In Norse mythology, Farbauti (Old Norse: Fárbauti) and Laufey are the parents of the trickster Loki. Together they had probably the most annoying son that one could imagine. Their son will do anything he can to annoy whomever he pleases, as long as he gets a laugh out of it.
The Aesir have on numerous occasions been harassed, tricked, and made fun of by Loki, even in their own homes.
So who raised a son like that? Surprisingly, the myths hardly tell us. His father is little more than a name, and his mother does not appear in a single story. Yet it is his mother’s name that follows Loki wherever he goes.
Farbauti: Loki’s Giant Father
Loki’s father Farbauti is not really a nice fellow either. His name is often translated as “cruel striker” or “anger-striker”. That is not a name you would give someone unless they had a tendency to hit others.
Farbauti is a giant, and on that point the sources agree. Snorri Sturluson calls him “Farbauti the giant”, and skalds were already calling Loki the son of Farbauti back in the 900s.
The scholar John Lindow even thinks that this giant father is part of the reason Loki never really gets along with the Aesir.
Laufey: Loki’s Mother
If Farbauti is little more than a name, Laufey is even less. She does not appear in any of the myths, and all we really know is that she is Loki’s mother.
She does have a second name, though. Snorri says that she is also called Nál, which means “needle”. A much later text even claims that she got the name because she was slender and weak. But that text is so late that Lindow does not trust it.
Her first name is a small puzzle too. Laufey looks like it means “leaf-island”, which would be a strange name for anyone, so the meaning is still uncertain.
Is Laufey a Giant or a Goddess?
You will often read that Laufey is one of the Aesir, and just as often that she is a giantess. In fact, the old sources never say. Snorri does not call her either one.
The translator Lee M. Hollander calls her a giantess, but he adds that she was probably a goddess of the earth. So if Farbauti and Laufey really were a mixed couple, the myths keep it to themselves.
Why Is Loki Named After His Mother?
This is where Laufey becomes interesting. In the Viking Age, a son was normally named after his father, so you would expect Loki to be called Loki Fárbautason. But he never is. Instead, he is called Loki Laufeyjarson, “son of Laufey”.
Naming a son after his mother only happened in rare cases, for example, when the father was unknown or someone the family would rather forget. Lindow thinks that is exactly what happened here. Loki’s father was a giant, and that was probably something Loki and Odin did not want to be reminded of.
Snorri seems to enjoy the name, because he uses it at Loki’s worst moments. When the gods look for someone to blame for the deal with the giant who built Asgard’s wall, it is “Loki, son of Laufey”. And when the giantess Thökk refuses to weep for Baldur, Snorri writes that people believe she was Loki, the son of Laufey.
Loki’s Brothers: Býleist and Helblindi
Loki also has two brothers, Býleist and Helblindi, but they share their mother’s fate. Snorri names them, and that is about it. To make things even more confusing, Helblindi is also one of Odin’s names in the poem Grímnismál.
Laufey in God of War and Marvel
Today, more people than ever are searching for Laufey, and a lot of that is thanks to God of War. In the game from 2018, Laufey, better known as Faye, is the wife of Kratos and the mother of Atreus.
Now she finally gets her own game. God of War Laufey comes out on February 16, 2027, for PlayStation 5. Faye wakes up in a strange land after her funeral, and she discovers that the plans she made to protect Kratos and Atreus are in danger.
Marvel went its own way with the name. In the Thor films, Laufey is not Loki’s mother at all, but the king of the frost giants, and Loki is called Loki Laufeyson. In the myths, it is the other way around. Laufey is the mother, and Loki is named after her.
Farbauti and Laufey: Quick Answers
Who are Loki’s parents in Norse mythology? Loki’s parents are the giant Farbauti and Laufey, who is also called Nál. Snorri names them both when he introduces Loki in the Prose Edda.
Who is Laufey in Norse mythology? Laufey is the mother of Loki. She is not found in any myth, but Loki is often called “son of Laufey” after her.
What does Laufey mean? Laufey looks like it means “leaf-island”, but the meaning is uncertain. Her other name, Nál, means “needle”.
Is Laufey a giant? Laufey’s origin is unclear. No Old Norse source calls her a giantess or a goddess, although Hollander calls her a giantess in his notes.
What does Farbauti mean? Farbauti is often translated as “cruel striker”, and John Lindow translates it as “anger-striker”. Snorri calls him a giant.
Why is Loki called Laufeyjarson? Loki Laufeyjarson means “son of Laufey”. Loki is named after his mother instead of his giant father, which was rare in the Viking Age.
Is God of War Laufey based on Norse mythology? Yes. The game’s main character, Faye, is named Laufey after Loki’s mother in Norse mythology. God of War Laufey comes out on February 16, 2027, for PlayStation 5.
Sources:
Lee M. Hollander (1962) The Poetic Edda. 15th. edition. Texas, USA: University Research Institute of the University of Texas. ISBN 978-0-292-76499-6 — includes Lokasenna and Þrymskviða.
