Trickster Heroism
As I understand it – after reading Cooksey’s (1998) text – a “hero of the margin” is someone who exists outside of established systems, challenges their norms and creates change through friction. This stands in contrast to a “traditional hero,” who protects order, solves problems within existing structures and reinforces their norms.
From this perspective, I view Loki as a hero of the margin. He is not fully accepted (neither in the myths nor in many modern pagan contexts), he moves between worlds, and he destabilizes situations in ways that make new outcomes possible.
This is reflected in my own practice, where Loki does not offer ready-made solutions but instead creates situations in which I am required to think for myself. Through challenge and friction, he increases my awareness. In my relationship with Loki, development is not something that comes from external guidance, but something that emerges through confronting uncertainty. Additionally, because he does not represent a fixed moral framework or provide a ready-made model for morality – as I perceive more “traditional heroes” to do – he compels me to actively reflect on and construct my own moral understanding. With Loki, I cannot assume that I am “good” by default.
This conclusion comes from comparing the theoretical description of the trickster as a marginal figure with both mythological material and my own experiences. While reading Cooksey, I recognized patterns that align closely with how Loki appears in the sources as well as in my own practice. I decided that this interpretation makes the most sense because it accounts for both the disruptive and transformative aspects of Loki without reducing him to either purely destructive or purely beneficial.
Sources
Cooksey, T.L. (1998) ‘Hero of the Margin: The Trickster as Deterritorialized Animal’, Thalia, (18), p. 50.