For other uses, see Thor (disambiguation) or Thor (comics). Thor has appeared as a character in various Comics over the years appearing in series from a range of publishers

"Thor's battle against the giants" (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge. Mårten Eskil Winge (1825-1896 was a Swedish artist especially known for his Norse mythology paintings

Thor (Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded^[1][2] god of thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Thunder is the sound made by Lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener it can range from a sharp Germanic paganism refers to the religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples preceding Christianization. Norse paganism is a term used to describe the religious traditions which were common amongst the Germanic tribes living in Nordic countries prior to and The god is also recorded in Old English as Þunor, Old Saxon as Thunaer,^[3] as Old Dutch and Old High German: Donar, all of which are names deriving from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name *Þunraz. Old Saxon, also known as Old Low German ( ISO 639 -3 code osx) is the earliest recorded form of Low German, documented from the 9th century Old Dutch (aka Old West Low Franconian) is a branch of Old Low Franconian spoken and written during the early Middle Ages (c Linguistic reconstruction is the practice of establishing the features of the unattested ancestor ( Proto-language) of one or more given languages Proto-Germanic, or Common Germanic, is the hypothetical common ancestor ( Proto-language) of all the Germanic languages such as modern English

Most surviving stories relating to Germanic paganism either mention Thor or centre on Thor's exploits. Thor was a much revered god of the ancient Germanic peoples from at least the earliest surviving written accounts of the indigenous Germanic tribes to over a thousand years later during the last bastions of Germanic paganism in the late Viking Age. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 700 to 1066 in European history.

Thor was appealed to for protection on numerous objects found from various Germanic tribes and Miniature replicas of Mjolnir, the weapon of Thor, became a defiant symbol of Norse paganism during the Christianization of Scandinavia. The Christianization of Scandinavia refers to the process of conversion to Christianity of the Scandinavian people starting in the 8th century with ^[4][5]

During and after the process of Christianization was complete, Thor was demonized by the growing influence of Christian missionaries. Demonization is the reinterpretation of polytheistic deities as Demons by other religions generally monotheistic and Henotheistic ones After Christian influence was cemented in law, traces of belief went increasingly underground into mainly rural areas, surviving until modern times into Germanic folklore and most recently reconstructed to varying degrees in Germanic Neopaganism. Germanic Neopaganism, Heathenism or Heathenry is the modern revival of historical Germanic paganism.

Etymology

The name Thor has the same origin as the word thunder, just as German Donner, Dutch donder, Swedish tordön and Danish and Norwegian torden (with the suffix -dön/-den originally meaning "rumble" or "din"). The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language The Scandinavian languages also have the word dunder, borrowed from Middle Low German. The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages Middle Low German ( ISO 639 -3 code gml) is a Language that is the descendant of Old Saxon and is the ancestor of modern Low German.

Thor's Oak

A depiction of Boniface destroying Thor's oak from The Little Lives of the Saints, illustrated by Charles Robinson in 1904.

Main article: Thor's Oak

Thor's Oak was an ancient tree sacred to the Germanic tribe of the Chatti, ancestors of the Hessians, and one of the most important sacred sites of the pagan Germanic peoples. Thor's Oak was an ancient tree sacred to the Germanic tribe of the Chatti, ancestors of the Hessians and one of the most important sacred sites of the Pagan The Chatti (also Chatthi or Catti) were an ancient Germanic tribe whose homeland was near the upper Weser. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Its felling in 723 A.D. marked the beginning of the Christianization of the non-Frankish tribes of northern Germany. Events By Topic Religion Saint Boniface fells Thor's Oak near Fritzlar, marking the decisive event in the Christianization The historical phenomenon of Christianization (or Christianisation &mdash see spelling differences) the conversion of individuals to Christianity The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

The tree stood at a location near the village of Geismar, today part of the town of Fritzlar in northern Hessen, and was the main point of veneration of the Germanic deity Thor (known among the West Germanic tribes as Donar) by the Chatti and most other Germanic tribes. Fritzlar is a small German town (pop 15000 in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, 160 km (100 miles north of Frankfurt Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area The West Germanic languages constitute the largest of the three traditional branches of the Germanic family of Languages and include languages such as English

Old Saxon Baptismal Vow

Thor, as Donar, is mentioned in a Old Saxon Baptismal vow in Vatican Codex pal. Old Saxon, also known as Old Low German ( ISO 639 -3 code osx) is the earliest recorded form of Low German, documented from the 9th century 577 along with Woden and Saxnot. Wōden is a god in Anglo-Saxon paganism, together with Norse Odin representing a development of a Proto-Germanic god * Wōdanaz Seaxnēat (or Saxnōt) is the mythical founder of the Saxons. The 8th or 9th century vow, intended for Christianizing pagans, is recorded as:

ec forsacho allum dioboles uuercum and uuordum, Thunaer ende Uuöden ende Saxnote ende allum them unholdum the hira genötas sint

