In the Poetic Edda poem Lokasenna, Loki crashes the gods’ feast and trades insults with them.
The title Lokasenna is commonly translated as “Loki’s Flyting” or “Loki’s Quarrel.” In the poem’s framing story, the gods are feasting in the hall of the sea-god Ægir. Loki arrives after an earlier dispute and demands his place at the gathering, invoking the customs of hospitality and the right to receive a drink.
Once admitted, he insults many of the assembled gods and goddesses. Their exchanges expose accusations involving infidelity, cowardice, broken promises, and questionable conduct. The poem’s verbal contest is a flyting, a formalized exchange of hostile boasts and insults found in several Germanic and medieval literary traditions.
Lokasenna is not simply a narrative of a battle. Its tension comes from speech, social rules, and the threat of consequences. The poem ends with Loki being captured and bound, linking it to the larger mythic story leading toward Ragnarök.