who writes a gossip column in a newspaper or magazine, especially a gossip magazine, that prints gossip stories, spreading news of a personal, private nature, and/or rumors and lies, usually about show business, the motion picture and television industries, celebrities, movie stars, superstars, people...

The setting is a feast given by the sea god Ægir. (In a nice piece of continuity, the prose introduction says: "Ægir, also named Gymir, had made ale for the Æsir, when he had received the great kettle of which was told" (see Hymiskviða)). Thor did not attend, but his wife Sif came in his stead as did Bragi and his wife Iðunn. Tyr, by this time one-handed as a consequence of his sacrifice of his hand in the shackling of Loki's son, the wolf Fenrisulfr, attended, as did Niord and his wife Skaði, Freyr and Freyja, as well as Vidar, the son of Odin. Many other Vanir, Æsir, and also elves were there. In Norse mythology Ægir is a giant and a king of the sea. ... Jörmungandr gets himself fished by Thor. ... Thor carries his hammer and wears his belt of strength (MS SÁM 66, 18th century). ... This early 20th century depiction of Sif shows her with long blond hair. ... Bragi is shown with a harp and accompanied by his wife Iðunn in this 19th century painting by Nils Blommér. ... Iðunn is carried off by Þjazi in this artwork by H. Theaker, 1920 Iðunn was, in Norse mythology, one of the goddesses. ... Týr, depicted here with both hands intact, is identified with Mars in this illustration from an 18th century Icelandic manuscript. ... According to the Edda Fenrisulfr bites off the hand of Týr (John Bauer, 1911) In Norse mythology, the Fenrisulfr, Wolf of Fenrir, Fenris or simply Fenrir is a monstrous wolf, the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. ... Njord (Old Norse Njǫrðr) is one of the Vanir and the god of seamanship and sailing in Norse mythology. ... In Norse mythology, Skaði ‡ is a mountain giantess, wife of the Van god Njord and thus a Van goddess herself. ... This 19th century representation of Freyr shows him with his boar Gullinbursti and his sword. ... Freyja in Wagners operas See Freya radar for German World War II radar. ... Vidar (Víðar, Viðarr, Widar) is the son of Odin and the giantess Grid (Jotun) in Norse mythology. ... Vanir is the name of one of the two groups of gods in Norse mythology, the other and more well known being the Æsir. ... In Old Norse, the Æsir (singular Áss, feminine Ásynja, feminine plural Ásynjur, Anglo-Saxon Ós, from Proto-Germanic *Ansuz) are the principal gods of the pantheon of Norse mythology. ... A small forest elf (älva) rescuing an egg, from Solägget (1932), by Elsa Beskow An elf is a creature of Norse mythology which survived in northern European folklore. ...

The servants of Ægir, Fimafengr and Eldir, did a thorough job of welcoming the guests; Loki was jealous of the praise being heaped upon them and slew Fimafengr. The gods were angry with Loki and drove him out of the hall, before returning to their carousing. On returning Loki encountered Eldir. Fimafeng is a servant of Aegir in Norse Mythology. ... In Norse mythology, Eldir was a servant of the giant Ægir. ...

He threatened him and bade him reveal what the gods were talking about in their cups. Eldir's response was that they were discussing their might at arms, and that Loki was persona non grata. Persona non grata (Latin, plural: personae non gratae), literally meaning an unwelcome person, is a term used in diplomacy with a specialized and legally defined meaning. ...

Loki then enters the hall of Ægir after trading insults and threats with Eldir. A hush fell. Loki calls upon the rules of hospitality, demanding a seat and ale. Bragi then responds that he is unwelcome. Loki demands fulfillment of an ancient oath sworn with Odin that they should drink together. Odin asked his son Vidar to make a space for Loki.

