The Last Straw
Loki had long tested the patience of the gods, but with the death of Baldr he crossed a line from which there was no return. It was Loki who guided the fatal dart, and Loki who, disguised as a giantess, refused to weep and so kept Baldr trapped in Hel. For this the gods would never forgive him.
His final offense came at a feast in the hall of the sea giant Ægir. There Loki insulted every god and goddess in turn, mocking their secrets and shaming them before all, until Thor at last drove him from the hall with threats of Mjölnir. Knowing the gods would come for him, Loki fled.
He built a house with doors on all sides so he might watch every approach, and by day he hid in a river in the shape of a salmon. But the wisdom of the gods, and Loki's own cleverness turned against him, would be his undoing.
Key Events of the Tale
The Quarrel at Ægir's Hall
At the sea giant's feast, Loki hurls insults at every god present, airing their hidden shames until he is finally driven out by Thor.
The Salmon in the River
Loki hides in a mountain house and by day becomes a salmon in the waterfall of Franang. Fearing capture, he invents the first fishing net, then throws it in the fire as the gods arrive.
Caught by His Own Invention
The gods find the ash of the burned net and rebuild it from the pattern. Driving Loki through the water, Thor seizes the leaping salmon by the tail, which is why the salmon is said to taper so.
A Cruel Binding
The gods turn Loki's son Váli into a wolf, who kills his brother Narfi. With Narfi's entrails, turned to iron, they bind Loki to three great stones deep beneath the earth.
The Venom and the Bowl
Skadi fixes a serpent above him to drip burning venom on his face. His faithful wife Sigyn catches it in a bowl, but when she turns to empty it, the venom falls, and Loki writhes so violently that the earth quakes.
Bound Until the End
There Loki remains, bound and tormented, for ages. The Norse said that his thrashing beneath the serpent's venom was the cause of earthquakes. Yet his imprisonment is not forever. At Ragnarök, Loki will break free at last, steer the ship Naglfar against the gods, and meet Heimdall on the battlefield, where the two will slay one another as the old world burns.
Sources and Related Tales
Loki's insults are recorded in the Poetic Edda poem Lokasenna, and the binding is described there and in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda. The scene of Sigyn and the serpent was a favorite of Norse artists.
Quick Facts
Key Participants
Loki
The bound trickster, tormented until the end of the world.
Sigyn
Loki's loyal wife, who shields him from the venom with her bowl.
Skadi
The giantess who sets the serpent to drip its poison on him.
The Torment
A serpent drips venom onto Loki's face without end.
His convulsions when the venom strikes are said to shake the earth.
Only Sigyn's vigil gives him any relief from the pain.
Themes & Symbolism
Justice and Cruelty: The gods' punishment is as harsh as Loki's crimes, blurring the line between the two.
Loyalty in Ruin: Sigyn's devotion endures even as her husband is condemned.
Chaos Restrained: Binding Loki only delays the chaos he will unleash at Ragnarök.