UKPagan blog July 2012: Lokke = Spider = Loki ?

Here is another post from a while ago from another pagan blog of mine (see The Valley UK Pagan forum for more goodies like this). I know I am posting a lot of this kinda thing, but I hope it gives you a better idea where I am coming from vis-a-vis my pagan path, and maybe gives you a little food for thought, too.



Now a good few years ago, when I was living in Sweden, I 'rediscovered' my paganism. Around the same time, and perhaps connected (who knows?), I had what I refer to as 'a waking dream' or hallucination which occurred just as I awoke. It was a hallucination of a bloody huge spider in my bed. Scared the shit out of me and caused me to wake my (then) girlfriend up in the middle of the night - which may have contributed to our splitting up (again, who knows?).

I have found references online to a book, "Loki in Scandinavian mythology" by a Ms Roothe which posits that Loki is, in fact, an anthropomorphic deification of spider. Apparently, spider in old Danish is "lokke", which may have mutated into 'Loki'. I am hoping that is not the only (rather tenuous) justification for the association.

The only copy of said text that I can find is at the John Rylands library here in Manchester. To access it, though, I fear I need to pay an annual subscription of £30, for access (reference only) to the library. Thing is, this is the first time I have had to put my money where my mouth is regarding the weirdish things that have happened to my around and since my 'spiritual awakening'. I have had a few of these hallucinations or what have you and I would normally write them off as the symptoms of fatigue or stress or somesuch. But as I am being more open minded and experimenting with some rather more far out beliefs than normal, I would like to investigate further.

But, £30? Not that much money, but it is a good night on the beers, or a respectable surprise gift for my baby daughter...

Have I been touched by Loki?
How will that contact affect me in the future?
Can I point out on the doll, for the benefit of the court, where Loki touched me? ;)