Thors Hammer

Thor was the thunder God of the vikings. He was known for his strenght and his magic hammer. The name of Thors hammer is Mjolnir and it was believed that with it he could create lightning The meaning of Mjolnir is crusher and the hammer was created as a weapon for Thor to help him when he was hunting the frost giants (Jætter). Thunderstorms were referred to as Thors wrath as when it stormed it meant that Thor and his hammer was out and about.

The vikings feared him, but they also reverred him as can be attested to the many Thors Hammer pendants and necklaces left behind from the viking age. The hammers were often inscribed with futhark (the name for the old runic alphabet) and was seen as a symbol of strenght and worn for protection.

Today a Thors Hammer pendant or necklace is the perfect gift for strong people or for people who can use the symbol to draw strenght and is a cool reminder of the rich culture of the viking age. You can even get Thos Hammer Earrings if you that is more your style.

This could be the perfect and very special Valentines present for your loved one. If you are a trying to find a Valentines Gift for him then this might be it.

Have a look and get inspired! :)

Picture courtesy of Mistel. Please do not use without permission.

How Mjolnir was created and became the weapon of Thor.

Most of the stories we have about the Vikings comes from the Edda, a collection of word of mouth stories, poems and songs collected by Snorri Sturluson.

The story of Mjolner goes as follows:

Loki once snuck into Thors house and cut off the hair of his sleeping wife(Sif). When Thor awoke the next morning he was furious and Loki got scared. He promised to replace the hair. He went to some dwarves he knew and had them create a golden wig for Sif. They also created Skidbladner (a ship that could be folded into a small package fitting your pockets and furthermore the ship always has the wind in the back). On top of these they created a spear called Gungner which would always hit its target.

Loki was really happy with these items and started home, but on the way he met another dwarf called Broki. Loki started bragging about the 3 wonders he had obtained and he bet his head that Broki and his brothers could not create anything better.

Broki took the bet and started crafting. First he created a pig with golden skin, that could run faster than a horse. Then he forged a golden ring called Droepner. Every ninth night 8 exact replicas of the rings would "drip" from it. At this point Loki got scared and he turned himself into a fly and started bothering the dwarves as they were forging. He succeeded somewhat because the shaft on the final item got a bit too short, however the hammer was created with all the powers it was intended to have. Mjolnir was created, the hammer that always hits it target and that will always return to the hand of its owner.

Loki and the dwarves now travelled to Asgaard to have the Gods judge who had one the bet. After some discussion they decided that Loki lost and then the dwarves wanted to claim their prize; The head of Loki. Of course Loki wasn't too keen on this and he said that they were welcome to his head, but his throat had not been part of the bet, so they were not allowed to touch that.

The dwarves got furious and in their anger they sewed together Lokis lips.

Mjolnir was given to Thor and it has been his ever since.

Source: Snorris Edda-myths.This text is my own interpretation and translation and may vary slightly from the original. If you are interested in reading the original text you can find it in danish and norwegian here.

Mjolnir pendants looks really cool and they gives you a bit of a mystical air as well. A Thors hammer around the neck shows the world that you are a strong, couragous and confident person and it is a great subject for conversation. Especially if you also take the time to learn to spell your name in Futhark.

I hope you found the the perfect Thors Hammer for you and that you found the information listed here interesting.