Viking Saga Songs: 1. Loker the joker
Learn the song 'Loki the joker' - about Loki's mischievous antics. Then in the story meet two gods - Odin and Loki (our storyteller) - and watch as Odin creates the world...in five minutes flat!
The saga
Loki by name...jokey by nature!
Meet Loki - our storyteller and the sujbect of our first song. Loki is the god of fire and friend of Odin, chief of the gods. But he's also a trickster - just consider some of the things he does in the stories: he steals Freya's necklace...he gets a humble villager into trouble with Thor...he helps the giant Thiassi to abduct Iduna. But he's cunning and able to get out of any scrape - in part by using his magic shape-changing ability. In the first story Loki relates how Odin creates Jotunheim (home of the giants), Midgard (home of humans) and Asgard (home for the gods)...and connects Asgard to Midgard with Bifrost - the rainbow bridge.
In the saga...
| Name | Reminder |
|---|---|
| Loki | Viking god of fire and great friends with Odin |
| Odin | Chief of all the Viking gods - he makes Asgard, Midgard and Jotenheim |
| Asgard | City of the gods. Odin says: 'In the day it will glitter in the light of the sun, in the night it will glimmer in the light of the moon.' |
| Midgard | Home for humans. Loki says: 'Isn't it a bit too good for skinny, hairy things like them?' |
| Jotunheim | The frozen, icy home of the giants. Loki says: 'I'm not going there for my holidays!' |
| Bifrost | The rainbow bridge, which connects Asgard to Midgard |
In the song tutorial
| Timing | Content |
|---|---|
| 00 00 | Nigel and Joanna introduce themselves and the Viking context. Then practising speaking in time together to the words 'Loki the joker'. Then finding out about Loki himself. |
| 04 15 | Learning the lively chorus, beginning: 'Loki the joker...' Listening to two lines at a time, then repeating with Nigel. Adding actions to the chorus. |
| 06 42 | Learning Verse 1, beginning: 'Loki's clever...' Noting the two notes used for the verses. |
| 09 49 | Learning Verse 2, beginning: 'Loki change if Loki wish...' which is about Loki's shape-changing transformations. |
| 10 40 | Learning Verse 3, beginning: 'Over mountain, sky and sea...' Verse 3 is sung to the same two notes as Verses 1 and 2. |
| 11 40 | Learning the 'coda' - which has two phrases: 'Loki the joker' and 'Stories of the North'. Noting that the coda gets progressively quieter, until the final line which is sung loudly. |
Story questions
What is the name of our storyteller and what is he like?
Loki - he's funny, mischievous and a trickster: 'Loki by name...jokey by nature!'
What is the name of the chief of the gods?
Odin
What is the name of the golden city that Odin creates for the gods?
Asgard
How does Odin create the first humans and where do they live?
Odin finds two trees and 'mutters something' into the leaves. He creates Midgard for the humans to live in
What is the name of the frozen land where the giants live?
Jotunheim
Resources
![]()
Teacher's Notes
Guidance on all the content (pdf)
![]()
Lyrics - Loki the joker
Download / print the lyrics (pdf)
![]()
Music - Loki the joker
Download / print the music (pdf)
![]()
Pupils' pamphlet
Lyric sheets and activities (pdf)
