Sigyn

Loyalty in Ruin

Sigyn is a goddess of the Æsir remembered above all for her faithfulness. She is the wife of Loki, and while the trickster is a source of endless trouble to the gods, Sigyn remains steadfastly by his side even in his darkest fate.

After Loki is captured and bound beneath the earth for his part in the death of Baldr, the gods fix a serpent above him to drip burning venom onto his face. Sigyn stands beside her husband and holds a bowl above him, catching the poison drop by drop.

Only when the bowl fills and she must turn away to empty it does the venom fall on Loki, making him writhe so violently that the earth itself shakes. Sigyn's quiet, endless vigil is one of the most touching images of devotion in all of Norse myth.

Nature and Role

Famous Tales