One of the more well known Norse Gods is Loki. The trickster god as he is known, his name meaning ‘Close’ or ‘Shut.’He is described as being tall and beautiful to look at but with an evil spirit. There are many stories of Loki, too many to name here, he always seems to get the gods into trouble and then is forced to get them out of it. He is also normally travelling with Thor. 

 

He is the son of the Jotun, Farbauti meaning ‘Cruel Striker,’ and his mother is Laufey meaning ‘Needle.’ He has two Jotun brothers called Byleistr and Helbindi. He has many children, first to the Jotun Angrboda meaning ‘Anguish Boading,’ he has three very different children. The first is Fenrir the wolf destined to slay Odin at Ragnarok, the second is the Midgardr Serpent Jormangundr, destined to slay Thor at Ragnarok and the third is Hel, goddess of Helheimr. By Sigyn meaning ‘Friend of Victory,’ he has his son Narfi or’Corpse,’ and finally in a strange turn of events he gave birth to the eight legged horse Sleipnir, Odins Horse, when he was mounted by Svadilfari, ‘Unlucky Traveler,’ whilst in the form of a chestnut mare. 

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“Angrboda was the name of a certain giantess in Jötunheim, with whom Loki gat three children: one was Fenris-Wolf, the second Jörmungandr--that is the Midgard Serpent,--the third is Hel. But when the gods learned that this kindred was nourished in Jötunheim, and when the gods perceived by prophecy that from this kindred great misfortune should befall them; and since it seemed to all that there was great prospect of ill--(first from the mother's blood, and yet worse from the father's)-then Allfather sent gods thither to take the children and bring them to him. When they came to him, straightway he cast the serpent into the deep sea, where he lies about all the land; and this serpent grew so greatly that he lies in the midst of the ocean encompassing all the land, and bites upon his own tail. Hel he cast into Niflheim, and gave to her power over nine worlds, to apportion all abodes among those that were sent to her: that is, men dead of sickness or of old age.”-Prose Edda

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He was instrumental in the death of Baldr,after tricking Hodr to shoot him with a mistletoe dart The gods were angry and they punished Loki as follows.

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“Thereupon they took three flat stones, and set them on edge and drilled a hole in each stone. Then were taken Loki's son Narfi; and he was tore asunder And the Aesir took his entrails and bound Loki with them over the three stones: one stands under his shoulders, the second under his loins, the third under his boughs; and those bonds were turned to iron. Then Skadi took a venomous serpent and fastened it up over him, so that the venom should drip from the serpent into his face. But Sigyn, his wife, stands near him and holds a basin under the venom-drops; and when the basin is full, she goes and pours out the venom, but in the meantime the venom drips into his face. Then he writhes against it with such force that all the earth trembles: ye call that 'earthquakes.' There he lies in bonds till the Weird of the Gods."-Prose Edda.

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He does however escape his bondage and leads the forces against the Aesir, sailing the boat Naglfari from Helheimr to the field of battle , there he and Heimdallr slay each other.