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The Cunning God: Loki’s similarities with Mairon

Again, this post includes personal and fannish interpretations on the characters.

Mairon, like Loki, has many names. He is known as Gorthaur, Annatar, the Necromancer, and of course, Sauron. His original name Mairon means the Admirable One, either because of his good looks or his excellent skills in crafting and making. In Prose Edda, Loki is also described as pleasing and handsome in appearance. His cunning nature and an ability to create tricks for every purpose are also noted. Both Mairon and Loki are clever beings who offer their help to others – for a variety of motives. Both of them are willing and able to construct an elaborate plot to get what they want.

Early in the history of Arda, Mairon left the home of the Ainur and joined forces with Melkor who had already become the enemy of the Valar. Loki stayed in Asgard longer and only during Ragnarök he joined the opposing forces. Mairon becomes the lieutenant of Melkor and fights for him in many wars of Middle-earth, whereas Loki takes fire giant Surtr’s side during Ragnarök and leads the army of jötunn (giants), monsters and the dead into battle.

Mairon doesn’t want to destroy Middle-earth, though. He wants to shape it according to his own ideas. Loki, too, enjoys wandering in Midgard, the realm of humans in Norse mythology, and in many tales, he helps its inhabitants to thrive. Only after a series of ill events he joins the destructive forces.

Both Mairon and Loki are often pictured as a good-looking male with flaming red hair, linked to the element fire. Loki’s transformational aspect is connected to a flame of a candle, or fire in a hearth. Mairon is linked to the creative fire of a forge.

Mairon and Loki are known shapeshifters; they can change their appearance at will or become different animals. Mairon is known to become a (were)wolf and a bat. Loki in lore has taken the shape of a fly, salmon, and a mare for example. Usually they both use shape-shifting as a means to an end. Mairon is able to fly as a bat. Loki can fly with his sky-walker shoes or by borrowing Freyja’s hawk-feather cloak. In the end, both of them lose their shape-shifting abilities. Mairon loses this ability partially after the fall of Númenor and totally after losing the One Ring. Loki is not able to transform himself anymore when the Æsir capture him and bind him underground.

Loki is not hesitant to change his gender or to use seduction as his weapon to achieve the wanted result. He happily dresses as a bridesmaid and plays the role 100% if the task needs it. As a mare, Loki seduces a magical stallion in order to prevent a disaster in Asgard. As a result of this short affair, Loki becomes pregnant and gives birth to an eight-legged horse Sleipnir. It is hinted that this is not even the only time he gives birth. Mairon in fanon is also heavily genderfluid. There are fan fics where Mairon becomes pregnant and gives birth to a child with uncommon traits.

Both Mairon and Loki are described as sexually attractive and often using seduction. Loki is said to have slept with everyone in Asgard. In fanon, Mairon is most often shipped with Melkor or Celebrimbor, but also with various others, and seduction is often present at some point in his relationships.

Loki is a father of three monstrous children with his jötunn lover Angrboda. One of these is a giant wolf Fenrir. In the First Age, Mairon lived on an island called Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the Isle of Werewolves where he bred werewolves for his army. Sauron’s messenger Thuringwethil (“woman of secret shadow”) who lives there reminds somewhat of Fenrir’s half-corpse sister Hel.

Loki is skilled in crafting; he is said to be the creator of the fishing net – a crucial invention in ancient times. His trademark is creating solutions to problems (which he may or may not have caused himself). He can also enhance the creativity of others. Spiritually he is often connected with creative fire. Many of the most valuable tools and weapons of the Æsir are courtesy of Loki. Loki’s interaction with the Svartálfar, the best smiths of the nine worlds, leads to the manufacture of those treasures – with some deception from Loki’s part. The Æsir are very happy with the end result, anyway, and Loki deserves a byname “Bringer of Gifts”.

Mairon, too, is extremely skilled in crafting and making. He’s connected to the forge fire. He used the name Annatar, “Lord of Gifts” while living with the Elven-smiths of Eregion and enforcing their creativity, inspiring them to create the Rings of Power – with some deception included.

As the Lord of the Rings, Mairon has a powerful rival in Gandalf who, like Mairon, is a Maia. Gandalf and Odin (especially in his wanderer aspect) share many characteristics, and Gandalf’s fight to end Sauron’s dominion is not far from Odin’s desperate efforts to prevent Ragnarök where Loki has a major role in the opposing side.

At first glance Loki’s trickster aspect is not prominent in Mairon’s character, but I think we can see glimpses of it. Mairon is said to laugh at his own tricks, which is shown especially malevolently during the downfall of Númenor. However, it may be that by the Elf-smith Celebrimbor’s influence Mairon’s trickster traits become apparent. In my personal view, Celebrimbor enhances Mairon’s latent trickster attributes, which is sometimes seen in their fanon portrayals. I can imagine various pranks they must have made together. In Eregion, Mairon could have chosen a different path and evolved into a trickster figure, but sadly, it didn’t go like this in canon. Still, based on Mairon’s other similarities with Loki, I dare to think there is potential for a different story.