Loki is no doubt one of the most peculiar characters of the Marvel universe andthe MCU. His deeds in the cinematic universe, for instance, have caused some dire repercussions and even shaped the future (or the past) of the franchise. As mischievous as he is, however, he simply pales in comparison to his Norse mythology counterpart, which is supposedly the original version of the fictional character.
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Loki in Norse mythology, due to his atrocious personality and quirks, pretty much caused all of Asgard and the cosmos' demise. On top of that, he can also be a she, or even an “it,” depending on his whims or malicious intent. In fact, theLoki from MCUis a lot tamer, especially inhis own show, Disney+‘sLoki. He’s such a notorious figure in the original Norse beliefs that the MCU omitted some of the acts that made him transcend his being the God of Mischief.
8He can change his gender at will
TheMCU’s Lokiapparently has many variations all throughout the multiverse and one of them is a female Loki (another seems to be a crocodile). Truth be told, he didn’t even need a female version because Loki in Norse mythology iseither genderless or has all the genders available at his disposal.
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Loki in Norse mythology has beenboth a father and a mother(fulfilling both of their biological functions) when it suits him. So it really doesn’t matter that most people are now used to Loki’s face being Tom Hiddleston or some other dark-haired male actor, what’s underneath the garb is a bit of a wildcard.
7He gave birth to or sired several monsters
Loki’s ability to change sexes or genders at will is a lot more strategic than leisurely as he’s done it to produce offspring with any optimal mate he deems fit. While he has normal (human-looking) children, hismost notable offsprings are monsters— some of the most prominent in Norse mythology, such as:
Sleipnir
Sleipnir is the oddest black sheep out of Loki’s children (and that’s saying something) because it’s the weirdest creature.Loki shapeshifted into a presumably female horsein order to seduce and mate withSvadilfari, a legendary stallion in Asgard. Loki later gave birth toSleipnir who had eight legs and was chosen by Odin to be his shamanic steed.
Jormungand
For Jormungand, Loki had to take on the father role. Hemated with a giantess named Angrbodaand one of the strange monstrous children they produced was Jormungand, agargantuan serpentwho’s so huge, it’s bigger than Midgard’s circumference. One also needn’t be well-versed in Norse mythology to assume thatJormungand is evil, that name says it all.
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Fenrir
Fenrir is a giant wolf who was also featured inThor: Ragnarokas one of the main villain’s hench-pet who could take on the Hulk. In Norse mythology, he actually one of Loki’s children with Angrboda. Like Jormungand, Fenrir is also inherently evil and caused many problems for the gods of Asgard.
6Hela was originally his daughter, not his sister
Hela or Hel was lucky enough to get the “long end of the stick” as one of Loki’s children with Angrboda; she’s humanoid and went on to become an important deity in Asgard, theGoddess of Deaththough by no means is she benevolent. She’s also generally up to no good, not exactly far off from herMCU counterpart, Hela. The difference is thatHela in the MCU is Odin’s eldestbecause otherwise, Loki’s redemption arc would have been too far off if they followed the Norse canon.
5He’s a lot more evil in mythology
Speaking of redemption, Loki has essentially done his 180-degree turn in the MCU after a failed suicide attack against Thanos. One can’t go into Norse mythology expecting the same misunderstood orphan though, Loki in those books and writings is aspiteful villain.
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For one, he caused thedownfall of Asgard and Midgardwhen hesided with the frost giants during the procession of Ragnarokor the cataclysmic event that wiped out the cosmos. In other instances prior, Loki also caused the death of certain beloved gods due to a prank.
4His children killed Thor and Odin
During the disastrous events of Ragnarok in Norse mythology, no Asgardian was spared from Loki’s betrayal, especially not Odin nor Thor. While Loki didn’t strike the final blow to his foster father and brother, his monster children did the work.
Jormungand notably slew Thorduring their epic face-off whileFenrir bit off Tyr’s hands(Norse God of War) and alsokilled Odin. All this transpired during Ragnarok, which is chronologically assumed to be the end of Norse mythology. By comparison, MCU’s version of the Norse “Ragnarok” inThor: Ragnarokis less dramatic and more sterile.
3He eventually gets punished
Loki did get his comeuppance in Norse mythology just as he did in the MCU but hispunishment for his crimespre-Ragnarok was a lot harsher. For being responsible for Baldur’s death, a god beloved by most people,Loki was bound to a rockwhere the gods of Asgard killed andused one of his son’s intestines to keep him there.
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On top of that, some versions included avenomous serpent or snake right above him dripping venom onto the bound godcausing him agony with every drop. This is similar to how Prometheus was punished in Greek mythology though the difference is that Loki deserved the punishment. Even so, this Asgardian retribution caused Loki to further resent his foster family.
2He has a legal and good-natured wife
That isn’t to say Loki hasn’t had a taste of normalcy in his life. He was married to anAsgardian goddess named Sigyn whose domain in the Asgardian pantheon is victory. She was a rathergood partner to Lokiand stood by his side even after some of Loki’s most unforgivable crimes.
She took care of Lokiwhen the gods punished him for Baldur’s death. Sigyn dutifully prevented venom from dropping onto Loki during his punishment, minimizing his pain during the said tribulation. Loki also bore children with her, normal children. Regardless, he’s not exactly the miserable anti-social loner that the MCU is portraying him to be right now.
1His origin and classification can be conflicting
While the MCU drew a clear line about Loki’s origin and status as an otherworldly being, the actual scriptures and songs of Norse mythology, as well as some twisted hearsay and versions of the stories make his actual being a bit murky.
There aremany conflicting accountsof whether Loki was a god, a frost giant, half of both, or perhaps something else. There are also little to no real-world cults dedicated to his worship due to the values he represented, making his official titles and categorization chaotic, fitting enough.
