Lokis

Lokis is a title that appears in various works of literature and cinema. The form is derived from Loki, the trickster figure in Norse mythology, and is used to evoke themes of shapeshifting, deception, and the supernatural.

In literary contexts, Lokis most commonly refers to the short story Lokis by Prosper Mérimée, in which a malevolent shapeshifter linked to the Loki myth enters a family line, bringing misfortune. The tale is considered part of early Gothic and fantastic fiction and has influenced later writers who explore curses and metamorphosis.

In cinema and other media, Lokis has been used as a title or source of inspiration for adaptations and works that draw on Mérimée's story or on Norse lore around Loki. These adaptations vary in tone and setting, spanning early silent-era experiments to contemporary international productions. The exact relationship between these works and Mérimée's story often depends on whether the creator explicitly references Lokis or utilizes similar themes of shapeshifting and hereditary doom.

The term Lokis thus sits at the intersection of myth, literature, and adaptation, used to signal a connection to Loki-inspired motifs rather than to a single, unified canon. See also Loki, Loki (mythology).