Question

loki clearly desires the respect afforded to the gods, but he is always seen as both an outsider and an inferior being. without him, though, the dwarves would not have made their amazing gifts for the aesir, and the aesir (especially thor) would not have the incredible tools that not only make their lives better, but essentially give them their god-like powers. in spite of the lengths he goes to in order to acquire these gifts, thor threatens loki, and loki ends up having his lips sewn shut by one of the dwarves. do you have any respect or sympathy for loki in this story? why or why not? what might the norse be saying about the difficulty of creative acts? why might they have made loki so troublesome?

Answer 1

Loki earns both respect and sympathy due to his key role in the creation of the Aesir's tools, embodying the Norse's complex view of creativity, where even flawed individuals can contribute significantly to society despite being misunderstood or distrusted.

Step-by-step explanation:

It is justifiable to feel both respect and sympathy for Loki in Norse mythology. Despite being seen as an outsider and often behaving in troublesome ways, he was responsible for acquiring gifts for the Aesir, which included Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, among other treasures created by the dwarves. Loki's complex role evokes the Norse understanding of the difficulty of creative acts and perhaps considers the notion that even those who are creators or facilitators of great deeds can still be flawed or reconciled with chaos and mischief.

This perspective on Loki's character might suggest that the Norse were aware of the nuanced nature of individuals, and that creativity or contribution to society does not immunize one from societal judgment or personal failings. Loki's ambiguous position within the Aesir hierarchy also mirrors societal tension between the recognition of talent and the fear or distrust of those who do not neatly fit within conventional roles or expectations.