The Witch's Heart

Throughout Gornichec’s unique retelling of Norse mythology, the narrative portrays love and betrayal as deeply intertwined forces and suggests that the deepest connections can only come from the struggle of navigating immense pain and showing understanding and forgiveness in the face of people’s inherent flaws and failures. Through Angrboda’s relationships with Loki and Skadi, the narrative explores how love endures by adapting, setting boundaries, and embracing newer, healthier forms of connection after loss.

The tumultuous relationship between Angrboda and Loki embodies a dysfunctional form of love that is inextricably linked to the mechanics of betrayal, for Angrboda’s steadfast care cannot overcome the fundamentally treacherous nature of Loki’s personality, and as he warns her upon their very first meeting, “I’ll let you know up front that I shall not, under any circumstances, make you a promise I can’t talk my way out of. I’m not usually this straightforward about it, so consider yourself lucky” (6). Yet despite his cynicism, their bond begins with Loki’s unlooked-for act of caring, for he spontaneously undertakes a quest to find and return Angrboda’s charred and damaged heart after she is burned and persecuted by the gods as Gullveig. In essence, he restores her life, as well as her interest in existence, and his initial gesture establishes a deep connection that forms the foundation upon which they eventually build their unusual family.

However, this foundational trust is steadily damaged over the years of Loki’s neglect and long absences, and Angrboda feels increasingly frustrated and betrayed by his consistent shows of loyalty to the Aesir, who despites and deride him. She cannot understand his need to curry favor with them when she and the children provide him with unconditional love, and this growing rift bursts wide open Loki, driven by self-preservation, betrays her and leads the gods to their hidden home. His self-serving betrayal results in the kidnapping and imprisonment of their children and condemns Angrboda herself to a violent “death” at Thor’s hands and a psychic assault by Odin. The catastrophic nature of this betrayal takes Angrboda beyond the need for outright vengeance, and she responds by choosing to seek her daughter’s safety rather than struggling to renew her romantic attachment. Although she still holds a measure of affection for him, given what they once shared, her ability to understand his flawed nature requires her to hold him accountable for his actions, and she therefore demonstrates a complex and mature form of love.

In sharp contrast to her chaotic love for Loki, Angrboda finally develops a stable and supportive romance with the giantess Skadi, and this relationship is built on a foundation of mutual respect and kindness. Upon their first few meetings, Skadi helps furnish Angrboda’s cave, provides for her through acts of trade, and offers her a steadfast form of companionship that counteracts the emotional impact of Loki’s frequent abandonment. Years later, during the desolation of Fimbulwinter, their friendship blossoms into a deep, romantic love that offers Angrboda solace and stability. This relationship represents a chosen, mature form of love, one that heals the wounds left by Loki’s past betrayals. As Angrboda finds true happiness with Skadi, however briefly, the novel argues that surviving a lover’s betrayal requires one to learn how to love and trust once again while maintaining a wiser, clearer sense of self-worth.