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Interview with Sigríður Gísladóttir (b. 14 October 1874 in Broddadalsá) conducted and recorded 11 September 1970 by Helga Jóhannsdóttir and Jón Samsonarson. Hosted here on ismus.is.

Sigríður discusses how when she was younger the ás Loki Laufeyjarson was believed to cause knots and loops in thread while spinning or sewing and recites a verse that was considered to make him go away.

She refers to Loki’s father by the name Stýll or Stíll (there is no audible difference between í and ý in Icelandic). I’ve left it written “Stýll” below in keeping with the summary on Ísmús but I haven’t been able to identify it with a known word. On the other hand stíll has several meanings including ‘stylus,’ ‘style,’ ‘style (in flowers),’ even (rarely) ‘penis.’ I suspect that here the name refers to spinning, sewing, or some other kind of textile-related equipment, in particular something long, thin, and maybe made out of wood. Sigríður refers to Loki’s mother as “Laufey” first but the verse refers to “Nál” ‘needle.’

This is rough, unpolished work and I didn’t quite catch everything. Consider it tentative, but I don’t believe the important parts would change much. Behind the break are both a transcription of the audio in Icelandic and an English translation; I’ve put the translation first because I figure that will be the part that more people are looking for.

Translation (transcription of audio to follow)

Helga: What was said when a loop (loki) formed in the thread?

Sigríður: When what?

H: When there came a knot (hnútur) in the thread, or a loop (loki)?

S: I didn’t hear you well.

H: No; what was said when a loop (lykkja) in the thread when someone was sewing or spinning?

S: Yes! Hold on, I don’t remember what was said… uhh… to get it to go away, to order it away?

H: Yes.

S: Yes. I can’t remember how it was. But I knew it, it was powerful[?]. Don’t you know it, I don’t…

H: No, I don’t remember it.

S: It was one of the sons of the æsir, or of the sons of...

H: Yes.

S: ...ancient times.

H: And what was Loki blamed for?

S: Oh, various things. Nothing [?], there’s maybe nothing to blame him for.

H: No, no. Was he blamed for it when a loop came into the thread?

S: Yes, I think so.

H: Yes.

S: I think he has been blamed for that.

H: Do you remember anything else that he was blamed for?

S: Now I’ve forgotten so much. There was a lot he was blamed for, Loki Laufeyjarson. [unclear]. Everyone thought he wasn’t the best person. If he really did exist. Yes.

H: What were you supposed to say regarding the thread?

S: “Your father is named Stýll. Your mother is named Nál. Get stuck into filth/excrement like both of them, and now get out of my thread.” That just suddenly came to me, I couldn’t remember it at all before.

H: Yes.

S: Yes.

H: Say it one more time.

S: “Your father is named Stýll. Your mother is named Nál. Get stuck into filth/excrement like both of them, and now get out of my thread.”

H: Yes. Was that said? Was it custom to say that?

S: People said that with [???] I don’t know whether it was [spread out in that area?]

H: But people said that?

S: Yes, yes. “Your father is named Stýll. Your mother is named Nál. Get stuck into filth/excrement like both of them, and now get out of my ræðu. [correcting self] Thread (þræði).” It was said to children that they should say this when they ran into difficulty with, were winding something and this loop came into it. Whether it took off I don’t know, I never said it.

H: Was it called “loki” what came into the thread?

S: Yes, it was called “loki.”

Transcription of audio (Icelandic)

Helga: Hvað var sagt þegar það kom loki á þráðinn?

Sigríður: Þegar hvað?

H: Þegar það kom svona hnútur á þráðinn, eða loki.

S: Ég er ekki búin að heyra vel

H: Nei, hvað var sagt þegar það kom lykkja á þráð þegar maður var að sauma eða spinna?

S: Já! Bíddu nú við, ég man ekki hvað það var sagt… uhh… þá að færa í burtu, þá að ráða hann í burtu?

H: Já.

S: Já. Ég get ekki munað hvernig það var. En ég kunni að það á mikla orku[?]. Kannt þú ekkert í því að ég get ekki (…)

H: Nei, ég man það ekki.

S: Það var einn af a, ás- æs-sonum eða úr sonum...

H: Já

S: ...fornöldinni

H: Og hvað var Loka kennt?

S: Ýmislegt sé svona, ekkert, [?] ekkert vera honum að kenna neitt kannski

H: Nei, nei. Var honum kennt um það þegar það kom lykkja á þráðinn?

S: Já, það, það held ég

H: Já.

S: Ég held að honum hafi verið kennt það.

H: Mannstu eftir fleiri sem honum er kennt um?

S: Nú er ég búin að gleyma svo mörg. Það var margt sem honum var kennt um, Loka Laufeyjarsyni. [unclear]. Þótti nú engin bestis persóna. Ef hann hefur nokkurn tíma verið til. [unclear] Já.

H: Hvað átt að segja við þráðinn?

S: Stýll heitir hann faðir þinn. Nál heitir hún móðir þín. Sting í saura sem bæði, og farðu nú af mínum þræði. Nú datt mér þetta sko allt í einu í hug, ég mundi það ekkert áðan.

H: Já.

S: Já.

H: Farðu með þetta einu sinni til.

S: Stýll heitir hann faðir þinn, Nál heitir hún móðir þín; sting í saura sem bæði, og farðu nú af mínum þræði.

H: Já. Var þetta sagt? Var venja að segja þetta?

S: Það sagt við þetta fólkið það tung við, ég veit ekki hvort það hefur farið nokkuð um það. Á svæðinu fyrir þetta.

H: En fólkið sagði það?

S: Já, já. Stýll heitir hann faðir þinn. Nál heitir hún móðir þín. Sting í saura sem bæði, og farðu nú af mínu ræði. Þræði. Þetta var börnunum sagt að segja þegar þau voru í vandræði með, var að vinda eitthvað og kom þessi loki á. Hvort hann hefur farið á ég veit það ekki, ég sagði það aldrei.

H: Var það kallað „loki“ sem kom á þráðinn?

S: Já, það var kallaður „loki“.

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