Loki gets a bad rap, both among the general non-heathen public and amongst us even, those who should know better. And it's not our fault, our story books, comic books, history books... All of them have taught us that Loki is at best a trickster, at worst an evil force. But the reality, as it usually is, is much more complicated.

I will start by saying that Loki is not a trickster, though he may be a Trickster... See that capitol T? I'm referencing another god archetype here, most commonly known among the Native Americans. However, a Trickster isn't a trickster. A trickster is a being who lives for chaos, for the joke. Who pulls tricks for the sake of the trick. Not so with the Trickster. The Trickster uses the trick for a greater outcome, be it good or ill. The Trick is a tool to affect an outcome, not the outcome itself. Make sense?

So look at Loki, and the stories about him. You will cry, "He stole Mjolnir!" I will reply, "And engineered the death of Thrym." You will parry with, "He convinced the gods to bargain away the Sun, The Moon, The Stars and Freya!" I will point out that, "We got the walls of Asgaard built for free." You say, "He cut off Sifs famed hair! What good came of that?" I remind you of Gungnir: Odins spear, Skidbladnir: Freyr's ship which folds to fit in a pocket, Mjolnir: Thors hammer and mightiest weapon of the gods, Gullinbursti: golden boar stead and Draupnir: a ring which reproduces itself every ninth night. Some of the greatest treasures of the gods, because of Loki.

Remember that it was Loki who with Odin and Honir brought Ask and Embla, the first man and woman, to life. Odin gave us a soul, and Honir gave us a mind, but it was Loki who gave us the fire of life, and made us truly alive. We owe our very life to Loki.

Does Loki go wrong in the end? Surely he does. I will ask you this, however: How many of you could take from his peers what Loki did without tipping over the edge? Loki is constantly distrusted, used, abused and insulted. He is laughed at and never thanked. No matter what good he does, he is mistreated, and is reminded that he's an outsider. I have sympathy for him.

Remember when you malign him that those you revere have trusted him and called him brother. He has been the traveling companion of Thor, the brother in name if not blood to the Allfather himself. And he is more cognizant of the way of things to come than anyone save Odin.

I say all of this not to encourage people to follow him, but at least consider him fairly and do not malign him for what you think he is, but respect him for what he really is: The fire of catalysis, The goad of the gods, a motive force from root to leaf. You need not love him, but respect him you should.

Quick note- While this was inspired by another posters comment about Loki, I'm not necessarily commenting on what I think his thoughts are. This is more me being reminded about general misapprehensions about Loki.