Magic as Good and Evil

When reading Gylfaginning, I was struck by the significant role that magic plays throughout the stories. I was particularly interested in the similarities between these roles in The Lord of the Rings. In Gylfaginning, there are many characters associated with magical properties and tools, foremost of these: Loki. Loki, however, often uses his powers for devious things, and creates conflict with the Gods. This reminds me most of Saruman, who also becomes associated with trickery and meddling, using his powers for his own interests.