Which translates to:

I renounce all the words and works of the devil, Thunear, Woden and Saxnôt, and all those fiends that are their associates. ^[3]

Temple at Uppsala

Between 1072 and 1076, Adam of Bremen recorded in his Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum that a statue of Thor existed in the Temple at Uppsala. Adam of Bremen (also Adam Bremensis) was one of the most important German Medieval Chroniclers He lived and worked in the second half of the Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum is a historical Treatise written between 1075 and 1080 by Adam of Bremen. The Temple at Uppsala was a religious site in Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala near modern Uppsala, Sweden, that was created to worship the Norse gods Adam relates that:

Thor takes the central position, with Wotan and Frey on either side. Thor, according to their beliefs, governs the air with its thunder, lightning, wind, rain, and fair weather. He is depicted carrying a scepter, much as our people depict Jove. ^[6]

Eddic depictions

The runestone at Stenkvista in Södermanland, Sweden, shows Thor's hammer instead of a cross. sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation.

"The battle of Thor and the Midgard Serpent" (1788) by Henry Fuseli. Henry Fuseli (in German Johann Heinrich Füssli; February 7, 1741 – April 16, 1825) was a British painter

The two sources largest in information regarding Thor are the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier oral tradition, and the Prose Edda, written by Snorri Sturluson. The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval Manuscript Codex Regius. The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda ( Snorra Edda) or simply Edda, is an Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian poet and politician Both works are from 13th century Iceland. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland (

Poetic Edda

• Völuspá
• Hárbarðsljóð, which details a contest between Thor and Odin in the guise of Harbarth as to who is the most accomplished. Völuspá ( Prophecy of the Völva) is the first and best known poem of the Poetic Edda. Hárbarðsljóð ( Lay of Hárbarðr) is one of the poems of the Poetic Edda, found in the Codex Regius and AM 748 I 4to Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism.
• Grímnismál
• Hymiskviða
• Þrymskviða
• Alvíssmál
• Lokasenna

Prose Edda

• Gylfaginning
• Haustlöng
• Húsdrápa
• Ragnarsdrápa
• Skáldskaparmál
• Þórsdrápa
• Eiríksmál

Characteristics

Family

In the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Thor is the son of Odin and the giantess Jörd (Jord, the Earth). Grímnismál ( Sayings of Grímnir) is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. Hymiskviða ( Hymir's poem; the name can be anglicized as Hymiskvitha, Hymiskvidha or Hymiskvida) is a poem collected in the Þrymskviða (the name can be anglicized as Thrymskviða, Thrymskvitha, Thrymskvidha or Thrymskvida) is one of the Alvíssmál ("Talk of Alvíss" is poem collected in the Poetic Edda probably dating to the 11th century at the end of the Viking Age that relates Lokasenna ( Loki's flyting, Loki's wrangling, Loki's quarrel) is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi (c 20000 words is the first part of Snorri Sturluson 's Prose Edda after Haustlöng ( Old Norse "autumn-long" is a skaldic poem composed around the beginning of the 10th century Húsdrápa is a skaldic poem partially preserved in the Prose Edda where disjoint stanzas of it are quoted Ragnarsdrápa is a skaldic poem composed in honour of the Scandinavian hero Ragnar Lodbrok. The second part of Snorri Sturluson 's Prose Edda the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" (c Þórsdrápa ( Thorsdrapa, Lay of Thor) is a skaldic poem by Eilífr Goðrúnarson, a poet in the service of Jarl Hákon Eiríksmál is a skaldic poem composed sometime in 954 or later on the behest of the Norwegian queen Gunnhild in honour of her slain consort Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. In Norse mythology, Jörð ( Old Norse "earth" jɔrð Jarð jɑrð in Old East Norse --> sometimes Anglicized as Jord His wife is called Sif, and little is known of her except that she has golden hair. Sif ("In-law-relationship" is a goddess in Norse mythology. With his mistress, the giantess Járnsaxa, Thor had a son Magni and with Sif he had his daughter Thrud. In Norse mythology, Járnsaxa (jɑrnˈsæksə Old Norse "iron- sax " is a giantess. Sif ("In-law-relationship" is a goddess in Norse mythology. Þrúðr ( Old Norse "strength"sometimes anglicized as Thrúd or Thrud, is a daughter of the major god Thor in Norse There is nothing in the myths that states the identity of the mother of his son Modi.

