Editing Loki (section)

====''Gylfaginning''====
The ''Prose Edda'' book ''Gylfaginning'' tells various myths featuring Loki, including Loki's role in the birth of the horse [[Sleipnir]] and Loki's contest with [[Logi (mythology)|Logi]], fire personified.

=====High's introduction=====

Loki first appears in the ''Prose Edda'' in chapter 20 of the book ''[[Gylfaginning]]'', where he is referred to as the "[[Æsir|ás]] called Loki" while the enthroned figure of [[High, Just-as-High, and Third|Third]] explains to "Gangleri" (King [[Gylfi]] in disguise) the goddess Frigg's prophetic abilities while citing a stanza of ''Lokasenna''.{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|p=21}}

[[Image:The children of Loki by Willy Pogany.png|thumb|right|"The children of Loki" (1920) by [[Willy Pogany]]]]
Loki is more formally introduced by [[High, Just-as-High, and Third|High]] in chapter 34, where he is "reckoned among the Æsir", and High states that Loki is called by some "the Æsir's calumniator", "originator of deceits", and "the disgrace of all gods and men". High says that Loki's alternative name is ''Lopt'', that he is the son of the male jötunn [[Fárbauti]], his mother is "[[Laufey (mythology)|Laufey or Nál]]", and his brothers are [[Helblindi]] and [[Býleistr]]. High describes Loki as "pleasing and handsome" in appearance, malicious in character, "very capricious in behaviour", and as possessing "to a greater degree than others" learned cunning, and "tricks for every purpose", often getting the Æsir into trouble, and then getting them out of it with his trickery. Sigyn is introduced as being married to Loki, and they have a son named "Nari or Narfi". Otherwise, Loki had three children with the female jötunn Angrboða from [[Jötunheimr]]; the wolf [[Fenrir]], the serpent [[Jörmungandr]], and the female being [[Hel (being)|Hel]]. The gods realized that these three children were being raised in Jötunheimr, and expected trouble from them partially due to the nature of Angrboða, but worse yet Loki.{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|pp=26–27}} In chapter 35, Gangleri comments that Loki produced a "pretty terrible"—yet important—family.{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|p=29}}

=====Loki, Svaðilfari, and Sleipnir=====

In chapter 42, High tells a story set "right at the beginning of the gods' settlement, when the gods at established [[Midgard]] and built [[Valhalla|Val-Hall]]". The story is about an unnamed builder who has offered to build a fortification for the gods that will keep out invaders in exchange for the goddess Freyja, the [[Sól (sun)|sun]], and the [[Máni|moon]]. After some debate, the gods agree to these conditions, but place a number of restrictions on the builder, including that he must complete the work within three seasons without the help of any man. The builder makes a single request; that he may have help from his stallion [[Svaðilfari]], and due to Loki's influence, this is allowed. The stallion Svaðilfari performs twice the deeds of strength as the builder, and hauls enormous rocks—to the surprise of the gods. The builder, with Svaðilfari, makes fast progress on the wall, and three days before the deadline of [[Sumarr and Vetr|summer]], the builder is nearly at the entrance to the fortification. The gods convene, and figure out who is responsible, resulting in a unanimous agreement that, along with most trouble, Loki is to blame (here referred to as ''Loki Laufeyjarson''—his surname derived from his mother's name, ''Laufey'').{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|p=35}}

[[Image:Loki and Svadilfari by Hardy.jpg|thumb|''Loki and [[Svaðilfari]]'' (1909) by Dorothy Hardy]]
The gods declare that Loki deserves a horrible death if he cannot find a scheme that will cause the builder to forfeit his payment, and threaten to attack him. Loki, afraid, swears oaths that he will devise a scheme to cause the builder to forfeit the payment, whatever it may cost himself. That night, the builder drives out to fetch stone with his stallion Svaðilfari, and out from a wood runs a mare. The mare neighs at Svaðilfari, and "realizing what kind of horse it was", Svaðilfari becomes frantic, neighs, tears apart his tackle, and runs towards the mare. The mare runs to the wood, Svaðilfari follows, and the builder chases after. The two horses run around all night, causing the building to be halted and the builder is then unable to regain the previous momentum of his work.{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|p=36}}

The builder goes into a rage, and when the Æsir realize that the builder is a [[hrimthurs]], they disregard their previous oaths with the builder, and call for Thor. Thor arrives, and subsequently kills the builder by smashing the builder's skull into shards with the hammer Mjöllnir. However, Loki "[[sexual intercourse|had such dealings]]" with Svaðilfari that "[[Pregnancy|somewhat later]]" Loki gives birth to a gray [[foal]] with eight legs; the horse [[Sleipnir]]—"the best horse among gods and men."{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|p=36}}

=====Loki, Útgarða-Loki, and Logi=====

In chapter 44, [[High, Just-as-High, and Third|Third]] reluctantly relates a tale where Thor and Loki are riding in Thor's chariot, which is pulled by his [[Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr|two goats]]. Loki and Thor stop at the house of a peasant farmer, and there they are given lodging for a night. Thor slaughters his goats, prepares them, puts them in a pot, and Loki and Thor sit down for their evening meal. Thor invites the peasant family who own the farm to share with him the meal he has prepared, but warns them not to break the bones. Afterward, at the suggestion of Loki, the peasant child [[Þjálfi]] sucks the [[bone marrow]] from one of the goat bones, and when Thor goes to resurrect the goats, he finds one of the goats to be lame. In their terror, the family atones to Thor by giving Thor their son Þjálfi and their daughter [[Röskva]].{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|pp=37–38}}

