W.I. Loki Was More Popular

In the early Norse myths, Loki appears to be seen as a trickster spirit that while not always helpful wasn't outright evil. It appears that sometime in the middle years of Norse culture, he eventually became seen as an evil god that had to be locked away under the world and tortured for eternity.
What if the Norsemen had not changed their attitude towards Loki, or had even come to respect him? Would this lead to a societal change where trickery and cunning was as respected as martial valour?
Or would it simply make the comic book Loki more of an anti-hero or comedian?
 
Change the myth so that Balder doesn't die, or Loki helps get him resurrected. Then he'd be an ass but not evil.
These are myths, they're changeable.
 
I suspect it was the influence of Christianity, since the later Ragnarok myths feature an Adam/Eve-like pair of survivors that a guy I think was a Norse pagan attributed to Christian influence.
 
I saw one essay a long time ago that mentioned this as well. But the writer also said as the Norse religion was pushed to the sidelines more, it basically dropped the happy-ish ending of Ragnarok and focused on the death and destruction, which made it lose ground even faster.
So to keep Loki from becoming a Satan expy we might have to keep Christianity from being so dominate.
 
I saw one essay a long time ago that mentioned this as well. But the writer also said as the Norse religion was pushed to the sidelines more, it basically dropped the happy-ish ending of Ragnarok and focused on the death and destruction, which made it lose ground even faster.
So to keep Loki from becoming a Satan expy we might have to keep Christianity from being so dominate.

In that case u have to prevent christian establishment in Western Europe or at least contain it to Italy only... After christianity was spread to Gaul and Britain it was only a matter of time that it would be spread to Germany and northern viking lands...
 
The tale where Loki killed Balder paints by far the darkest picture of Loki compared to the others where he is presented as a welcome associate of Thor and Odin during various travels and adventures.

Astoundingly that tale also includes a feast which Loki attends as a guest after Balder's death even though he has supposedly triggered Ragnorak, which really doesn't seem to make sense.
 
In that case u have to prevent christian establishment in Western Europe or at least contain it to Italy only... After christianity was spread to Gaul and Britain it was only a matter of time that it would be spread to Germany and northern viking lands...
Or we have to make the Norse stronger.

The tale where Loki killed Balder paints by far the darkest picture of Loki compared to the others where he is presented as a welcome associate of Thor and Odin during various travels and adventures.

Astoundingly that tale also includes a feast which Loki attends as a guest after Balder's death even though he has supposedly triggered Ragnorak, which really doesn't seem to make sense.
Which likely means its been changed in the telling. If at first he just did some nasty trick that saw Balder hurt but not killed, it could explain the feast. Everyone sees it as a "Haha good trick!" kind of deal.
 
I actually think that the Baldur thing may have been a later addition, to add a more definitely evil figure.
 
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