The Crossroads That Killed the Sun

This artwork weaves a mythic encounter between two legendary tricksters—Loki of the Norse worlds and Eshu of the Yoruba cosmos—to retell the fall of Baldur, the radiant god of light. Through their meeting, the story of Baldur’s death becomes not only a moment of loss, but an exploration of destiny, chance, and the unpredictable forces that move between worlds.

In Norse myth, Baldur’s death marks the first tremor of Ragnarök, the beginning of the end. His light—pure, innocent, beloved by all—was extinguished not by strength but by deception. Loki’s cunning turned a simple mistletoe sprig into the weapon that fate required. Here, the painting expands that moment, imagining that Loki did not act alone: Eshu, master of crossroads, guardian of uncertainty, and patron of divine mischief, stands at his side.

As tricksters, Loki and Eshu reshape destinies not out of cruelty, but because transformation demands disruption. They are forces that dissolve stagnant harmony so that the universe can evolve. In the artwork, their merged. forms—fragmented faces, shifting masks, layered eyes—represent how their influence is never linear. Tricksters act in riddles, in echoes, in half-truths. They are catalysts, not villains.

Height: 18’’ x 12’’

Media: Polychromatic oil color pencil on Wood with resin

Year: 2025

Artist: Ray A. Tenorio

Custom self-framed artwork by the artist