How Old Is Loki? [Examine the Evidence]


There are two Loki’s — the Loki from Norse Mythology and the one that lives in the Marvel Universe.

People know a lot about the Marvel Loki but about the original Loki, most people know much less. For example, most people have no clue how old he is.

Loki’s age can be ten years, 1,054 years, or timeless, depending on who tells his story.

In the Marvel universe, Asgardians live approximately 5,000 years, so in human years Loki was around 20 when he died.

Loki’s story was already complicated enough on its own, and then Marvel added even more complications, his age being only one of them.

Also see Loki’s Family in Norse Mythology: 5 Facts to Know to learn more.

Loki age
What Is Loki’s age in Norse mythology? See below

Loki’s Age in Marvel Movies and Comics

Because the Marvel world has so many different timelines and storylines, it’s tricky to tell Loki’s age in that world.

There are two significant factors — how old Loki actually is and his age in human years. The human years are more easily ascertained.

The regenerative abilities of Asgardians allow them to live longer than humans. Although many Marvel movie-goers think they are immortal, they aren’t.

However, the Asgardians do live considerably longer — approximately 5,000 years. 

For the first 20-or-so years of their lives, Asgardians mature like humans so that a 12-year-old Asgardian is the same age as a 12-year-old kid.

But for unknown reasons, when Asgardians become adults, they mature significantly slower.

As to Loki’s age — that differs between the movies and the comics. When Thanos killed him in the movies, Loki was 1,054 years old. [1]

In the comics, Loki’s age is not stated. But since the Asgardians are much older, Loki must be much older.

How old? The comics never explicitly answer this question.

Since Odin is in Midgard in 1,000,000 B.C., then Loki must be younger than him. That doesn’t give comic readers much accurate information, however. 

The issue becomes even more muddled, considering that Loki is around ten in the current Marvel universe.

The Sentry killed him after Loki betrayed Norman Osborne. But this being Marvel, Loki has come back in three forms. 

First, kid Loki but he doesn’t count since he was killed. Then there’s Ikol, who is a copy of Loki.

Finally, King Loki is a future Loki. He doesn’t count either since he is also killed in the future.

Also, see Is Loki Evil in Norse Mythology? to Know to learn more.

Loki norse god
Is Loki younger than Thor? See below

What Is Loki’s Age in Norse Mythology?

In the Norse myths, Loki is timeless. In most myths, gods are ageless, and Norse Mythology is no exception. So Loki is older than time itself in the myths.

Since the stories about Loki and other Norse gods were written around 1,000 years ago, he must be at least that old.

Myths, in general, are attempts to explain the universe, the creation of the earth, and human beings’ place in the cosmos. [2]

They do so through the tales of the gods. Therefore, a myth explains how something came to be. 

Some myths, for example, attempt to explain how evil came to be. Others seek to find rational explanations for events that didn’t make sense to ancient people.

How then can a timeless being have an age?

If Loki was a way for the Vikings and other Scandinavians and worshippers of the Norse deities to explain why some people are evil, then he had to exist before time began.

The written record of Loki is around 1,000 years old. In the 13th century, the legend of Loki (and other Norse gods) was recorded in two manuscripts. 

The Poetic Edda is a collection of poems and retellings of earlier Norse manuscripts.

The Prose Edda is a text written by an Icelandic historian, Snorri Sturluson. He used the Poetic Edda and other texts but included additional details he might have heard or invented.  

Also, see Is Loki Evil in Norse Mythology? to Know to learn more.

Is Loki Younger Than Thor?

Loki is younger than Thor. However, how much younger isn’t certain. Based on one assumption of his age, he isn’t significantly younger, only by a few months.

Then again, according to another clue to his age, Loki is seemingly much younger than Thor.  

For example, in Thor: Ragnarok, Thor tells the story of Loki turning himself into a snake and attempting to kill Thor when they were both eight. Based on that, it’s a safe assumption that Loki is a few months younger.

However, in Infinity War, Thor says he is 1,500 years old. The MCU fandom wiki says Loki is 1056 years old, based on a flashback in Thor that shows Odin rescuing an infant Loki in 965 A.D.

If this is true, Thor is more than 400 years older than Loki.

Who Is Loki Related To?

In their attempt to avoid confusing the audience too much, the creators of the modern Loki simplified his lineage. 

In the Marvel Universe, Odin, the king of Asgard, adopted Loki, making him Odin and Frigg’s adopted son and Thor and Hela’s adopted brother. [3]

In the myths, Loki’s parents were Laufey and Farbauti; his wife was Sigyn; his children were Hel, Jormungandr, Fenris, Sleipnir, Narfi, and Vali.

In the movie, Loki becomes an Aesir after Odin and the Asgardians (the movie version of the Æsirs) defeat the Frost Giants. Later, Odin tells the story to his sons, Thor and Loki.

In the movie version, Loki’s father is a Frost Giant named Laufey. But that’s the movie version. 

The Norse myths present a more complicated picture.  

In them, Loki’s father is Fárbauti, a Jötunn (giant), and Laufey, who is an Æsir (god), is his mother

To add another complication, Loki’s name doesn’t fit the Viking tradition, which is that a child’s surname is taken from the father’s first name.

The mythological Loki was called Loki Laufeyson, which means he was referred to as the son of his mother instead of his father.

Since Odin was not Loki’s father, Loki and Thor could not be brothers. However, Odin and Loki considered themselves “blood brothers.” 

And in case that isn’t confusing enough, Odin has a shamanic horse, Sleipnir. And who would be the mother of the horse—none other than Loki.

Also, see Does Loki Die in Norse Mythology? to Know to learn more.

What Is Loki the God Of?

Loki is often called a trickster god, and some call him the god of chaos. He is not the god of fire, as some people say. Others argue that he is not a god at all because he doesn’t stand for any Norse virtues.    

The confusion about Loki being the god of fire started after Christianity began to influence the myths. Calling Loki the god of fire turned him into a devil-like figure.

However, Logi was the actual fire god. The two met and had an eating contest in which Logi won by eating the meat — bones and all — faster than Loki.

The stories of Loki are full of examples of his trickery, sense of humor, and mischievousness. He causes chaos everywhere he goes.

And in the Norse worldview, chaos is the opposite of order, especially that set by the Æsir.  

Conclusion

Just as Loki could change gender, details about him vary depending on who tells the story–just what one would expect from a trickster god.

References:
[1] Source
[2] Source
[3] Source

Christian Christensen

Christian started Scandinavia Facts to explore his family heritage, raise awareness of one of his academic interests as a professor, and civilly promote the region. Please see the About page for details.

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