Loki

or Loke, lo'ke, in Scandinavian mythology, the god of strife and destruction. He was the personification of fire and was thus of a twofold nature, performing now good, now evil deeds. He was a handsome fellow, but his disposition was evil. While he was a companion of the gods and sometimes friendly, he was at heart their enemy. He was the son of Farbauti, whose duty it was to ferry souls across the rivers in the land of the dead. Loki had three children, the Midgard-serpent, the Fenris-wolf, and Hela. At the creation, Loki's part was to give blood to man. Loki caused the death of Baldur, the Good. At last the gods chained Loki and set a serpent to guard him. The serpent would have let fall drops of poison upon his face had not his wife held a bowl to catch the poison. At Ragnarok, Loki was freed, but he and Heimdal fought and both were slain.

That Loke represents fire in its various forms becomes clearer with every new fact, every new event in his life. . . . That Loke symbolizes fire is also illustrated by the fact that the common people in Norway, when they hear the fire crackling, say that Loke is whipping his children. . When the sun draws water, they say that Loke is drinking water.--Anderson.