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In Norse mythology, Mjǫllnir (Old Norse: ᛘᛁᛅᛚᚾᛁᛦ, IPA: [ˈmjɔlːnir]), anglicised as Mjolnir and Mjollnir (/ˈmjɔːlnɪər/;[1]) is the hammer of Þórr, the Norse god of thunder. Mjǫllnir is depicted in Norse mythology as one of the most fearsome and powerful weapons in existence, capable of leveling mountains.[2][3][4] In its account of Norse mythology, the Prose Edda relates how the hammer was made by the dwarven brothers Eitri and Brokkr, and how its characteristically short handle was due to a mistake during its manufacture. Similar hammers (Ukonvasara) were a common symbol of the God of thunder in other North European mythologies.

Name[]

Old Norse Mjǫllnir /ˈmjɔlːnir/ regularly becomes Mjøllnir /ˈmjœlːnir/ in Old Icelandic by the 13th century. The modern Icelandic form is Mjölnir, Norwegian and Danish Mjølner, Swedish Mjölner.

The name is derived from a Proto-Germanic form *meldunjaz, from the Germanic root of *malanan "to grind" (*melwan, Old Icelandic meldr, mjǫll, mjǫl "meal, flour"),[5] yielding an interpretation of "the grinder; crusher".

Additionally, there is a suggestion that the mythological "thunder weapon" being named after the word for "grindstone" is of considerable, Proto-Indo-European (if not Indo-Hittite) age; according to this suggestion, the divine thunder weapon (identified with lightning) of the storm god was imagined as a grindstone (Russian molot and possibly Hittite malatt- "sledgehammer, bludgeon"), reflected in Russian молния (molniya) and Welsh mellt "lightning" (possibly cognate with Old Norse mjuln "fire").[6]

In the Old Norse texts, Mjǫllnir is identified as hamarr "a hammer", a word that in Old Norse and some modern Norwegian dialects can mean "hammer" as well as "stone, rock, cliff", ultimately derived from an Indo-European word for "stone, stone tool", h₂éḱmō; as such it is cognate with Sanskrit aśman, meaning "stone, rock, stone tool; hammer" as well as "thunderbolt".

Norse mythology[]

The third gift — an enormous hammer by Elmer Boyd Smith

"The third gift—an enormous hammer" (1902) by Elmer Boyd Smith.

Skáldskaparmál[]

An account of the origin of Mjǫllnir is found in Skáldskaparmál from Snorri's Edda: In this story, Loki bets his head with Sindri (or Eitri) and his brother Brokkr that they could never succeed in making items more beautiful than those of the Sons of Ívaldi (the dvergar who created other precious items for the gods: Óðinn's spear Gungnir and Freyr's foldable boat Skíðblaðnir).

Sindri and Brokkr accept Loki's bet and the two brothers begin working. They begin to work in their workshop, and Sindri puts a pig's skin in the forge and tells his brother (Brokkr) never to stop working the bellows until he comes and takes out what he put in. Loki, in disguise as a fly, comes and bites Brokkr on the arm. Nevertheless, he continues to pump the bellows.

Then, Sindri takes out Gullinbursti, Freyr's boar with shining bristles. Next, Sindri puts some gold in the forge and gives Brokkr the same order. Again, Loki, still in the guise of a fly comes and, again, bites Brokkr's neck twice as hard as he had bitten his arm. Just as before, Brokkr continues to work the bellows despite the pain. When Sindri returns, he takes out Draupnir, Óðinn's ring, which drops eight duplicates of itself every ninth night.

Finally, Sindri puts some iron in the forge and tells Brokkr not to stop pumping the bellows. Loki comes a third time and this time bites Brokkr on the eyelid even harder. The bite is so deep that it draws blood. The blood runs into Brokkr's eyes and forces him to stop working the bellows just long enough to wipe his eyes. This time, when Sindri returns, he takes Mjöllnir out of the forge. The handle is shorter than Sindri had planned and so the hammer can only be wielded with one hand.

Despite the flaw in the handle, Sindri and Brokkr win the bet and go to take Loki's head. However, Loki worms his way out of the bet by pointing out that the dvergar would need to cut his neck to remove his head, but Loki's neck was not part of the deal. As a consolation prize, Brokkr sews Loki's mouth shut to teach him a lesson.

The final product is then presented to Þórr, and its properties are described, as follows,


Þá gaf hann Þór hamarinn ok sagði, at hann myndi mega ljósta svá stórt sem hann vildi, hvat sem fyrir væri, at eigi myndi hamarrinn bila, ok ef hann yrpi honum til, þá myndi hann aldri missa ok aldri fljúga svá langt, at eigi myndi hann sækja heim hönd, ok ef þat vildi, þá var hann svá lítill, at hafa mátti serk sér. En þat var lýi á, ar forskeftit var heldr skammt.



