Thor: Brave And Mighty Thunder God In Norse Mythology
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Thor was a very popular deity, particularly in Iceland and the western part of Norway; there existed several complex rituals related to him, and when Christianity began to spread in these parts of Europe, it was not easy to eliminate deep roots of rituals and the cult of Thor.
Thor (called ‘Asa-Thor’ or ‘Ouka Thor’), was a brave and righteous God who mastered storms and lightning, fought giants threatening him, and upheld the world's order.
Thor’s hammer was frequently depicted on boundary stones, carved on gravestones, laid in the bride’s lap at weddings, or raised over a newborn child.
The Viking people possessed silver hammer amulets, miniature hammers designed to be worn as pendants that symbolized their veneration of Thor, the most powerful of the gods and guardian of those who farmed the land.
This protective aspect of Thor is mentioned in Snorri Sturluson’s tales in the ‘Prose Edda’ and in the same way described by the German chronicler Adam of Bremen, who lived and worked during the 11th century.
On the wagon drawn by two goats (Tanngniostr and Tanngrisnir), or just walking, Thor entered Jötunheimr, the home of the fearful giants, armed with his beloved hammer, Mjölnir, iron gloves, a magic belt called ‘Megingiard’ and a mighty magical iron staff Gríðarvölr, so he could kill the giant Geirröd.
He spread destruction and death in Jötunheimr because his most important duty was to protect Asgard against the giants. This formidable weapon could crush everything in its way and afterward immediately return to his hand.
Considered invincible, Thor liked to chase giants and demons and kill them with Mjölnir, but this strong and brave god was vulnerable without his hammer, stolen one day by the giants, persistent enemies of the gods.
He had two palaces in Asgard: Thrudheim ("World of strength" in Old Norse) and Bilskirnir (Old Norse "lightning-crack"), the largest building of Asgard with 540 chambers, where he lived with his family.
Thor’s widespread popularity has been demonstrated in many ways, especially since his name was popularized abroad by the Vikings, who gave names to their settlements often related to ‘Thor.’
Especially, Iceland has many harbors and headlands with Thor-related names like Thorsness and Thorshofn. In Denmark, there is a town known as Thorsager (Danish for "Thor's Acre" a reference to the Norse god Thor.) Popular, are also Nordic names Thor, Thorgrim, Thorsten. ‘Thursday’ is named after this great god, and Torsdag (in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish ) is named after god Thor - in English ‘Thursday.
Carvings in places as far apart as Altuna in Sweden and Gosforth, England, illustrate Thor’s deeds; legends tell about his encounters with the world’s serpent Midgardsorm. One recounts how Thor went fishing and baited his hook with the head of an ox and managed to catch the serpent on his line.
Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Staff Writer
Updated on January 26, 2023
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesMore From Ancient Pages
-
Octopus Lures From The Mariana Islands Are The Oldest Known Artifacts Of Their Kind In The World.
Archaeology | Jul 29, 2022
-
Ancient City Of Sogmatar And Recent Discovery Of 5,000-Year-Old Children’s Toy
Archaeology | Oct 6, 2017
-
Unknown Prehistoric Henge Site Detected Near Famous Newgrange In Ireland’s East Coast
Archaeology | Jul 13, 2018
-
King Tutankhamun’s Large Golden Coffin Was Moved For Restoration
Archaeology | Jul 18, 2019
-
Largest And Most Complete Ancient Egyptian Workshops Found In Saqqara
Archaeology | May 28, 2023
-
Unfinished Roman Aqueduct Discovered In The Hellenistic Royal City Of Artashat-Artaxata In Ancient Armenia
Archaeology | Nov 16, 2021
-
Kukulkan (Quetzalcoatl): Feathered Serpent And Mighty Snake God
Featured Stories | Feb 7, 2017
-
Were Other Humans The First Victims Of The Sixth Mass Extinction?
Evolution | Nov 1, 2023
-
Hunter-Gatherer Metallurgy In The Early Iron Age Of Northern Fennoscandia Was Integrated And Advanced
Archaeology | Aug 15, 2023
-
2,000-Year-Old Lost City Of Bassania Described By Roman Historian Livy Investigated By Archaeologists
Archaeology | Jun 21, 2022
-
Yokai Hone-Onna (‘Skeleton Woman’): Deceptive Succubus That Feeds On Man’s Soul And Vitality In Japanese Folklore
Featured Stories | Jan 20, 2020
-
Ancient Petroglyph Code Cracked By Archaeological Explorers
News | Apr 10, 2020
-
Tombs Rich In Artifacts Discovered By Swedish Expedition In Cyprus
Archaeology | Jul 6, 2023
-
Strange Ancient Artifacts And Foreigners Who Were Not Meant To Be In North America
Artifacts | Mar 16, 2020
-
Mystery Of The Tarim Basin Mummies Continues
Archaeology | Oct 27, 2021
-
3,000 Years Ago Human Activity Destroyed Vegetation And Irreparably Damaged The Timna Valley Environment
Archaeology | Sep 23, 2022
-
On This Day In History: Mary Queen Of Scots Was Forced To Abdicate – On July 24, 1567
News | Jul 24, 2016
-
Negev Desert’s Ancient Site Tells Story About Humans, Neanderthals Coexistence
Archaeology | Jun 19, 2021
-
Ancient Viking Age Music Recreated – This Is What It Sounds Like
Featured Stories | Sep 20, 2020
-
First Genetic Map Of People Of Ireland Is Presented By Irish, British And American Researchers
Archaeology | Dec 15, 2017