Norse Myth: The Children of Loki Quiz

Answer: Sigyn

Sigyn, like many other Norse goddesses, is not very well known. Her greatest association is being the wife of Loki. Freya is the only goddess who features prominently in the tales of Norse myth. It is thought, since it is claimed in some texts that Norse goddesses are as important as the gods, that the tales which have been lost through time are largely those involving the goddesses.

Whilst other gods grew to hate Loki and eventually banished him and bound him to a rock, it was Sigyn who stood by him.

Answer: The one who brings grief

Whilst many giants are portrayed as huge beings, some were said to be in equal proportion to the gods. This allowed many gods to have sexual relations with the giants (or Jotun), as alluded to in my previous quiz. Likewise, whilst most giants are depicted as unattractive in appearance, there are some examples, such as Gerd, the object of Frey's affection, who could be described as beautiful. Angrboda, however, was well known for her grim appearance.

Loki himself was said to have been born to a giantess named Laufey. Indeed all gods can trace their origins back to the giantess Bestla.

Answer: Fenrir

These three monsters became some of the best known in Norse mythology. Fenrir (sometimes known as Fenris-wolf) was the eldest, Jormungand came next and the third was Hel. Whilst all three were monstrous in appearance and the eldest two certainly evil, Hel can perhaps be seen as less malicious, never making any active attempts to endanger the gods.

Loki, whilst being the father of Fenrir, Jormungand and Hel, was also, bizarrely, the *mother* of Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse born to Loki by the horse Svadilfari.

Answer: The Norns

The Norns were female beings who could be found by the Well of Urd - the well formed at the root of Yggdrasil in Asgard. They are described as goddesses of destiny and so can be compared to the Fates of Greek mythology. As well as providing the gods with information about the future, the Norns also cared for the great tree, Yggdrasil.

Answer: He appointed her to rule over the dead

Hel is depicted as half-living and half-dead. Whilst some sources say that the top half of her body was living and feminine and her legs were black and rotten and corpse-like, other sources state the division was made between her left and right sides.

Hel was to rule over the place of the same name which was found on the bottom of three levels believed to exist in Norse mythology. Hel was the destination of those who did not go to Valhalla after death. It was a dark and cold place, which Odin saw as suiting for the cold and half-dead Hel.

Answer: The World Serpent

Jormungand was enormous when Odin cast him into the sea which surrounded Midgard, but he continued to grow in length and strength and was eventually able to encircle the earth and bite his own tail. Popular depictions of the great serpent depict him in this rather odd position. His scales were thick and he spewed venom. He was also known as the Midgard serpent.

Answer: Thor

When Thor was not smashing the skulls of giants, he was fighting Jormungand. A well-known tale in Norse mythology tells us of how Thor caught the serpent whilst fishing, using an ox as bait. It is said that Thor came close to killing Jormungand, but the line was cut by the giant Hymir, allowing the monster to escape.

This was a large opportunity missed, as Jormungand was to be the cause of Thor's death at Ragnarok, the final battle.

Answer: A wolf

It was predicted that Fenrir would cause the death of Odin, causing the Allfather to treat the great wolf with more caution than its siblings. Furthermore, Fenrir grew at an astonishing rate and was still stronger than he looked. His teeth were huge and sharp, and his jaws could open so wide that the tip touched the heavens.

Answer: Gleipnir

The chains made by the gods, Laeding the first and Dromi the second, were huge and thick and solid. However, Fenrir took pleasure in being willingly bound, only to prove his strength and break free. Each time, the gods were shocked at the power of this huge wolf. Gleipnir, unlike Laeding and Dromi, was thin and frail looking.

It was said to be made of six things: the sound of a cat's footsteps, the beard of a woman, the roots of a mountain, the sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish, and the spit of a bird.

Although thin, this magical chain successfully bound Fenrir, and he would remain bound until Ragnarok, the final battle.

Answer: Tyr

Tyr, god of war, was the only god to step forward and offer his hand.

So dangerous was Fenrir believed to be, the gods then took a chain called Gelgja and used it to secure the bound wolf to a large boulder called Gjoll. Following this, Gjoll, with Fenrir attached, was thrown into a hole, a mile deep, in the earth. Another huge boulder called Thviti was then thrown on top to ensure the wolf's entrapment. The howls of Fenrir were terrible and his rage was allowed to build until he was released before Ragnarok.