The euhemeristic prologue of the Prose Edda also indicates he has a son by Sif named Lóriði, along with an additional 17 generations of descendants but the prologue is apocryphal and was meant to give a plausible explanation on how the Aesir came to be worshiped even though they were not gods in order to appease the Christian church. Euhemerus (Εὐήμερος (working late fourth century BC was a Greek mythographer at the court of Cassander, the king of Macedon. Lóriði is the son of Thor and Sif and forefather of Norse rulers according to the prologue of the Prose Edda. Thor also has a stepson called Ullr who is a son of Sif. In Germanic paganism, Ullr appears to have been a major god in prehistoric times or even an epitheton (* wulþuz, Old English wuldor, meaning Sif ("In-law-relationship" is a goddess in Norse mythology. Skáldskaparmál mentions a figure named Hlóra who was Thor's foster mother, corresponding to Lora or Glora from Snorre's prologue, although no additional information concerning her is provided in the book. The second part of Snorri Sturluson 's Prose Edda the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" (c

Mjolnir

Drawing of an archaeological find from Öland, Sweden of a gold plated depiction of Mjolnir in silver. is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional Provinces of Sweden. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen

Main article: Mjolnir

Thor owns a short-handled hammer, Mjolnir, which, when thrown at a target, returns magically to the owner. His Mjolnir also has the power to throw lightning bolts. To wield Mjolnir, Thor wears the belt Megingjord, which boosts the wearer's strength and a pair of special iron gloves, Jarn Griepr, to lift the hammer. Mjolnir is also his main weapon when fighting giants. The uniquely shaped symbol subsequently became a very popular ornament during the Viking Age and has since become an iconic symbol of Germanic paganism. Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 700 to 1066 in European history.

Chariot

Thor travels in a chariot drawn by the goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr and with his servant and messenger Þjálfi and with Þjálfi's sister Röskva. The domestic goat ( Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat Domesticated from the Wild goat of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe In Norse mythology, Tanngrisnir ( one who has sparse teeth) and Tanngnjóstr ( one who grinds his teeth) are a pair of magic Goats which Þjálfi ( Old Norse) or Þjelvar (Old Gutnish) is a farmer's son in Norse mythology who appears twice in Snorri 's Edda Röskva is a person from Norse mythology who appears in Snorri's Edda. The skaldic poem Haustlöng relates that the earth was scorched and the mountains cracked as Thor traveled in his wagon. The skald was a member of a group of Poets whose courtly poetry (Icelandic dróttkvæði) is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic Haustlöng ( Old Norse "autumn-long" is a skaldic poem composed around the beginning of the 10th century According to the Prose Edda, when Thor is hungry he can roast the goats for a meal. When he wants to continue his travels, Thor only needs to touch the remains of the goats and they will be instantly restored to full health to resume their duties, assuming that the bones have not been broken.

Bilskirnir

Main article: Bilskirnir

Thor lives in the palace Bilskirnir in the kingdom Þrúðheimr or Þrúðvangr. Bilskirnir ( Old Norse "lightning-crack" is the hall of the god Thor in Norse mythology. Bilskirnir ( Old Norse "lightning-crack" is the hall of the god Thor in Norse mythology. In Norse mythology, Þrúðheimr (anglicized Thrúdheim or Thrudheim) which means "World of strength" in Old Norse, is the home of In Norse mythology, Þrúðvangar (anglicized Thrúdvangar or Thrudvangar or Þrúðvangr (anglicized Thrúdvang or Thrudvang, which means "Plain(s / Field(s Bilskirnir is the hall of the god Thor in Norse mythology. Here he lives with his wife Sif and their children. According to Grímnismál, the hall is the greatest of buildings and contains 540 rooms, located in Asgard, as are all the dwellings of the gods, in the kingdom of Þrúðheimr (or Þrúðvangar according to Gylfaginning and Ynglinga saga). Thor receives the dead slaves according to Hárbarðsljóð. Hárbarðsljóð ( Lay of Hárbarðr) is one of the poems of the Poetic Edda, found in the Codex Regius and AM 748 I 4to

Stories and myths

A detail from a rune- and image stone from Gotland, in the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm. A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock is a county, province and municipality of Sweden and the largest Island in the Baltic Sea. Swedish Museum of National Antiquities (known in Swedish as Historiska museet or more formally Statens historiska museum) is a Museum located ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the The three men are interpreted as Odin, Thor and Freyr, due to the objects they hold in their hands: a spear, a hammer-like object and a scythe. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. "Frey" redirects here For other uses of Frey and Freyr, see Frey (disambiguation.

The runestone found in Sønder Kirkby, Falster, Denmark calls upon Thor to "hallow these runes!"

