Laufey

Laufey is the mother of Loki by the giant Farbauti, whose name means cruel striker. Against the usual Norse custom of naming a man for his father, Loki is repeatedly called Loki Laufeyjarson, son of Laufey, in the Eddic poems. Her name is read as either the Needle or the Leafy Isle, and she is also called Nal, Needle. The pairing is suggestive: a lightning-strike father, Farbauti, and a mother like dry leaves or tinder, kindling the fire that is Loki himself, whose nature flickers between the gods and the giants.