Did Loki Deserve It?

Professor of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, Mårten Eskil Winge is known for his paintings on Norse mythology. Here is depicted the Punishment of Loki, the god of deceptions of Norse mythology, whom the gods wanted to punish for causing the death of the god Baldr. The goddess Skaði thus took a snake and placed it over the god’s face. This snake dripped poison onto Loki’s face, and Loki winced so hard it caused earthquakes. Sigyn intervened with a basin to collect the snake’s venom and thus alleviate her husband’s pain. Except that in emptying the basin, she left Loki still in contact with the snake’s venom, in a cyclical torture. 1863, oil on canvas, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.