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Loki is the Norse Trickster god (originally a Jotun till he became Odin Allfather's blood-brother).
He plays some part in Ragnarok, the end of the world in Viking myth. For this reason he is often interpreted as a Satan figure.
Also, the only reason anyone knows any Norse myths is because of the Eddas, two writings on them. One was by Snorri Sturulson, and that writing is deeply influenced by Christianity. In Pagan beliefs, the end of the world is often seen as one being followed by renewal; it was seen differently by the pagans, and so Christian interpretation is, alas, inherently wrong.
Most Wiccans and other modern-day Pagans choose not to pray to Loki. He is the god of change, often change that is very necessary, hard to get through, and unwelcome at the time. Usually Loki's lessons are full of mischief, but the overall meaning is good-natured and helpful.
Loki is also, from a different perspective, a distinctly fey god. While the other Norse gods were all unchanging and fixed, as pagan gods usually are, Loki is the exact opposite, and it is well known that he did not come from Asgard as the Aesir did. Faeries, or fairies, are both destructive and constructive, being nature spirits, and Loki is very much the same. He both can and cannot be trusted. It depends very much on how anyone who prays to him interprets him, for he will appeal to that nature. "Watch what you wish for" applies to him in this case, for you will get what you want and find later that you shouldn't have wanted it.
Loki should not be confused with Satan; Satan represents destruction without cease. While Loki too is associated with fire, Loki's representation of it is the sort of fire that ravages a landscape and then allows many plants to grow there; the sort of destruction that makes way for a new beginning. The true Norse Satan figure is most likely Surtr, whose flaming sword, when drawn, signifies the end of the world. He comes from a land of eternal flame.
Loki is also an in-between god--not homosexual or transexual, but a shape-changer, who has spent time in the form of both a man and a woman, and has borne children. If he were pangender and/or pansexual, no one would be surprised. Androgyny and the telling of truth through lies (and jokes and parodies) are his domain. However, he dislikes being untrue to yourself to fit in.
He is traditionally supposed to have auburn hair. In the Tudor Humphries illustrations in Michael Harrison's 'The Doom of the Gods', he is shown in motley jester pants, harkening to his Trickster nature.
He is known as the "Father of Lies", among other things, but is not malicious.
Loki's first wife's name was Angrboda, and she bore three children: Fenrir, the oldest, was a giant wolf who killed Odin (blood brother to Loki and ruler of all the gods) in Ragnarok; the youngest was Jormungand, the Midgard serpent was a serpent who circled the world on the bottom of the ocean, devouring his own tail (an oroboros); he destroyed Thor (the Norse Zeus and Loki's constant companion). The middle child's name was Hel, which means death. Her lower body was that of a corpse, though her upper half was living. She rules Niflheim, or Helheim. Loki's second wife's name was Sigyn, and not much about her is known. They had two children, Vali and Narfi. When Loki was finally punished (in a manner similar to the crucifixion of Jesus), Vali was turned into a wolf and allowed to tear out Narfi's entrails, which were used to bind Loki to three stones. Skadi put a snake up above him and allowed the poison to drip onto his face. Sigyn held a bowl beneath it, to catch it; but whenever it became full, she had to turn away and empty it, and then the poison fell into his face.
Loki is more or less a nature god, not one of destruction; he is associated with the seasons and other natural changes, and like Mother Nature is unpredictable, playful, and sometimes dangerous. When prayed to it must be made clear afterwards that he is dismissed, otherwise the pagan has only himself to blame when he cannot find two matching socks the next morning.
His holiday is, fittingly, April Fool's Day.
Back before it came out in print again, I wanted a copy of Susan Kay's 'Phantom'. Since Erik wears a mask, and Loki's all about masks, I prayed to him to convince my dad to shell out 55 dollars on a used copy. Shortly afterward he ordered it, we walked into a bookstore, and I thought, "It would be really funny if I found that book here."
Unfortunately, we did, and bought it--for 50 cents! When a month later I heard it was coming back into print by popular demand, I knew Loki was dancing up in the clouds, laughing hysterically and my mortal stupidity. If I'd been patient, I would have got in good time, but Loki believes in everyone getting their wishes.
(True story.)
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Nouvelle Décadence, "New Decadence", from the period in the 19th century in France called "La Décadence", which inspired many artists. It was focused upon death, decay and sensuality.
One of the artists it inspired was Oscar Wilde, founder of the Aesthetic movement.
New Decadence is anything to do with less-than-healthy states of mind and other unpleasant, or morbidly fascinating, topics. Often these people like to dress to get this across, the stranger, the better. (Though mostly they are extremely aesthetically-minded and into being pretty.)