Vidar rises and pours a drink for Loki. Before Loki drains his draught, he utters a toast to the gods but pointedly excludes Bragi from it. Bragi offers Loki a horse, a ring and a sword to placate him; Loki, however, is spoiling for a fight, and insults Bragi by questioning his courage. Bragi's response is that it would be contrary to the rules of correct behaviour to fight within his hosts hall, but were they back in Asgard then things would be different. Loki goads Bragi again:

In your seat you're brave, but not your deeds,

Bragi, famous adorner of benches!

Come outside and fight me if you're angry,

No hero could resist the offer

Iðunn, Bragi's wife, holds him back. Loki then insults Iðunn, calling her a slut. Gefjon attempts to calm the escalating situation; Loki turns his spite on her, impugning her with child-love. Odin then attempts to take a grip, as do (in turn), Freyja, Niord, Tyr, Freyr and Byggvir. The exchanges between Odin and Loki are particularly vitriolic. Iðunn is carried off by Þjazi in this artwork by H. Theaker, 1920 Iðunn was, in Norse mythology, one of the goddesses. ... In Norse mythology, Gefjun (giver; also Gefjon, Gefyon, Gefn) was a seeress and goddess, a member of both the Vanir and the Aesir. ... In Norse mythology, the elf Byggvir was one of Freyrs servants and the husband of Beyla. ...

Eventually Þórr turns up at the party, and he is not to be placated, nor withheld. Alternating with Loki's insults to him, he says three times that he will use his hammer to knock Loki's head off if he continues. Loki replies that for Þórr alone he will leave the hall, because his threats are the only ones he fears. He then leaves. Thor carries his hammer and wears his belt of strength (MS SÁM 66, 18th century). ...

Finally there is a short piece of prose telling a short version of the tale of Loki's binding. Loki is chased by the gods, and caught after an unsuccessful attempt at disguing himself as a salmon. His son Nari is killed while his other son Narvi turns into a wolf. Nari's entrails are used to bind Loki to three rocks above which Skaði places a serpent to drip venom on him. Loki's wife Sigyn remains by his side with a bowl to catch the venom, however whenever she leaves to empty the bowl, venom falls on Loki, causing him to writhe in agony; these writhings were said to be the cause of earthquakes. Since other sources name Loki's sons as Váli and Narfi, some editors have chosen to read the names Nari and Narvi as a mistake in the manuscript, and transscribe Nari as Váli. Nari and Narfi are otherwise considered to be variations of the same name. Nari is a municipality in the Colombian department of Antioquia. ... In Norse mythology, Narvi was the father of Nott. ... Sigyn was, in Norse mythology, the wife of Loki, who bore him two sons, Narvi and Váli. ... In Norse mythology, Váli was a son of Loki. ...

The Lokasenna does not directly state that Loki's binding is as a consequence of the killing of Baldr. This is explicitly stated only in Snorri's Prose Edda. Snorri Sturluson (1178 â€“ September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. ...

Some researchers have seen the irreverent descriptions of the gods in Lokasenna as an indication that the poem must have been composed after the advent of Christianity. Most researchers these days however reject this reasoning, as an irreverent description of gods, and descriptions of human weaknesses in gods is quite common also in other non-Christian mythologies. The Lokasenna is quite plainly meant to be humorous, but this does not necessarily mean that the composer did not believe in the gods he was describing.

External links

English translations

• Lokasenna Translation and commentary by Henry A. Bellows
• Ægisdrekka, eða Lokasenna, eða Lokaglepsa Translation by Benjamin Thorpe
• Lokasenna Translation by W. H. Auden and P. B. Taylor
• The Feast of Ager Translation by A. S. Cottle

Benjamin Thorpe (1782 - July, 1870) was an English Anglo_Saxon scholar. ... Christopher Isherwood (left) and W.H. Auden (right), photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1939 Wystan Hugh Auden (February 21, 1907 – September 29, 1973) was an English poet, often cited as one of the most influential of the 20th century. ...

Old Norse editions

• Lokasenna Sophus Bugge's edition of the manuscript text
• Lokasenna Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling