The Problem with Lokeans

Lokean is a label for worshippers of the Norse God Loki. It is overlap-able with other terms such as Norse Pagan, Asatru or Heathen. Got the definition out the way, let’s get into it.

In my experience, more often than not, Lokeans will justify their worship of Loki by talking about the good He has done for Asgard or the Aesir. He is why Thor has Mjolnir, He is why the wall around Asgard was rebuilt… and also why Sleipnir was born. I could go on but …. My point is to NOT go on. Lokeans will defend their worship of Loki, typically to Asatrur or Heathens, by listing Loki’s accomplishments that benefit the Aesir. That’s a shitty reason to worship Something. If the benchmark for worship or even just veneration is how well They served a specific group or Deity, we need to take that same approach to other Deities; and we have a problem. What did Freyr do? What did Tyr do? What did Fulla do? Was it ENOUGH? None of those Gods have done, in the written lore, anywhere near as much as Loki when it comes to the betterment of Asgard. Are They still worthy of praise? Of course They are! 

There is another reason why the justification of Loki worship, via listing His good deeds for Asgard, irks me. It furthers the villainization of the Rokkr or the Jotun in general.  It promotes the mindset that unless you serve the Aesir a positive purpose, you’re not worthy of veneration. It’s the binary good vs evil, monotheistic ideology that leaked into Norse Lore manifesting yet again. Loki got Thor Mjolnir, but is that a good thing to the Jotun farmer minding Their own business who gets slain by Thor? Most Asatrur will happily ignore that, justifying it as the Jotun being enemies. That farmer didn’t do shit. That is through racist ideology build into Norse lore. “Jotun bad” and no further thought is given to it. That binary mindset of good vs evil is not found in other sects of paganism.

Lokeans, intentionally or unintentionally, promote those mindsets every time they justify their worship of Loki by listing His accomplishments for the Aesir. If Loki is worthy of worship because the good that He did for the Aesir… what hope is there for Surt or Fenris? They serve the Aesir no positive purpose, not in the written lore taken as is. Fenris is considered evil, a demon wolf, and anyone worshipping Him is therefor evil. Again, this concept is not found in other pagan sects; it’s the Christian aspects of Heathenry leaking through. To be frank, no Entity owes the Aesir anything. Especially not in order to be worthy of love, veneration or worship. Their usefulness to the Aesir is NOT a benchmark for Their greatness.

There are a growing number of Rokkatrur, people who worship the Rokkr, and this is something Heathenry is going to have to handle. And it seems the divide is at the Lokeans. Lokeans seem to lean to Loki’s Aesir side OR Loki’s Rokkr side. In my few years of looking, I’ve found only a small handful of individuals that work with or even honor both sides. Matching Loki quite closely. 

I encourage Lokeans to stop justifying their worship of Loki because His usefulness to the Aesir. Any Entity is worthy of veneration and worship. That is reason enough alone.