“…and I thought that was a queer thing to do”: Transmasculine Identity in the Lokasenna

Authors

Tevye J. Schmidt, College of Arts and Humanities, Lindenwood UniversityFollow

Student Type

Undergraduate

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This paper seeks to explain the viewing of Loki through a lens of transmasculine identity, focusing on the ways in which gender expression and identity were viewed in Scandinavia during the Middle Ages. The current scholarship on Loki and gender expression, specifically in his interactions with the other gods in the Lokasenna, suggests a reading that is misogynistic on Loki’s part. This reading and translation also suggest homophobia and transphobia from Odin. This paper argues that these translations lack the nuance that a reading of Loki as transmasculine brings, and that this reading is important in breaking down modern anti-queer biases that get falsely applied to these texts.

Recommended Citation

Schmidt, Tevye J. (2022) "“…and I thought that was a queer thing to do”: Transmasculine Identity in the Lokasenna," The Confluence: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62608/2150-2633.1034
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theconfluence/vol2/iss1/3

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Date

5/18/2022