According to one myth in the Prose Edda, Loki was flying as a hawk one day and was captured by Geirrod. Falster is a Danish island The area of the island is 514 km² (198 sq Hallow is a word usually used as a verb meaning "to make Holy or sacred to sanctify or consecrate to venerate" In Cryptography, LOKI89 and LOKI91 are Block ciphers designed as possible replacements for the Data Encryption Standard (DES The term hawk can be used in several ways In strict usage in Europe and Asia, to mean any of the Species in the Subfamily In Norse mythology, Geirröd was one of the Jotuns and father of Gjálp and Greip. Geirrod, who hated Thor, demanded that Loki bring his enemy (who did not yet have his magic belt and hammer) to Geirrod's castle. Loki agreed to lead Thor to the trap. Grid was a giantess at whose home they stopped on the way to Geirrod's. In Norse mythology, Gríðr ( Old Norse "greed" is female a Jötunn who aware of Loki 's plans to have Thor killed at the She waited until Loki left the room then told Thor what was happening and gave him her iron gloves and magical belt and staff. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Thor killed Geirrod and all other frost giants he could find (including Geirrod's daughters, Gjálp and Greip). For the moon of Saturn named after Greip see Greip (moon. In Norse mythology, Gjálp and Greip were two giantesses

According to Alvíssmál, Thor's daughter was promised to Alvis, a dwarf. Alvíssmál ("Talk of Alvíss" is poem collected in the Poetic Edda probably dating to the 11th century at the end of the Viking Age that relates Thor devised a plan to stop Alvis from marrying his daughter. He told Alvis that, because of his small height, he had to prove his wisdom. Alvis agreed and Thor made the tests last until after the sun had risen--all dwarves turned to stone when exposed to sunlight, so Alvis was petrified.

Thor was once outwitted by a giant king, Útgarða-Loki. In Norse mythology, Útgarða-Loki (Anglicized as Utgarda-Loki and in other ways was the ruler of the castle Útgarðr in Jötunheimr. The king, using his magic, tricked Thor. The king raced Thought itself against Thor's fast servant, Þjálfi (nothing being faster than thought, which can leap from land to land, and from time to time, in an instant). Þjálfi ( Old Norse) or Þjelvar (Old Gutnish) is a farmer's son in Norse mythology who appears twice in Snorri 's Edda Then, Loki (who was with Thor) was challenged by Útgarða-Loki to an eating contest with one of his servants, Logi. Loki lost, eventually. The servant even ate up the trough containing the food. The servant was an illusion of "Wild-Fire", no living thing being able to equal the consumption rate of fire. He called Thor weak when he only lifted the paw of a cat, the cat being the illusion of the Midgard Serpent. Jörmungandr, alternately referred to as the Midgardsormr or World Serpent, is a Sea serpent of the Norse mythology, the middle child of the Thor was challenged to a drinking contest, and could not empty a horn which was filled not with mead but was connected to the ocean. A drinking horn was a Drinking vessel formerly common in some parts of the world and notably in Northern Europe. This action started tidal changes. And here, Thor wrestled an old woman, who was Old Age, something no one could beat, to one knee. Thor left humiliated, but was heartened later when he met a messager who told he that he had in fact performed great feats worthy of a powerful warrior god for doing as well as he did with those challenges.

Another noted story of Thor was the time when Þrymr, King of the Thurse (Giants), stole his hammer, Mjölnir. In Norse mythology, King Þrymr ( Thrymr, Thrym; "uproar" of the jotnar stole Mjollnir, Thor 's hammer to Thor went to Loki in hopes to find the culprit responsible for the theft. Loki and Thor went to Freyja for council. Freyja (sometimes anglicized as Freya) is a major goddess in Norse Paganism, a subset of Germanic Paganism. She gave Loki the Feather-robe so he could travel to the land of the giants to speak to their king. The king admitted to stealing the hammer and would not give it back unless Freyja gave her hand in marriage.

Freyja refused when she heard the plan so the gods decided to think of a way to trick the King. Heimdall suggested dressing up Thor in a bridal gown so he can take Freyja's place. Heimdall ( Old Norse Heimdallr, the prefix Heim- means home, the affix -dallr is of uncertain origin is one of the Æsir Thor at first refused to do such a thing as it would portray him as a coward and womanish, but Loki insisted that he do so or the Giants would attack Asgard and win it over if he were not to retrieve the hammer in time. Thor reluctantly agreed in the end and took Freyja's place.

Odin rode Thor to the land of the Giants and a celebration ensued. The king noticed a few odd things that his bride was committing. He noted that she ate and drank more than what he would expect from a bride. Loki, who was in disguise as the false Freyja's servant, commented that she rode for 8 full nights without food eager to take his hand. He then asked why his bride's eyes are so terrifying, they seemed to be aglow with fire, again Loki responded with a lie that she did not sleep for 8 full nights eager for his hand. Then the giant commanded that the hammer be brought to his wife and placed on her lap. Once it was in Thor's possession he threw off his disguise and attacked all the giants in the room. Due to this ruse the giants were careful not to make the same mistake again.

