baldrs draumar (the poem where baldrs death is recounted) becomes like 10x as interesting when you consider a version where odin knows about loki's involvment. like, the bond that those two must have for odin to sacrifice one of his sons for loki?? to know what hes done and still somehow take his side, despite it all??? did loki know that odin knew? and maybe be knew that odin couldnt bear to not have him by his side, even if it would be for the better.
and dont even get me started on the literary parallels between the two as brothers and then hodr and baldr, like UGH. im not an odin apologist and i think everyone likes him a little bit awful but hes such an interesting character when you look at him from a storytelling perspective instead of a religious/mythological one.
loki and odin really invented being doomed by the narrative. they were destined to stand against each other, not because of any actual hatred, but the same reason that brought them together. their fundamental differences. odin creates order and loki breaks it.
