Sleipnir

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by SpartaDog

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This was originally gonna be an awesome full image with Loki on his back and a background and crazy lighting and everything. But then I realized I liked it just like this and it was significantly easier.

So my recent Lok- I MEAN AVENGERS obsession, which has miraculously stayed off FA, for the most part, prompted me to look around some Norse mythology sites, and while I knew the story of Sleipnir already, rereading it just made me want to draw him. But for those that don't know how fucked up and hilarious Norse mythology actually is:

There was a nameless builder who agreed to build a wall for the gods, and if he could do it within a certain time (3 springs, I think?) and without any help, the gods would give him the sun, the moon, and Freya's hand in marriage. The builder asked if he could use his horse Svaolifari. Loki convinced the gods to allow it and the builder set off to work.

However, what the gods didn't know was that Svaolifari was kind of like a super horse. He was faster, stronger, and had a greater endurance than any normal horse. So the builder's wall was going up extremely quickly.

Then the gods found out that the builder was not human, but a giant that was disguising himself to get into Asgard and trick the gods. All the gods blamed Loki for the giant's success, since he was the one that granted him the help of the super horse, and he was given the responsibility of fixing the situation.

So Loki, being the clever little shapeshifter he is, turned himself into a beautiful mare to distract Svaolifari. When the stallion saw him, he tore up his tack and darted after Loki, chasing him all night. This left the giant with no horse, which slowed his progress down immensely, and while he completed the wall, he did not meet the deadline. So the gods got to keep the sun, moon, and Freya.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out so well for Loki. Apparently Svaolifari's endurance outmatched his own, so eventually the stallion caught him. Things happened, and 11 months later, Loki gave birth to a gray, 8-legged colt. Having Svaolifari's incredible abilities infused with that of a god, the foal, named Sleipnir, was the fastest, strongest, and all-around best horse to ever exist. Loki gave him to his "brother" Odin.

Art © me

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