The new decadents are often confused with goths, emo kids, scene kids, et cetera. They tend towards a more fluid sexuality, but that does not mean they are all necessarily bisexual.
The difference between new decadents and these other styles is largely one of detachment. The new decadents see their style as one of an affectation, but unlike posers, all know it is an affectation, enjoy it being an affectation, and have absolutely no problem with it being an affectation. They can be obnoxious to others, but among their own circles, it's everyone else who loses. They are very open-minded, and tend towards being bohemian. The difference is that they are not all laid-back. They often see themselves as acting, and the sensual, dark, sometimes fantastic interests are not taken too seriously. These are not people who build their creed upon vampires or glitter make-up or rock bands. They are people who find it interesting to behave as though that is the case. Because they do not act narrow-minded, it is difficult for those who know them to think they really believe anything they say, but everyone who does not know them should realize that they don't. New decadents say things for the purpose of saying them, or posing a question; not because they mean them literally. They are often accused of vanity, but it too is simply put on. Most are very modest.
Unlike many other groups, new decadents are not all similar fashion-wise, incorporating everything from gothic lolita to glam-rock into their clothes, and elements from everywhere else. Most genres are separated by fashion, but this one is separated by mindset. It is more or less an anti-genre.
They tend to be outcast in school but not anti-social; on the contrary, they can be kind of popular, but usually are not belonging to one select group.
Jane: We've got to choose a current movement in our English class to write an essay about.
Andrew: Oh?
Jane: Yes. It shall be quite spectacular.
Andrew: Verily! What movement are you doing?
Jane: Nouvelle décadence, of course...doubtless Martelle won't know what I'm writing about at all. The supposed goth in my class wants to know if I'm writing abot Goth too, and I had to tell her that my genre started in France, not Germany. She hadn't a clue of what I spoke.
Andrew: Ah, well. C'est la vie. I hope you get an A, or a D.
Jane: A D? Oh, Andrew, you can't possibly mean that.
Andrew: I do. If you get a D, it must mean that the essay meant something personal to Martelle.
Jane: What a dear thing you are!
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1. Faery
Faeryland, or Elfland. The place where faeries live.
2. faery (fairy, fey, sidhe, seelie)
A faery is an etheric being and a nature spirit. Victorian faeries were flighty and kind, beautiful winged ladies who were kind to children and were slightly preachy. This idea is incorrect. Faeries come in all shapes and sizes, and can be beautiful and good (though still do harm) as well as malign, though are more often unusual (whether ugly or beautiful, not in a normal way) and unpredictable. Mortals must always be wary of the Good Neighbors (as they are called, for it is bad luck to use the name 'faery', which offends them).
To be able to see them is called the "Sight", and it is rare; however, all cats have it. It is said one can gain the sight by bathing one's eyes in a marigold ointment, while holding a four-leaf clover, or while looking through a stone with a natural hole in it.
Their magic is called "glamour", and it is something like the power of illusion for it enchants the mind, sometimes confuses it (such as causing one to lose one's way), and can make a thing look differently than it does. Glamour is often employed to make a faery look normal when it is among humans; however, they usually retain some odd characteristic, like a hollow back or goat's hooves, or something more subtle, like oddly coloured eyes.
Faeries sometimes steal human babies and leave behind wood glamoured to resemble them, or on rare occasions, a glamoured faery. These faeries are called changelings. Sometimes the Changeling pretends to grow ill and die, and returns to its faery family, or as it grows older it becomes mischeivous and plays pranks. They all eventually leave their human families to return home.
There are two kinds of faeries; solitary fey and the Gentry, or court fey. Of the latter there are two courts, Seelie and Unseelie (which simply mean 'blessed' and 'damned'). The former is the benign court (though it too can cause harm, for faeries can't be trusted), while the latter is, of course, purely malicious and should be avoided at all costs. These courts have been used in modern fantasy writing, most notably in Holly Black's "Tithe"; however, that book can be misleading for the Unseelie Court is portrayed inaccurately; it is far more deadly than the book made it appear.
1. "Did you hear about Thomas the Rhymer, the poet who the Queen of Faery took off to Elfland? Man, if she would just take me, I'd go off with her immediately--I'm in desperate need of inspiration."
2. "Anne Rice? Oh, please. Lestat's hot and all, but if he came face to face with a glaistig, he wouldn't know what hit him. She'd suck him dryer than Claudia ever did, and look a sight prettier while doing it, too, because as we all know she can glamour herself to look any age she wants!"
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