Episode 196: Irascible Immortals: Loki

The folklore of Loki in a nutshell and how I reimagined it for my writing.

Written and narrated by Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Copyright 2025 Ronel Janse van Vuuren — All rights reserved.

Learn more about Loki here.

Get the transcript here.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Newsletter: https://ronel-the-mythmaker.kit.com/671d4c97de
• Audiobooks of the podcast: https://payhip.com/RonelJansevanVuuren/collection/faeries-and-folklore-podcast-audiobooks
• Irascible Immortals books: https://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/my-books/the-irascible-immortals-series/

Learn more about the author and her writing here.

Music: Secrets by David Fesliyan (FesliyanStudios.com) and Dramatic Heartbeat by FesliyanStudios.com

Transcript

You’re listening to the Faeries and Folklore podcast by Ronel.

I’m dark fantasy author Ronel Janse van Vuuren. With nearly a decade of digging around in dusty folklore books, researching creatures of imagination that ignited my curiosity, I’m here to share the folklore in a nutshell and how I reimagined it for my writing in an origin of the fae.

This is the Faeries and Folklore podcast.

Hi, I’m your host Ronel Janse van Vuuren. You can just call me Ronel. In today’s episode, we’re continuing our exploration of the fae realm.

This episode is brought to you by my Irascible Immortals series, available in ebook, paperback, hardback and audiobook. They’ve been alive forever. They’ve been bored for some time. And now they’re showing it. Go to ronelthemythmaker.com/my-books/the-irascible-immortals-series for more.

We’re continuing our exploration of the Immortals.

Today’s faery: Loki

Folklore in a nutshell by Ronel

Loki is the Norse god of mischief. He’s the son of Laufey (a goddess) and Fárbauti (a jötunn). It is sometimes theorised that Laufey might’ve been a giant, too, and that Loki is only an honorary god. He was counted among the Aesir, companion to Thor and Odin, and thorn in the side of the rest.

Though he is married to Sigyn, he has children with the giantess Angrboda. These children terrified the Aesir. The great wolf, Fenrir, was bound by the gods for being too powerful. The world serpent, Jormungandr, was cast to the sea in Midgard by Odin. And Hel, being half living and half dead, was sent to rule in Nilfheim where she created Helheim where she keeps the inglorious dead.

Loki did many things worthy of praise, like saving Freyja from a giant by turning himself into a mare and luring the giant’s horse away (he also became pregnant and gave birth to Sleipnir who was the fastest horse). But he also did a lot of mischief, like stealing Sif’s golden hair and enraging her husband, Thor, in the process.

He liked chaos. But he pushed it too far when he caused the death of Balder, the favourite son of Frigg. The goddess had extracted promises from every plant, creature and more to never harm Balder. But she missed the innocuous mistletoe. Loki being Loki, made an arrow from mistletoe. When everyone tested how invincible Balder was, throwing things at him, Loki handed his arrow to the blind god Hod and prodded him to throw it Balder as hard as he could. It pierced Frigg’s favourite’s chest and killed him.

His symbol is the snake. He’s a shapeshifting god who uses this power to get out of tricky situations. He was welcome in Asgard and was usually forgiven for his actions. Except where it came to Balder.

He was expelled from Asgard. His son Nari or Narfi by Sigyn was killed by Odin’s son Váli and his entrails were used to bind Loki to a rock in a cave. Skadi placed a venomous snake above his head which drips venom on his face. His wife, Sigyn, stays by his side and catches the venom in a bowl. Whenever she has to empty the bowl, the venom drips on Loki’s face and burns him causing him to convulse in pain. The tremors are so bad, it causes earthquakes.

It is foretold that Loki will break free from his bonds and fight against the gods during Ragnarok.

Origin of the fae: Loki

Anyone can make a mistake and Loki did it when he caused the death of Balder. But he has resented the gods for killing his son and using his entrails to tie him up. Adding insult to injury, they used his sacred symbol, a snake, to punish him even further. His wife had stayed by his side. He’s not even sure why – he had given her ample reasons over time to leave him. Though, as shown when Apollo moves in with him, Sigyn and the snake had run off together, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

He has the power to shapeshift, project himself into the different realms – seeming to be there in the flesh – and to communicate through dreams. He has been able to let his consciousness roam long before he was able to project himself.

He’s a trickster; neither good nor bad. He enjoys pushing boundaries, challenge conventions, and being incorrigible. He was a catalyst in mythology and continues to be one in modern times.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this episode of the faeries and folklore podcast and that you’ve learned something new about faeries.

Remember that you can get a transcript of this episode in the description. If you’re new to the podcast, why not go and grab your free copy of Unseen, the second book in the Faery Tales series, on my website ronelthemythmaker.com? Loads of folklore, magic and danger await! Take care!

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