Sagas

"Elli and Thor" (1939-1940) by Einar Jónsson. In Norse mythology, Elli ( Old Norse "old age" is a Personification of Old age who in the Prose Edda book Einar Jónsson ( May 11, 1874 &ndash October 18, 1954) was an Icelandic sculptor, born in Galtafell, a farm in

Thor is also mentioned in numerous sagas, which made use of skaldic poetry and oral traditions. The sagas (from Icelandic saga, plural sögur) are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history about early Viking voyages

• Eyrbyggja saga
• Kjalnesinga saga
• Fóstbrœðra saga
• Fljótsdæla saga
• Hallfreðar saga
• Heimskringla
• Landnámabók
• Flateyjarbók
• Njáls saga
• Gautreks saga

Gesta Danorum

In the 12th century, Saxo Grammaticus, in the service of Archbishop Absalon in Denmark, presented in his Latin language work Gesta Danorum euhemerized accounts of Thor and Odin as cunning sorcerers that, Saxo states, had fooled the people of Norway, Sweden and Denmark into their recognition as gods:

"There were of old certain men versed in sorcery, Thor, namely, and Odin, and many others, who were cunning in contriving marvellous sleights; and they, winning the minds of the simple, began to claim the rank of gods. The Eyrbyggja saga is one of the Icelanders' sagas. The name means the saga of the inhabitants of Eyrr which is a farm on Snæfellsnes on Iceland Kjalnesinga saga is one of the Sagas of Icelanders. Fóstbrœðra saga or The Saga of the Sworn Brothers is one of the Icelanders' sagas. Fljótsdæla saga is one of the Icelanders' sagas. It is thought to have been the last one written perhaps from about 1500 probably by an author in the East Fjords Hallfreðar saga is one of the Icelanders' sagas. It relates the story of Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld, an Icelandic poet active around the year 1000 Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse Kings' sagas. Landnámabók (meaning "The Book of Settlement" often shortened to Landnáma) is a medieval Icelandic manuscript describing in considerable detail the The Flatey Book, (Flateyjarbók 'Flat-island book' is one of the most important medieval Icelandic Manuscripts It is also known as GkS 1005 fol Njáls saga (also known as "Brennu-Njáls saga" or "The Story of the burning of Njáll") is arguably the most famous of the Sagas of Gautreks saga ( Gautrek's Saga) is a Scandinavian Legendary saga put to text towards the end of the 13th century which survives only in much later manuscripts "Saxo" redirects here For the car see Citroën Saxo and for the bank see Saxo Bank Saxo Grammaticus (c In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated Bishop. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and others this means that they lead Absalon (c 1128 &ndash March 21, 1201) was a Danish Archbishop and statesman Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes" is a work of Danish history by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate" A magician is a person skilled in the mysterious and hidden art of magic, the ability to attain objectives acquire knowledge or perform works of wonder using Supernatural For, in particular, they ensnared Norway, Sweden and Denmark in the vainest credulity, and by prompting these lands to worship them, infected them with their imposture. The effects of their deceit spread so far, that all other men adored a sort of divine power in them, and, thinking them either gods or in league with gods, offered up solemn prayers to these inventors of sorceries, and gave to blasphemous error the honour due to religion. Some say that the gods, whom our countrymen worshipped, shared only the title with those honoured by Greece or Latium, but that, being in a manner nearly equal to them in dignity, they borrowed from them the worship as well as the name. This must be sufficient discourse upon the deities of Danish antiquity. I have expounded this briefly for the general profit, that my readers may know clearly to what worship in its heathen superstition our country has bowed the knee. " (Gesta Danorum, Book I)^[7]

Canterbury Charm

The Canterbury Charm is a runic charm discovered inserted in the margin of an Anglo-Saxon manuscript from the year 1073. Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes" is a work of Danish history by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate" ^[8] The charm is translated as:

'Cyril wound-cause, go now! You are found. May Thor bless you, lord of ogres! Gyril wound-causer. Against blood-vessel pus!'^[8]

The charm is intended for use against a specific ailment, described as "blood-vessel pus. " MacLeod (2006) notes that while Thor is not revered in surviving sources for his medical abilities, he was well attested as harboring enmity towards giants and as a protector of mankind. MacLeod compares the charm to the 11th century Kvinneby amulet (where Thor is also called upon to provide protection), the formula structure of the Sigtuna amulet, and a then-recently discovered rib bone featuring a runic inscription also from Sigtuna, Sweden. The Kvinneby amulet ( Öl SAS198943) is an 11th century runic Amulet which was found in the mid-1950's in the soil of the village Södra Kvinneby in Sigtuna is a city in the Uppland part of Stockholm County, central Sweden. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. ^[8]

Archaeological record

A reproduction of a statue of Thor from the 10th century found in Iceland.

Thor was a very popular deity to the Germanic people and a number of surviving depictions of not only himself but also his exploits have survived many years of natural and intentional destruction.

