|
|
|
|
|
|
Thor, an old danish God from Valhalla.
Thor is the son of Odin, and a member of the Aesir, the name for the collection of Norse gods. He is the god of thunder and the main enemy of the giants. He is also the strongest of all the gods in Asgard.
Thor is usually described as having a flaming red beard and hair. Thor is the main fighter against the giants of the Jotunheim race. He threw his hammer called Mjollnir at an enemy's skull and the resulting crash and light was the symbol of the thunderstorm. To wield this awesome weapon he needed iron gloves and a belt of strength. Mjolnir would return to Thor's hand after being thrown. Thor himself symbolizes protection, defence, safety at sea, agriculture, fertility, law, order, and justice. Thor was destined to die like all of the other main gods of Norse myth at Ragnorok.
Thor rode around middle-earth in his wagon drawn by two goats. His abode is Thruthheim [Land of Strength] and his hall, Bilskinir. His wife is Sif.
Thor was very well known for his quick and hot temper. This was often vented on the giants, the main enemies of the gods.
He was foremost of the gods to the common man, who would call on him to ensure fertility, and was widely worshiped. Hammer-shaped amulets were popular, the hammer being a symbol of Thor because it was his weapon, and were worn about the neck well into the Christianisation of Scandinavia. There are moles from that time that contain both cross and hammer shapes, side by side. His name is found in numerous place names, and it was his statue that was central in the great temple at Uppsala. Our day of the week, Thursday, is named for him. Donar was an early version of Thor among the early Germans. The Anglo-Saxons worshiped a thunder god named Thunor.
|
|
|
|