THE MYTHOLOGY and THE METAPHOR….

A chandelier from god’s Pleasure Palace has fallen through the clouds.

Larger than life. Beyond belief. The story it tells:

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High in the sky the gods dwell…

Immortal beings live forever in the stories we tell.

Loki, a god of fire and mischief, is bored. He heads out amongst the clouds to new distractions.

He discovers Angrboda, the goddess of pleasure, a beautiful giantess, who finds the smooth words and seductions of the little trickster god amusing. Entertained by his charm, she agrees to play, but only after extracting a promise that he will not impregnate her. Seeing an opportunity for fun he agrees, but with no intention of sticking to his word. They rendezvous.

Finding herself pregnant, Angrboda becomes enraged. Her footsteps leave a trail of thunder and rain as she travels amongst the clouds looking to take revenge on Loki.

Finally, she enters into the hall of the gods, hoping to ask Wodin, the All-Seeing Father, whether he might use his sight to tell her where Loki can be found. Instead, she discovers Loki himself, begging the All-Father to protect him from her terrible wrath.

Chased by his lover across the tables of the Great Hall, Loki attempts to escape by running into the great boudoir of Frig, Wodan’s wife. Dodging and weaving amongst the screaming handmaidens he discovers he is no match for the giant’s mighty strides. He jumps into the air and clambers up the great chandelier that hangs in the middle of the goddess’ bedroom. Angrboda reaches up and, grabbing the chandelier, tries to shake him out. Unable to break his grip, she begins to pull herself up after him. She is so swollen with pregnancy that the ceiling tears away. God, giant, and chandelier come crashing down through the floor, through the clouds, towards an alternate dimension below.

Loki, seeing that he has lost, changes into an eagle. He flies away to torment men and the gods another day. Angrboda and the chandelier crash to earth, landing on the hard dusty ground of a Great Desert. The giantess gives birth to triplets, three creatures who will one day join forces to change Earth and Heaven: The fearsome Wolf Fenrir, the Midgard Serpent Jormungand, and Hel, the goddess of death and renewal.

Wodin, looking to find some good in Loki’s mischief, has gifted the chandelier to the free spirits who honor the Gods of Fire. Its graceful curves and faded majesty lie here for you to contemplate.

What for us now is this great fixture of light that once adorned the god’s Pleasure Palace in the sky?