Who is Logi?
What we know from myth, history, and inspiration
Logi is a powerful Norse fire-spirit. In myths, he is the second son of the old frost-giant Mistblindi, also known as Fornjotr, born of a fire-giant mother just after the Flood. His older brother is Kari the North Wind, and his younger brother is Aegir the King of the Sea. He later entered into the sworn service of Utgard-Loki. He appears in the story of Thor and Loki meeting the sorcerer-ruler Utgard-Loki; they were challenged to beat the lord of Utgard's various friends and family members in random contests. Loki was challenged to beat one of his courtiers in a contest of eating; the fiery man soundly trounced him, as he not only devoured the meal but the bones and the plate as well. He was then revealed as Logi - the old fire-god against the new one.
Logi was sometimes called Halogi (High-Logi) by his friends and family, because he was very tall. There is some history that conflates him with a mortal king by the same name. His wife was named Glut (Glow) and she bore him two daughters, Einmyria (Ashes) and Eisa (Embers). They seem to have long since passed away, and Logi lives alone in his black-rock cave in Muspellheim, the World of Fire. Whether there was a mortal Logi/Halogi who lived a life similar to his - perhaps living Logi's archetypal pattern - or not is something that we may never know.
Logi is a very old god, one of the original magical triplicity of Kari-Logi-Aegir (Wind/Fire/Sea), more ancient than the invading Indo-Europeans. Some scholars, including H.A. Guerber in his Myths And Legends Of The Norsemen, conjecture that these three giant-Gods were part of an older creation myth that predates the myths of the Aesir and Vanir. Together, they make up a triplicity of the primal elements working on the Earth; the interaction of Sea, Flame, and North Wind creating and shaping the world of the North. The Scandinavian scholar Preben Muellengracht has suggested that these three elements of Sea, Flame and North Wind were an alternative model to the magical quadriplicity of Earth, Water, Fire and Air. The sea-kings of Orkney historically traced their descent from these three brothers.
Logi
I boil your eggs
but I can, just as soon,
burn the hall or your head.
I consume both food and the table.
Muspellheim´s envoy,
A franchise of Sunna,
I dance in all realms save one.
Outwitting my namesake,
I nest in his hair;
In me, dwarves forged Mjollnir.
I fight for all sides.
I sleep in the flintstone
and under red buttons.
It takes but one spark.
Will you strike it?
© Michaela Macha of Odin's Gift
- This poem is in the Common Domain and may be freely distributed,
provided it remains unchanged, including copyright notice and this License -