Difference between revisions of "Thor"
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In one of the myths, Thor's hammer is stolen by a giant, who holds it for ransom. This giant says he will give the hammer back if the gods give him the sun, the moon, and the love goddess Freya in exchange. Rather than pay the ransom, it is suggested that Thor dress as Freya, with a thick veil covering his face, and go to get the hammer back himself. Thor ''really'' does not like the idea of dressing as a woman, but the other gods talk him into it. After several near-mishaps, the plan works. The giant, still thinking Thor is Freya, places the hammer in his lap. Thor throws off the veil and dress, kills the giant and all the other giant guests at the wedding, then goes home. | In one of the myths, Thor's hammer is stolen by a giant, who holds it for ransom. This giant says he will give the hammer back if the gods give him the sun, the moon, and the love goddess Freya in exchange. Rather than pay the ransom, it is suggested that Thor dress as Freya, with a thick veil covering his face, and go to get the hammer back himself. Thor ''really'' does not like the idea of dressing as a woman, but the other gods talk him into it. After several near-mishaps, the plan works. The giant, still thinking Thor is Freya, places the hammer in his lap. Thor throws off the veil and dress, kills the giant and all the other giant guests at the wedding, then goes home. | ||
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Thor's wife is the very blonde and beautiful Sif, the goddess of grain. This pairing is significant, as it was once thought that lightning fertilized the fields. | Thor's wife is the very blonde and beautiful Sif, the goddess of grain. This pairing is significant, as it was once thought that lightning fertilized the fields. | ||
Revision as of 19:11, March 17, 2007
In Norse ("Viking") mythology, Thor is the god of thunder. These old stories say he is the son of Odin and a giantess Iorth (Earth). Thor is described as having red hair and blue eyes. He is enormously strong, and he enjoys doing battle with evil giants. His special weapon is a magic hammer named Mjolnir that always hits whatever Thor throws it at, and then returns to his hand. The myths state that he makes thunder by riding across the tops of clouds in his chariot, which is drawn by two very large and aggressive goats.
In one of the myths, Thor's hammer is stolen by a giant, who holds it for ransom. This giant says he will give the hammer back if the gods give him the sun, the moon, and the love goddess Freya in exchange. Rather than pay the ransom, it is suggested that Thor dress as Freya, with a thick veil covering his face, and go to get the hammer back himself. Thor really does not like the idea of dressing as a woman, but the other gods talk him into it. After several near-mishaps, the plan works. The giant, still thinking Thor is Freya, places the hammer in his lap. Thor throws off the veil and dress, kills the giant and all the other giant guests at the wedding, then goes home.
Thor's wife is the very blonde and beautiful Sif, the goddess of grain. This pairing is significant, as it was once thought that lightning fertilized the fields.
In English, the word "Thursday" was originally "Thor's Day". In German, Thor is called Donner, which literally means "Thunder".
During the heathen Viking era, Thor was an enormously popular god in Northern Europe. Many people of the time wore hammer amulets, much as modern Christians wear crosses today.
Since 1962, a comic book has been published on-and-off in which Thor is the superhero. The creators of this comic used some of the original mythic material, but did not follow it completely. For example, Thor is shown with blond hair in the comic, and other aspects of the myths were significantly reimagined.
