Description
Bronze figure Thor from Iceland. After a model from the Viking Age.
Size height approx 8 cm.
Thor, whose name means “thunder”, is the protector of men. If Odin is the house god of the jarls, then Thor is the god of the ordinary farmer. Thor rules over thunder, rain and crops. It is him you should blot to if you want to get a good harvest. He is big and strong with a red beard and has a hot temper. Thunder and lightning are created as he travels around among the clouds and fights giants. Thor creates order out of chaos.
He is Odin’s eldest son. Tor lives with his wife Sif in the hall
Bilskirne in Thrudvang – which is part of Asgard. Together they have a son Mode and a daughter Trud. With the giant Järnsaxa, Tor has a son, Magne. Thor’s mother is a giantess named Jord
His weapon is the magic hammer Mjolnir which means “the crusher”. After throwing it at his enemies, it always comes back to him. Mjolnir is forged by the dwarves Sindre and Brokk and Thor got it in his possession after Loki cheated the two dwarves. The hammer is so powerful that Thor must have an iron glove, named Járngreipr, to use it. Mjolnir was once stolen by the giant Trym and Thor had to dress up as Freya to sneak it back. Around his waist, Thor wears the belt Meginjord which makes him even stronger.
His carriage is pulled by the goats Tanngnjost and Tanngrisner, which means “toothpicker” and “toothpick”. The goats can be slaughtered and eaten every night, when they reappear the next day – however, no bones may be broken.
Despite the fact that Thor is so strong, he at one point loses a fight against an old woman, but it turns out in retrospect that the old woman was really old age herself – and not even Thor can defeat old age.
The Midgard serpent is Thor’s archenemy, they both meet on a number of occasions. The last time they meet is in the battle of Ragnarok.