Nordendorf fibula

Main article: Nordendorf fibula

Dating from the 7th century CE, the Nordendorf fibula, a human (Alamannic) fibula found in Nordendorf near Augsburg (Bavaria) bears an Elder Futhark inscription mentioning Donar, the Western Germanic tribes name for Thor. The Nordendorf fibula is an early 7th century Alammanic fibula found in Nordendorf near Augsburg ( Bavaria) The 7th century is the period from 601 to 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The Nordendorf fibula is an early 7th century Alammanic fibula found in Nordendorf near Augsburg ( Bavaria) The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Main river ( Germany For other uses see Fibula (disambiguation The fibula or calf bone is a Bone located on the lateral side of the Tibia Nordendorf is a municipality in the district of Augsburg in Bavaria in Germany. Augsburg is an independent City in the south-west of Bavaria. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 The Elder Futhark (or Elder Fuþark, Older Futhark, Old Futhark) is the oldest form of the Runic alphabet, used by Germanic tribes

Emblematic Mjolnir replicas

Main article: Mjolnir#Ancient

Widely popular in Scandinavia, Mjolnir replicas were used in Blóts and other sacral ceremonies, such as weddings. The blót ( Old Norse plural same as singular refers to Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and Elves. Many of these replicas were also found in graves and tended to be furnished with a loop, allowing them to be worn. They were most widely discovered in areas with a strong Christian influence including southern Norway, south-eastern Sweden, and Denmark. ^[4] By the late 10th century, increased uniformity in Mjolnir’s design over previous centuries suggest it functioned as a popular accessory worn in defiance of the Christian cross. A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other dividing one or two of the lines in half

Icelandic statue

A seated bronze statue of Thor (about 2. 5 in, 6. 4 cm) from about CE 1000 was recovered at a farm near Akureyri, Iceland and is a featured display at the National Museum of Iceland. Akureyri ( is a town in the northern part of Iceland; it is the second largest urban area after Greater Reykjavík area but is the fourth The National Museum of Iceland ( Þjóðminjasafn Íslands) was established on 24 February 1863, with Jón Árnason the first curator of the Thor is holding Mjolnir, sculpted in the typically Icelandic cross-like shape.

Rune and image stones

The Altuna Runestone depicts Thor's foot breaching his boat while struggling with the Midgard Serpent. The Altuna Runestone ( Altunastenen) is one of few surviving Runestones with exclusively pagan illustrations .

Most runestones were raised during the 11th century and so they coincided with the Christianization of Scandinavia. A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock The Christianization of Scandinavia refers to the process of conversion to Christianity of the Scandinavian people starting in the 8th century with Except for the Altuna Runestone which depicts a myth concerning Thor, there are only six runic inscriptions that appear to refer to him and five of them do so in invocations to consecrate the stones. The Altuna Runestone ( Altunastenen) is one of few surviving Runestones with exclusively pagan illustrations ^[9] Three of the inscriptions are found in Sweden (the Rök Runestone, Sö 140 and the Velanda Runestone) and three in Denmark (Dr 110, Dr 220 and the Glavendrup stone). The Rök Runestone ( Swedish: Rökstenen; Ög 136) is one of the most famous Runestones featuring the longest known runic inscription The Velanda Runestone is a Runestone from the late 10th century or the early 11th century in the village of Velanda in Västergötland, The Glavendrup stone or DR 209 is a Runestone, on the island of Funen in Denmark and it is from the early 10th century ^[9]

Thor's struggle with the Midgard Serpent as recorded in Hymiskviða can be found depicted on a number of image stones and runestones located in England, Denmark and Sweden respectively. A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock

In the English village of Gosforth, Cumbria, the remains of a 10th century stone depicting Thor and Hymir fishing can be found alongside numerous other Norse carvings. Gosforth is a Village in the Lake District in west Cumbria in Northwest England. ^[10]

In Denmark, a church in the small Northern Jutlandic town of Hørdum houses the remains of a stone featuring Thor and Hymir's fishing trip for the Midgard Serpent. This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland. Thor is wearing the distinct pointed helmet he is portrayed with in other found depictions^[11] and has caught the Midgard serpent while Hymir sits before him. ^[12]

Sweden has two stones depicting this legend. Created sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries, the bottom left corner of the Ardre VIII stone in Gotland has often been interpreted as depicting not only the fishing trip but also references to the slaughter of the ox prior to using it as bait,^[13] potentially as part of an earlier version of the tale. The Ardre image stones are a collection of ten Rune and Image stones dated to the 8th to 11th centuries is a county, province and municipality of Sweden and the largest Island in the Baltic Sea. ^[14] The Altuna Runestone in Uppland depicts Thor fishing for the Midgard serpent. The Altuna Runestone ( Altunastenen) is one of few surviving Runestones with exclusively pagan illustrations Uppland ( is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital Though lacking Hymir, it notably displays Thor's foot breaching the floor of the boat during the intense struggle.

