Sigyn is one of the many goddesses in Norse mythology about whom little is known as she is only spoken about in the surviving Norse sources in terms of her relationship to male deities. But she is an extremely powerful Norse goddess who is capable of granting, or withholding, victory in any pursuit.
As the wife of Loki, Sigyn is also a symbol of unbroken devotion and commitment and what it means to care for someone and love them unconditionally in spite of their faults.
Goddess of Victory
The name Sigyn means victorious girlfriend in Old Norse, and she was probably a goddess of victory in Norse and Germanic paganism in the same way as Nike in the Greek religion and Victoria in the Roman pantheon. In this way, she would have complemented Odin, who was the god of warfare in the same way that Victoria complemented Mars, the god of war, in Roman religion.
Family of Sigyn
Nevertheless, Sigyn is most well-known in myths for being the Aesir wife of the trickster giant Loki, though she was not only Loki’s wife. According to old Norse mythology, Loki also had three children with the giantess Angrboda. These were the serpent Jormungandr, the wolf Fenrir, and the half-living and half-dead giantess Hel. But when Loki left Jotunheim to live among the Aesir gods in Asgard, he also took Sigyn as his Aesir wife.
This is not strange in Norse mythology, in which many of the Aesir gods, such as Odin and Thor, had Aesir wives and giant mistresses with whom they had powerful children.
Sigyn and Loki had two children, Narfi and Vali, but very little is said of them in Norse myth beyond their deaths.
Sigyn’s Burden
According to the Poetic Edda, Loki tricked Hodr, a blind son of Odin, into killing his brother Balder, the most beloved of the gods. Odin and the other Aesir exacted a great vengeance for this. Hodr, despite his innocence in the situation, was killed. Loki’s punishment was significantly harsher.
First, they hunted down Loki, who had fled when he realized how angry the gods were with him, and bound Loki. Then the gods destroyed Loki’s sons with Sigyn, despite not being involved in the events. Vali was turned into a wolf, and losing his senses, he tore his brother Narfi apart and then ran off to his own death. The Prose Edda says that they used Narfi’s intestines to tie Loki to three rocks in a deserted cave.
The gods then placed a poisonous snake over Loki’s head to drip venom onto his face for eternity. This causes him extreme pain and makes his entire body convulse. This is what causes earthquakes in the nine worlds.
Sigyn tries to protect her husband from the worst of this. She sits beside Loki in isolation catching the poison in a bowl. But every so often, she is forced to leave to empty the bowl, which is when earthquakes occur. This is why Loki is referred to in the Prose Edda as “the burden of Sigyn’s arms”.
Decider of Fate
At Ragnarok, Loki will break his chains, and he will seek revenge on the other gods of Asgard. He will be accompanied by his three children with Angrboda, who will also escape the prisons created for them by the Aesir.
It is not recorded what Sigyn will do during these final days and whether she will join the Aesir or fight alongside her family for vengeance. However, according to the Poetic Edda, the Volva who tells the prophecy of Ragnarok includes the detail that she sees Sigyn sitting unhappily by Loki’s side just before Ragnarok, suggesting that this is significant in some way.
It is interesting that the battle of Ragnarok is predicted to be a stalemate, with both sides losing. Many gods and giants will fight to the death, killing one another, and in the end, the world will be lost. Perhaps no one can win because Sigyn, the Norse goddess of victory, has divided loyalties and cannot choose a victor.
Altar of Sigyn
Sigyn is associated with the Nauthiz rune in Norse religion, and this often forms part of any representation of the goddess on an altar. She is also linked with symbols of the bowl or an old-fashioned key and with rose quartz, green garnet, and pearls.
Sigyn can be called upon to help you carry your burdens and make them feel lighter and more manageable. Bring a bowl of water and an empty bowl to your altar and a small vessel that will allow you to drip water from one vessel into the other. With each drip, tell the goddess of a burden that you need help with, and then place it into her bowl. You can repeat yourself several times. With each drop, she will help lighten your load.
FAQs
What is Sigyn the goddess of?
Sigyn’s name means “victorious girlfriend,” and she was probably the goddess that embodies victory in battle, like Nike in the Greek world. She probably accompanied Odin, the god of war, in the same way, that Nike accompanied Aries.
What did Sigyn do for Loki?
When the Aesir gods imprisoned Loki for his role in the death of Balder, his wife Sigyn tried to protect him from the worst of his punishment. The gods placed a venomous snake above Loki, letting its venom drip onto him painfully. Sigyn catches the poison in a bowl to spare Loki, but sometimes she must leave to empty her bowl, and Loki must suffer.
What is Loki’s wife’s name?
Loki’s Aesir wife is named Sigyn, which means victorious girlfriend in old Norse. He also had three children with the giantess Angrboda.
Who kills Loki?
At Ragnarok, Loki will fight to the death with Heimdall, and the two will kill one another. Fenrir will kill Odin and then be killed by Odin’s son Vidarr. Thor and Jormungandr will fight to the death, Tyr will fight to the death with Garm, and Freyr will fight to the death with Surtr.
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