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June 11, 2011
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:iconhumon:
More Loki stuff. This is just me experimenting. I only finished this because I wanted to use my new pen, and then I went crazy with textures and what not. :XD:

Other than that, it's me reflecting on the changes made to Nordic mythology by Christians. A lot of people don't realise this, but the texts we usually consider "canon" about the Nordic myths were actually written 200-300 years after the vikings, by Christians who put a christian spin on the stories.

Before the Christians people didn't believe that warriors went to Valhalla and the sick/old/women/children to the underworld Hel. The vikings seem to have believed that everybody went to Hel, but Christians turned Valhalla into a kind of Heaven and Hel into Hell.

The jotuns (giants) didn't seem to be evil either. There is evidence to suggest that people worshipped jotuns alongside the gods, and some even claimed to be related to jotuns. The gods ruled culture, and the jotuns nature. But the Christians were obsessed with the idea of good vs. evil, and turned the jotuns into devils.

And then there's Loki. The few texts written by the vikings themselves never call Loki evil, just a trickster who acted first and thought later. Even the later christian texts can't agree on how evil Loki was. For example, in two versions of Balder's death Loki isn't even mentioned, while he is the big evil mastermind behind it all in another. Christians wanted a Devil, and Loki was an easy pick.

So the way I see it, people shouldn't take it too seriously or consider anything carved in stone, because we actually haven't got a clue what exactly the vikings believed. ;)

Sorry for crazy long rant again. ^^;
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:icongunslinger-of-hearts:
~Gunslinger-of-Hearts May 7, 2013   General Artist
Much of my heritage is Norse; this makes me a happy chick :) Adorable work!
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:iconneoninja2:
Where do the Etins come in?
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:iconoosick:
oh that's just the english verson of jotun, dungeons&dragons have a diffrent idea though.
Reply
:iconneoninja2:
What's D&D have to do with anything?
Reply
:iconoosick:
they have their own verson of ettins, which are diffrent from jotuns.
Reply
:iconneoninja2:
Okay...But why bother mentioning it? I'm confused.
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:iconblooburd10:
I just want to apologize for provoking a flame war on here. I just can't stand when people constantly defend Christianity as "peaceful" and "saintly" and use it to bash all other ways of life. It bothers me to no end. I agree with your rant humon and I don't really see it as a rant but, more of an analogy of Norse mythology through a Christian viewpoint. I don't understand why anyone would be offended by your description if they read it correctly and this piece is honestly one of my favorite Loki fan arts because it is not the typical Avengers hype kind of deal. I appreciate when people take the time to research mythology because it is so fun to learn about and develop your own characters from the stories.

I'm sorry people always seem to start flame wars on your page because of your description and that I let myself get involved.....I should know better than arguing with people on the internet by now. Common ground is impossible to reach when people just want to be rude and unnecessary.
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:icontannahofkaos:
~TannahofKaos Apr 2, 2013  Hobbyist General Artist
And isn't the original Loki a flaming red carrot top??????? O_o
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:iconoosick:
i believe that is thor
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