Gripla - 20.12.2005, Page 206

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Loki’s mother and Loki himself (who was also named Loptr and apparently
Hve›rungr as well), and the obscurity of Loki’s father could have facilitated
identification with Hymir (whose wife is notably unnamed). The possibility
that t‡r refers to Loki in Hymiskvi›a 4 might even help explain why Loki is
said to injure the goat after fiórr has slain Hymir – Hymir is the father of
fiórr’s companion, and so the injury of the goat may have been construed as
retributive.
Thirdly, since the t‡r or T‡r of Hymiskvi›a 4 suggests to fiórr that they
should resort to vélar ‘cunning’ or ‘tricks’ in order to obtain the cauldron, it
may be significant that the lævísi ‘mischievous’ Loki is certainly a god no-
torious for his vélar and called vélandi go›anna ‘tricker of the gods’ in Skáld-
skaparmál 16. Loki’s cunning or trickery is moreover central to his conven-
tional role in obtaining objects of great value to the gods (such as fiórr’s ham-
mer Mjƒllnir).15
Fourthly, Loki is fiórr’s travel companion on other visits to giant-land,
namely to Útgar›a-Loki (Gylfaginning 44-47), Geirrƒ›r (Skáldskaparmál 18)
and firymr (firymskvi›a), and so this was clearly a conventional role for Loki.
Fifthly, in addition to his role as fiórr’s travel companion, Loki’s friend-
ship with fiórr is expressed in the Loki-kenning fiórs of rúni ‘fiórr’s confidant
(or sharer of secrets)’ in Haustlƒng 8, where Loki is also called t‡r, and so the
t‡r or T‡r of Hymiskvi›a 4 appears to have a similar relationship with fiórr: he
reveals to his vinr or ‘friend’ fiórr – and to fiórr alone or einom – af trygg›om
‘out of good faith (or fidelity)’ ástrá› mikit ‘much loving (or kind or friendly)
advice’.
Finally, Loki does in fact figure in Hymiskvi›a, and it is difficult to see
why he appears there as he does in connection with fiórr’s goats unless he was
supposed to have accompanied fiórr to Hymir (as argued above). It may also
be recalled in this connection that Hymir lives far from the gods at himins
enda ‘at the end of heaven’ – for why should Loki be in the vicinity of
Hymir’s home at this juncture if he had not accompanied fiórr to Hymir?
15 It may also be noted that in his description of Loki’s wily nature in Gylfaginning 33, Snorri
employs the words vélar as well as vélræði ‘trickery’.