Kvinneby amulet

Main article: Kvinneby amulet

The Kvinneby amulet is an amulet that includes a runic inscription from around 1000 CE. The Kvinneby amulet ( Öl SAS198943) is an 11th century runic Amulet which was found in the mid-1950's in the soil of the village Södra Kvinneby in An amulet ( the Elder|Pliny]] meaning "an object that protects a person from trouble" a close cousin of the talisman (from Arabic There are competing theories about the exact wording of the inscription but all agree that Thor is invoked to protect with his hammer. According to Rundata, this inscription reads:

Here I carve(d) protection for you, Bófi, with/. The Joint Nordic database for runic inscriptions ( Swedish: Samnordisk runtextdatabas) is a project started on January 1, 1993 at . . . . . . . . to you is certain. And may the lightning hold all evil away from Bófi. May Þórr protect him with that hammer which came from out of the sea. Flee from evilness! You/it get/gets nothing from Bófi. The gods are under him and over him.

The amulet was found in the mid-1950's in the soil of the village Södra Kvinneby in Öland, Sweden. is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional Provinces of Sweden. The amulet is a square copper object measuring approximately 5 cm on each side. Near one edge there is a small hole, presumably used for hanging it around the neck.

Skog Church Tapestry

This part of the Skog Church Tapestry, a Viking Age Swedish tapestry, is interpreted to show, from left to right, the one-eyed and tree flanked Odin, the hammer-wielding Thor and Freyr holding up an ear of corn. Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 700 to 1066 in European history.

A part of the Swedish 12th century Skog Church Tapestry depicts three figures often interpreted as allusions to Odin, Thor and Freyr. ^[15] The figures coincide with 11th century descriptions of statue arrangements recorded by Adam of Bremen at the Temple at Uppsala and written accounts of the gods during the late Viking Age. The tapestry is originally from Hälsingland, Sweden but is now housed at the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities. is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. It borders to Gästrikland, Dalarna, Härjedalen, Medelpad Swedish Museum of National Antiquities (known in Swedish as Historiska museet or more formally Statens historiska museum) is a Museum located

Thursday

Main article: Thursday

Thor gave his name to the Old English day Þunresdæg, meaning the day of Þunor, known in Modern English as Thursday. Thursday is the fourth day of the week in most western countries and the fourth day of the week in the Judeo-Christian Calendar, falling between Wednesday English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Thursday is the fourth day of the week in most western countries and the fourth day of the week in the Judeo-Christian Calendar, falling between Wednesday Þunor is also the source of the modern word thunder. Thunder is the sound made by Lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener it can range from a sharp

"Thor's Day" is Þórsdagr in Old Norse, Hósdagur in Faroese, Thursday in English, Donnerstag in German (meaning "Thunder's Day"), Donderdag in Dutch (meaning Thunder day), Torstai in Finnish, and Torsdag in Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian. Thursday is the fourth day of the week in most western countries and the fourth day of the week in the Judeo-Christian Calendar, falling between Wednesday

The day was considered such an important day of the week that as late as the seventh century Saint Eligius reproached his congregation in Flanders for continuing their native practice of recognizing Thursday as a holy day after their Christianization. Saint Eligius or Loye ( French: Éloi) (ca 588-590 - December 1, 659 or 660 is the Patron saint of goldsmiths and other Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. ^[16]

Personal names

The name "Thor", deriving from the deity, is the first element in many names:

• American female name: Donara (from the Old High German spelling)
• Norwegian male names: Tor, Toralv, Torbjørn, Tore, Torfinn, Torgeir, Torgils, Torgny, Torgrim, Torkjell, Torlak, Torleif, Tormod, Torodd, Torolv, Torstein and Torvald.
• Norwegian female names: Torbjørg, Tordis, Torfrid (Turid), Torgerd, Torgunn, Torhild (Toril), Torlaug, Torunn and Torveig.
• Icelandic male names: Þór, Þórhallur, Þorbergur, Þorbjörn, Þorfinnur, Þorgeir, Þorgils, Þorgrímur, Þorkell, Þorlákur, Þorleifur, Þorsteinn, Þorvaldur, Þórarinn, Þórður and Þórólfur
• Icelandic female names: Þorbjörg, Þorgerður, Þóra, Þórdís, Þórhildur, Þórunn and Þórgunnur
• Faroese male names: Tór, Thór, Tórur, Thórur, Tórleif, Tórólvur
• Faroese female names: Tóra, Thóra
• Danish male names: Tor, Torben, Torbjørn, Torkil/Terkel, Torleif, Torsten, Torvald
• Danish female names: Tora, Tove
• Swedish male names: Tor, Torbjörn, Tord, Tore, Torgny, Torkel, Torleif, Torsten, Torvald
• Swedish female names: Tora, Torunn, Tove
• Scottish name: Torquil
• English surname: Thurkettle, Thirkell
• German male names: Thorsten/Torsten, Toralf

Toponyms

As a very popular god amongst the Germanic tribes, many locations have been named after Thor:

