Loki, the myth behind The Mask

This July, the online casino Power Spins will be launching The Mask, a highly-anticipated new video slot designed by NexGen Gaming. It’s based on the 1994 dark comedy film starring funny man Jim Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss, a bank clerk who stumbles across a magical mask that’s possessed by the powers of the famous god of mischief: Loki.

Loki and his origins

Loki is the trickster god of Norse mythology.

The Norse myths are the Scandinavian legends and religious beliefs that have been handed down from one generation to the next for thousands of years, initially through the medium of spoken poetry. The tales were even passed through the time of the Vikings. In fact, much of what we know about Norse mythology today is based on the Eddas, the collected stories of Viking deities written somewhere between the 9th and 13th century.

According to the Norse tales, there are Nine Worlds held together by the branches of Yggdrasil, the ‘World Tree’. One of the Nine Worlds is Asgard. It’s the dwelling place of the Aesir tribe of gods that includes Odin, Thor, Baldr, Tyr and (of course) Loki.

Loki is a fun and mischievous character. His relationship with the other inhabitants of Asgard varies according to the sources of the stories you hear. Sometimes he’s shown to assist the other gods, sometimes he’s shown to act maliciously towards them.

His powers as a shapeshifter let him pull off some rather cunning tricks. He’s been shown to slyly shift his form into a fly, a mare and even an old woman. But although he likes stirring up trouble, he’s not always very good at getting himself out of it. Loki is often depicted as a coward, who quickly sacrifices others for his own self-preservation. Ultimately, it’s Loki’s selfish antics that lead to Ragnarok, the mythological end of the world.

From Norse myth to popular culture

Loki’s wicked but playful nature make him the ideal basis for modern film, television and video game characters. He can be easily molded to create contemporary villains and anti-heroes.

In The Mask, when Ipkiss places the green mask upon his face he transforms from a ridiculed pushover into a wisecracking trickster, with the ability to cartoonishly alter his surroundings to get back at those who once tormented him. In other words, the mask turns Ipkiss into a hilarious modern-day Loki.

This transformation is recreated NextGen Gaming’s new slot through the game’s fun bonus features. Players can watch as Ipkiss’ terrier dog Milo places the mask over the reels, turning ordinary Stanley symbols into lucrative Mask Wild symbols that help to create even more winning combinations.

The Mask film and slot game are not the Norse god’s first successful appearance in popular culture. Loki appears as a famous movie supervillain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a contemporary character in Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods and the star of the iSoftBet video slot Legend of Loki.

Play The Mask at Power Spins

Luckily, online casino players don’t have to wait long to play The Mask.
The slot is currently scheduled for release at Power Spins in mid-July. It’s free to sign up for an account at this online casino. Plus, all new players are entitled to receive the casino’s Welcome Offer of up to 50 Free Spins on first deposit. These can be used to play a selection of the site’s other popular slot games, including NetEnt’s Starburst and Aloha! Cluster Pays. All come with no wagering requirements.
To find out more, or to register for an account, visit powerspins.com now.