#pyratesque

The concept of “patron gods” as most modern Pagans use it is actually a modern one. In the past, some historical heathens would focus on a certain god because that’s who their family worshiped or claimed descent from, or because that god was tied to the place they lived. And other cultures, like Greece and Rome, had patrons you were supposed to pray to based on your profession. But at least as far as the evidence we have today suggests, it appears that a lot of people just worshiped the gods collectively without having any one particular patron at all, and the majority of those who did have one main individual relationship didn’t necessarily choose them like we do.

Because of that, some people do argue that patrons shouldn’t even be a thing in Heathenry. But if you are one of the people who believes in the patron thing, then there’s just no solid reason to exclude Loki specifically based on the lore. In fact, there’s even a King Gorm in the Gesta Danorum who appears to have a devotional relationship with Utgarda-Loki! While the relationship between Loki and Utgarda-Loki is unclear, the latter is still clearly a jotun and from Utgard.

So either your friend was arguing that Heathens shouldn’t have patrons at all, or they’re under the false impression that Loki is evil or too chaotic to be trusted or something. Check our nokeans tag for discussion on how to refute claims that Loki is out to screw us over.

Historically, the Norse didn’t really have the same concept of strictly dividing pantheons like we do today. Even the “Norse pantheon” is a bit of a misnomer, since different gods were worshiped in different regions. It was normal for historical heathens to honor the gods of the lands they visited as they traveled, even attending Christian and Muslim worship. We have evidence that some families included images of Jesus Christ along with idols of their other gods, and one grave even included a Buddha figurine. In short, they seemed to be pretty chill about the idea of foreign gods existing and being legitimate.

For this reason, a lot of modern Norse pagans worship gods from other pantheons alongside Loki. And it seems to go fine for them. If you have a deep connection to both gods, ti seems to be going fine for you too.

That said, while there’s debate surrounding the topic, I believe it’s still a good idea to respect the cultural contexts and symbolism of the religions from which gods originate. Ritual practices and taboos are very rarely arbitrary–they spring from human history and myth and generations of experience with the gods. And so I recommend, at the very least, making an effort to deeply examine and understand the reasoning behind these things before tossing them out in favor of a more homogeneous approach.

It’s also important to note that just because Loki is okay with people worshiping other gods in general doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll always be 100% okay with you as an individual worshiping a particular god. Sometimes he’ll think you’re not very compatible in terms of personality, or he won’t think you’re ready for the lessons they have to teach. Sometimes his ideals will be opposed by the other god’s ideals. Sometimes he’d rather you focus on some other thing you promised to do for him instead.

How you handle that issue if it should come up is completely up to you. But for what it’s worth, when I went against his advice, he’s almost always been right anyway. Sigh.

But since you didn’t mention getting any sense of objection from either party, I wouldn’t worry about it in this case. Just be respectful and be prepared to reevaluate should you end up drastically changing your practice or adding any additional deities to the mix. Best of luck!

There’s a masterpost of playlists here. While it definitely doesn’t include all the playlists out there, it’s a start if you’re looking for ideas or something to quickly throw on in the background.

If you look at the linked playlists, you’ll see a really wide range of genres represented. There are a few songs out there that are actually about Loki, but, for the most part, the music that’s going to help you connect with Loki the most is music that you enjoy that reminds you of him. People have different relationships with Loki, so the songs that fit those relationships are going to vary. And obviously, everyone has different types of music that they find pleasurable (or tolerable.)

Over time, you’ll most likely develop your own set of songs that you associate with him that may or may not resonate with others. And analyzing why they remind you of him and putting together your own playlists is a really fun devotional activity.

First of all, not all Norse individuals were light-skinned, not even back in the Viking Age. We have records that show they traveled into Southern Europe and the Middle East, places where the populations primarily had darker skin, to raid and trade. They also came into contact with the Mongols, who originated in Asia. Thus, we have mentions in the lore of members of Norse society, slaves and nobles alike, who are described as having darker skin or being multi-ethnic.

When the lore was recorded, race as an identity based on skin color wasn’t really a concept that existed yet. Affiliation was based more on where you lived and what political entity you aligned yourself with.

It’s not ahistorical to imagine the Norse gods with darker skin because there were Norse people with darker skin.

But more importantly, the gods are not human. They’re incorporeal. They can appear however they want. They don’t even have to appear as human, let alone humans of a particular ethnicity. Seriously, is it really weirder for Loki to appear as a black guy than a pregnant horse?

Anyone who claims that the Norse gods must be white is both ignoring history and being racist.

happ birth

I guess this is a kimono thing? This is not specific. Like this looks like it could be some scubs.

I think it does and it looks good!