Mythology of the Norse God Thor
Thor is easily one of the most recognizable gods from Norse mythology. We hope to give you a quick dive into the mythology surrounding this popular Norse god. While he owes much of his modern popularity to Marvel Comics, he was popular among the Norse people up to and during the height of the Viking Age. The age lasted from around 790 to 1100 AD. This god originally developed from an earlier Norse god called Donar, a god of the sky and thunder. This earlier god gave its name to the German word of Donnerstag which translates into Thursday in English. Thursday in turn retains Thor’s name.
Description and Attributes
Thor’s description in the Norse myths often featured his strongly built physique. This god usually had a red beard and hair in the myths as well. He was only described as blonde once in the myths. In addition, he was described as having a huge appetite and a hot temper. When it comes to his most popular depictions, Thor was rarely without his famous hammer, Mjolnir. Mjolnir has a reputation for laying waste to enemies. Its other function was to revive the dead, albeit in certain circumstances.
In addition to Mjolnir, Thor would usually wear his belt of strength called Megingjord, which doubled his strength, as well as his mighty iron gloves called Jarngreipr. The gloves were often necessary for wielding Mjolnir.
Also, Thor was known for riding in a chariot. According to some Norse myths, the rumbling of Thor’s chariot wheels was the roar of thunder. His chariot was pulled by a pair of male goats. These special goats were called Tanngnjostr and Tanngrisnir, aka Tooth Gnasher and Snarl Tooth respectively. These goats were special in that they could be killed and eaten before being brought back to life the next day so long as their bones were kept unbroken. Thor would use Mjolnir to revive them.
Family
In the Norse myths, Thor’s parents are Odin and Jord. Odin is the king of the gods, while Jord is a personification of the Earth. An alternate name for Jord is Fjorgyn. Thor is married to the goddess Sif. His children are his daughter Thrud and his sons Modi and Magni.
Patronage and Worship
When it comes to the worshipping of Thor, Thor had a rather large influence. He was considered a protector god. This was especially true when it came to protection from storms and for sea voyages. Beyond that, he could and would be invoked for problem-solving and contracts. In general, he was a god invoked to solve a wide variety of problems from domestic issues to farming, weaving, and more. This meant that many people would wear emblems and make engravings that reference the god. Thus, wearing a necklace of Mjolnir would not have been uncommon.
Myths
In Norse mythology, there are many stories that focus on Thor. In many of them, he would be in combat. His most common enemies were the Jotuns, or giants, as well as the Midgard serpent Jormungandr. One of the more popular myths revolves around a giant that had somehow gotten Mjolnir in his possession and refuses to return it unless he gets to marry Freyja. Freyja refuses and Thor ends up dressing up as the goddess. He, with the help of Loki, tricks the giant and manages to retrieve his hammer.
Another myth focuses on a giant that challenges him to some contests, one of which was to lift Jormungandr, which was disguised in the form of a cat. Thor managed a paw, which was rather impressive as lifting the Midgard serpent was said to be impossible. Perhaps the best-known myth is the one of Ragnarök. This is the end of the known world in Norse myth begun by Jormungandr releasing his tail. At Ragnarok, Thor will kill the serpent but die by its venom. His sons will survive Ragnarok and inherit Mjolnir.
Outfit Inspiration
If you wish to dress up in a way that would reference the mighty Thor, then we have a few suggestions. Of course, any Thor should have a hammer to wield. We suggest wielding the Dorgen LARP War Hammer at your next LARP battle. For your outfit, you can put on the Viking Tunic and Ketill Canvas Pants with the Canvas Hamond Leg Wraps wrapped around your legs and the Raimund Boots on your feet. The Bjorn Fur Trimmed Cape makes a great piece of outwear. The Wolf Fur Collar is another good option.
-
Canvas Hamond Leg Wraps
SKU: MY100742 $14.00 – $15.00 Add to Cart This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Raimund Boots
SKU: MY100330 $91.00 Add to Cart This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Sale!
Bjorn Fur Trimmed Cape
SKU: MY100148 $40.36 – $72.00 Add to Cart This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Ketill Canvas Pants
SKU: MY100097 $40.00 Add to Cart This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Sale!
Viking Tunic
SKU: GB3442 $29.00 – $35.00 Add to Cart This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
When it comes to armor, the Polished Steel Warrior Belt makes a great approximation of Megingjord, while the Richard Chainmail Gauntlets serve as a nod to Thor’s iron gloves. You could also choose to wear the Steel Fafnir Brigandine with the Brown Leather Viking Bracers or the RFB Viking Leather Bracers. To finish off your outfit with a reference to Thor himself, you could wear a Mjolnir necklace like the Sterling Silver Mjolnir Necklace.
-
-
Sale!
Leather Viking Bracers – Brown
SKU: HW-701523BR Original price was: $45.00.$31.50Current price is: $31.50. Add to Cart -
-
-
RFB Viking Leather Bracers
SKU: MCI-3194 $36.00 Add to Cart This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
We hope that this post gives a quick look into the mythology of the Norse god Thor. While he is best known for wielding Mjolnir, there is a lot more to look at when it comes to this god. He was a popular god for the Vikings, especially the everyday Norse person.