• Thorsberg moor, Schleswig-Holstein, modern day Germany, is an ancient location bearing a large deposit of numerous ritually deposited artifacts between the 1 and 4 BC by the Angles. The Thorsberg moor ( Thorsberger Moor, Tosbarch, Tåsbjerre " Thor 's hill" near Süderbrarup in Anglia, Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the 16 ''Bundesländer'' in Germany. The former English name was Sleswick-Holsatia the Danish name is Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Angles is a modern English word for a Germanic-speaking people who took their name from the cultural ancestral region of Angeln, a modern district located in
• Tórshavn ("Thor Harbor"), Faroe Islands is the capital city of the Faroe Islands. Tórshavn (ˈtʰɔuʂhaun is the Capital of the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse
• Thorsted ("Thor Stead"), Jutland, Denmark, near Thisted ("Tyr's Stead"). Thisted is a town in Thisted municipality of Region Nordjylland, in Denmark.
• Thorsager ("Thor Field"), Jutland, Denmark.
• Thorskov ("Thor Forest"), Jutland, Denmark, a small, marked section of forest located directly east of the Aarhus deer park. Geography The city lies roughly at the geographical centre of Denmark on the peninsula of
• Thorsø ("Thor lake"), Jutland, Denmark.
• Thor's name appears in connection with groves (Lundr) in place names in Sweden, West Norway and Denmark. ^[5]
• There are a number of Anglo-Saxon place names associated with Thor in England named Þunre leah (meaning "Grove or forest clearing of thunder") such as Thundersley in Essex, England. Thundersley is a town in the north west of the Castle Point Borough in south east Essex, England about 35 miles east of London. Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland ^[5]
• A "Forest of Thor" existed on the north bank of Liffey, Ireland outside of Dublin in the year 1,000. The Liffey ( An Life in Irish) is a River in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. It was described as destroyed over the course of a month by Brian Boru, who took particular note of the oaks. Brian mac Cennétig, called Brian Bóruma, ( c 941&ndash23 April 1014 (Brian Boru Brian Bóraimhe was an Irish king who ended the centuries-long domination ^[17]

Parallels

Many writers (Saxo, Adam of Bremen, Snorre Sturlason, Ælfric of Eynsham) identified Thor with Jupiter. "Saxo" redirects here For the car see Citroën Saxo and for the bank see Saxo Bank Saxo Grammaticus (c Adam of Bremen (also Adam Bremensis) was one of the most important German Medieval Chroniclers He lived and worked in the second half of the Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian poet and politician Ælfric of Eynsham (the Grammarian) (c 955 &ndash c 1010 was an English Abbot, as well as a consummate prolific writer in Old English of In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the king of the gods and the god of Sky and Thunder. The comparison can be borne: both are gods of the sky that control thunder and lightning, are children of the mother Earth and were at some time considered the most powerful of the gods. The oak tree was sacred to both gods and they had mysterious powers. Thor is to kill Jörmungandr and Jupiter, the dragon Typhon. Jörmungandr, alternately referred to as the Midgardsormr or World Serpent, is a Sea serpent of the Norse mythology, the middle child of the In Greek mythology, Typhon ( Ancient Greek:, Tuphōn) also Typheus / Typhoeus ( Tuphōeus) Typhaon ( Tacitus identified Thor with the Greco-Roman hero-god Hercules because of his force, aspect, weapon and his role as protector of the world. Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. Hercules is the Roman name for the Mythical Greek hero Heracles, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena.

Parallels with varying degrees of closeness can be found in other northern mythologies, such as Taranis (Celtic), Perkunas (Baltic), and Perun (Slavic), connected either to thunder, to oaks or to both. In Celtic mythology Taranis was the god of Thunder worshipped in Gaul, Britain and Hispania and mentioned along with Esus In Slavic mythology, Perun ( Cyrillic: Перун is the highest God of the pantheon and the god of Thunder and Lightning Additionally parallel either to Thor or Tyr are Finno-Ugric gods Torum, Thurms, Tere, Ilmarinen etc. Seppo Ilmarinen, the Eternal Hammerer blacksmith and inventor in the Kalevala, is an archetypal artificer from Finnish mythology. - see Tharapita. Tharapita or Taarapita or Taara is a god of war in Estonian mythology.

Portrayal in modern popular culture

Donner calls upon the storm clouds in this illustration by Arthur Rackham to Wagner's Das Rheingold. Arthur Rackham ( 19 September 1867 &ndash 6 September 1939) was a prolific English book illustrator Das Rheingold ("The Rhine Gold" is the first of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) by Richard Wagner

Thor, under the German form of his name, "Donner", appears in Richard Wagner's opera cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen. Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer This has led to many portrayals based on Wagner's interpretation, although some are closer to pre-Wagner models. Since Wagner's time, Thor has appeared, either as himself or as the namesake of characters, in comic books, on television, in literature and in song lyrics.

References

See also

• Almáttki áss
• List of names of Thor
• Taranis
• Yule log
• Yule Goat