Laufey

Who Is Laufey

Laufey also known as Nal is the mother of Loki. She is a mysterious figure because the surviving sources give only brief details about her. Her name suggests connections with leaves light vegetation or possibly fire in its gentler form. While Loki is often called the son of a giant Laufey herself is not fully described as a giantess but is grouped with the families that stand outside the gods.

Laufey appears only in genealogical references yet her role is significant because her lineage shapes Loki’s identity his shifting loyalties and his place between the worlds of gods and giants. Her husband or partner is listed as Farbauti a fierce giant whose name means cruel striker or dangerous blow.

Together Laufey and Farbauti form one of the most enigmatic parent pairs in Norse myth giving rise to Loki whose actions influence the fate of gods and the coming of Ragnarok.

Character and Nature

Laufey in Norse Tradition

Laufey’s main appearance is genealogical. Loki is described as Loki Laufeyjarson meaning Loki son of Laufey. This matronymic form is unusual in Norse texts emphasizing her importance over Farbauti in Loki’s lineage.

A few sources associate her indirectly with subtle or refined qualities in contrast to her partner Farbauti whose name evokes violent strikes. The pairing has been interpreted as a symbolic union of spark and kindling producing the volatile being Loki.

Although she has no direct role in major myths Laufey stands at the foundation of one of the most influential bloodlines in the Norse world. Through Loki she becomes the ancestral root of beings who shape the saga of the gods from trickery to destruction.