[[File:I am the giant Skrymir by Elmer Boyd Smith.jpg|thumb|''I am the giant [[Skrymir]]'' by [[Elmer Boyd Smith]]]]
Minus the goats, Thor, Loki, and the two children continue east until they arrive at a vast forest in [[Jötunheimr]]. They continue through the woods until dark. The four seek shelter for the night. They encounter an immense building. Finding shelter in a side room, they experience earthquakes through the night. The earthquakes cause all four but Thor, who grips his hammer in preparation of defense, to be fearful. The building turns out to be the huge glove of [[Skrymir]], who has been snoring throughout the night, causing what seemed to be earthquakes. All four sleep beneath an oak tree near Skrymir in fear.{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|pp=38–40}}

Thor wakes up in the middle of the night, and a series of events occur where Thor twice attempts to kill the sleeping Skrýmir with his hammer. Skrýmir awakes after each attempt, only to say that he detected an acorn falling on his head or that he wonders if bits of tree from the branches above have fallen on top of him. The second attempt awakes Skrýmir. Skrýmir gives them advice; if they are going to be cocky at the keep of [[Útgarðar|Útgarðr]] it would be better for them to turn back now, for [[Útgarða-Loki]]'s men there will not put up with it. Skrýmir throws his knapsack onto his back and abruptly goes into the forest. High comments that "there is no report that the Æsir expressed hope for a happy reunion".{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|p=40}}

The four travelers continue their journey until midday. They find themselves facing a massive castle in an open area. The castle is so tall that they must bend their heads back to their spines to see above it. At the entrance to the castle is a shut gate, and Thor finds that he cannot open it. Struggling, all four squeeze through the bars of the gate, and continue to a large hall. Inside the great hall are two benches, where many generally large people sit on two benches. The four see Útgarða-Loki, the king of the castle, sitting.{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|pp=40–41}}

Útgarða-Loki says that no visitors are allowed to stay unless they can perform a feat. Loki, standing in the rear of the party, is the first to speak, claiming that he can eat faster than anyone. Útgarða-Loki comments that this would be a feat indeed, and calls for a being by the name of [[Logi (mythology)|Logi]] to come from the benches. A trencher is fetched, placed on the floor of the hall, and filled with meat. Loki and Logi sit down on opposing sides. The two eat as quickly as they can and meet at the midpoint of the trencher. Loki consumed all of the meat off of the bones on his side, yet Logi had not only consumed his meat, but also the bones and the trencher itself. It was evident to all that Loki had lost. In turn, Þjálfi races against a figure by the name of Hugi three times and thrice loses.{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|pp=41–42}}

Thor agrees to compete in a drinking contest but after three immense gulps fails. Thor agrees to lift a large, gray cat in the hall but finds that it arches his back no matter what he does, and that he can raise only a single paw. Thor demands to fight someone in the hall, but the inhabitants say doing so would be demeaning, considering Thor's weakness. Útgarða-Loki then calls for his nurse [[Elli]], an old woman. The two wrestle but the harder Thor struggles the more difficult the battle becomes. Thor is finally brought down to a single knee. Útgarða-Loki says to Thor that fighting anyone else would be pointless. Now late at night, Útgarða-Loki shows the group to their rooms and they are treated with hospitality.{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|pp=42–44}}

The next morning the group gets dressed and prepares to leave the keep. Útgarða-Loki appears, has his servants prepare a table, and they all merrily eat and drink. As they leave, Útgarða-Loki asks Thor how he thought he fared in the contests. Thor says that he is unable to say he did well, noting that he is particularly annoyed that Útgarða-Loki will now speak negatively about him. Útgarða-Loki points out that the group has left his keep and says that he hopes that they never return to it, for if he had an inkling of what he was dealing with he would never have allowed the group to enter in the first place. Útgarða-Loki reveals that all was not what it seemed to the group. Útgarða-Loki was in fact the immense Skrýmir, and that if the three blows Thor attempted to land had hit their mark, the first would have killed Skrýmir. In reality, Thor's blows were so powerful that they had resulted in three square valleys.{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|pp=44–45}}

The contests, too, were an illusion. Útgarða-Loki reveals that Loki had actually competed against wildfire itself (''Logi'', Old Norse "flame"), Þjálfi had raced against thought (''Hugi'', Old Norse "thought"), Thor's drinking horn had actually reached to the ocean and with his drinks he lowered the ocean level (resulting in [[tide]]s). The cat that Thor attempted to lift was in actuality the world serpent, [[Jörmungandr]], and everyone was terrified when Thor was able to lift the paw of this "cat", for Thor had actually held the great serpent up to the sky. The old woman Thor wrestled was in fact old age (''Elli'', Old Norse "old age"), and there is no one that old age cannot bring down. Útgarða-Loki tells Thor that it would be better for "both sides" if they did not meet again. Upon hearing this, Thor takes hold of his hammer and swings it at Útgarða-Loki but he is gone and so is his castle. Only a wide landscape remains.{{sfnp|Faulkes|1995|pp=45–46}}