Loki's loyal wife. Catches the serpent venom in a bowl while he lies bound.
Sigyn (Old Norse Sigyn) is an Asynja and Loki's wife. Her best known role emerges after the gods' punishment of Loki for his part in Baldr's death. According to Gylfaginning 50 and the prose epilogue to Lokasenna (65), the Aesir bound Loki to three rocks with the entrails of his own son, and Skadi fastened a venomous serpent above his face. Sigyn stayed with him and held a bowl beneath the serpent to catch the venom.
When the bowl became full and Sigyn turned away to empty it, the venom dripped onto Loki's face, and his writhing caused earthquakes. This image of loyal endurance makes Sigyn one of the most poignant figures in Norse mythology. Lokasenna 49 mentions her briefly, and she appears in kennings as 'Loki's wife'. Beyond this central scene very little is known about her.
Sources in the Eddas
- Gylfaginning 50
- Sigyn holds the bowl beneath the serpent to shield the bound Loki from the venom.
- Lokasenna, prosaepilog
- The prose epilogue describes Loki's binding and Sigyn's vigil with the venom bowl.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Sigyn is Loki's wife, attested in Gylfaginning 50 and Lokasenna.
She catches the serpent's venom in a bowl while Loki lies bound; his writhing causes earthquakes.
B What we think we know
Whether Sigyn had an independent mythological role before being linked to Loki's binding is uncertain.
C What we do not know
Sigyn's origin and possible cultic function are unknown.