Description: This scene is from the 1907 edition of The Land of
Enchantment, a collection of Arthur Rackham's illustrations
that originally appeared in the Victorian era periodical "Little
Folks" between 1896 and 1902. This illustration, from the
chapter Stories from the Eddas, depicts
a Victorian era retelling of the myth concerning The Punishment of Loki. This
plate depicts Loki in
exile after playing a part in the killing of Baldr. Loki is tied to a rock,
with the entrails of his son Njarfi, and a snake drips venom into his face.
Loki's wife, Sigyn, holds
a bowl to catch the venom. The caption reads "Held a cup to
catch the venemous drops." [the text that is being illustrated
is on p. 142}
Source: Stories From the Eddas
Folio or Page: 141
Medium: pen and ink
Date: 1907
Dimensions (mm): 135 x 190
Provenance:
This illustration is from The
Land of Enchantment.
Rights:
This illustration from The Land of
Enchantment is in the public domain.
Buchheim, E.
S.
Stories from the Eddas. The Land
of Enchantment. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. [Reprinted from
“Little Folks.”]. Cassells, 1907,
pp.11-144.
Loki is counted among the gods but is a giant by birth.
Gods and Goddesses
Baldr (non.)
Balder (en.)
The god who was killed by his brother Höðr.
Njarfi (non.)
Njarfi is the son of Sigyn and Loki. As a part of Loki's punishment
for killing Baldr, Njarfi is disemboweled by his own brother. His
entrails are then used to bind Loki.
Sigyn (non.)
Loki's wife. According to Snorri, she was one of the Æsir. She used a
bowl to catch the drops of venom dripping from the snake that Skaði
fastened above Loki when he was bound.
Myths
The Punishment of
LokiSnorri says in Gylfaginning
that the Æsir pursued Loki after the death of Baldr. Loki tried to evade
capture by shapeshifting into a salmon and hiding in a stream. The gods
noticed the ashes of a net, that Loki had invented and then burned, so
they made a net and used it to capture him. The gods used the guts of
one of Loki's sons to him to a rock with a snake dripping venom on his
head. Loki's wife Sigyn stayed with him and held a bowl to catch the
venom but had to leave Loki occasionally to empty the
bowl.
Nouns
Edwardian (en.)The
Edwardian era began with the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910
(January 22, 1901 - 28 July, 1914). However, the era's end date is
sometimes extended to the beginning of World War 1 (28 July
1914).
Victorian (en.)The
Victorian era began with the reign of Queen Victoria and ended with her
death (June 20, 1837 – January 22, 1901).
Source Materials:
The Land of Enchantment (en.)
A collection of Arthur Rackham's illustrations that originally
appeared in the Victorian era periodical " Little Folks " between 1896
and 1902.
Source Persons
Buchheim, Emma
Sophia (en.)
Nationality: English
b. 1860
d. 1951
Nationality: Bristish
Occupation: British academic; lecturer on German, King's College
London
The author of Stories From the Eddas,
illustrated by Arthur Rackham, published in Little
Folks.
Rackham,
Arthur (no.)
b. 1867
d. 1939
Nationality: English
Occupation: illustrator
Residence: London
One of the most prominent illustrators during the Golden Age of
British Book Illustration (c. 1880 - 19300). His illustrations of Norse
mythology frequently appeared in "Little Folks" which were collected and
published in the Land of Enchantment. Rackham
also created 64 coloured plates for the English translation of Richard
Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, The Ring of the Niblung. The Rhinegold and the Valkyrie
bound with Siegfried and the Twilight of the Gods.
/Stories_from_the_Edda#/media/File:Land_of_Enchantment-1907-141.jpg){kind=link}