Then he gave the hammer to Thor, and said that Thor might smite as hard as he desired, whatsoever might be before him, and the hammer would not fail; and if he threw it at anything, it would never miss, and never fly so far as not to return to his hand; and if be desired, he might keep it in his sark, it was so small; but indeed it was a flaw in the hammer that the fore-haft was somewhat short.


— The Prose Edda, translated by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur (1916).

Poetic Edda[]

Þórr possessed a formidable chariot, which is drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. A belt, Megingjǫrð, and iron gloves, Járngreipr, were used to lift Mjǫllnir. Mjǫllnir is the focal point of some of Þórr's adventures.

This is clearly illustrated in a poem found in the Poetic Edda titled Þrymskviða. The myth relates that the giant, Þrymr, steals Mjǫllnir from Þórr and then demands the goddess Freyja in exchange. Loki, the god notorious for his duplicity, conspires with the other Æsir to recover Mjǫllnir by disguising Þórr as Freyja and presenting him as the "goddess" to Þrymr.

At a banquet Þrymr holds in honor of the impending union, Þrymr takes the bait. Unable to contain his passion for his new maiden with long, blond locks (and broad shoulders), as Þrymr approaches the bride by placing Mjǫllnir on "her" lap, Þórr rips off his disguise and destroys Þrymr and his jǫtunn cohorts.

Archaeological record[]

Sö 86, Åby ägor

Drawing of hammer depicted on runic inscription Sö 86 located in Åby, Uppland, Sweden.

Precedents and comparanda[]

A precedent of these Viking Age Þórr's hammer amulets are recorded for the migration period Alemanni, who took to wearing Roman "Hercules' Clubs" as symbols of Donar.[7] A possible remnant of these Donar amulets was recorded in 1897, as a custom of Unterinn (South Tyrolian Alps) of incising a T-shape above front doors for protection against evils of all kinds, especially storms.[8]

Viking Age pendants[]

Thor's hammer, Fitjar

Hammer-shaped silver amulet found in Fitjar, Hordaland, Norway.

About 50 specimens of Mjǫllnir amulets have been found widely dispersed throughout Scandinavia, dating from the 9th to 11th centuries, most commonly discovered in areas with a strong Christian influence including southern Norway, south-eastern Sweden, and Denmark.[9] Due to the similarity of equal-armed, square crosses featuring figures of Christ on them at around the same time, the wearing of Þórr's hammers as pendants may have come into fashion in defiance of the square amulets worn by newly converted Christians in the regions.

An iron Þórr's hammer pendant excavated in Yorkshire, dating to ca. AD 1000 bears an uncial inscription preceded and followed by a cross, interpreted as indicating a Christian owner synchronising pagan and Christian symbolism.[10]

A 10th-century soapstone mold found at Trendgården, Jutland, Denmark is notable for allowing the casting of both crucifix and Thor's hammer pendants.[11] A silver specimen found near Fossi, Iceland (now in the National Museum of Iceland) can be interpreted as either a Christian cross or a Thor's hammer. Unusually, the elongated limb of the cross ends in a beast's (perhaps a wolf's) head.

The Købelev Runic-Þórr's Hammer, found at the Danish island of Lolland in 2014, is so far the only one bearing an inscription, proving that this kind of pendant is meant to be a hammer. The inscription reads "Hmar x is," which translates to "This is a hammer."[12] However, the proper spelling is "hamar," indicating the creator was not a fully literate individual.[13]

Viking Age depictions[]

Sö 111, Stenkvista

The Stenkvista runestone in Södermanland, Sweden, shows Þórr's hammer instead of a cross.

Some image stones and runestones found in Denmark and southern Sweden bear an inscription of a hammer. Runestones depicting Þórr's hammer include runestones U 1161 in Altuna, Sö 86 in Åby, Sö 111 in Stenkvista, Sö 140 in Jursta, Vg 113 in Lärkegapet, Öl 1 in Karlevi, DR 26 in Laeborg, DR 48 in Hanning, DR 120 in Spentrup, and DR 331 in Gårdstånga.[14][15] Other runestones included an inscription calling for Þórr to safeguard the stone. For example, the stone of Virring in Denmark had the inscription þur uiki þisi kuml, which translates into English as "May Thor hallow this memorial." There are several examples of a similar inscription, each one asking for Þórr to "hallow" or protect the specific artifact. Such inscriptions may have been in response to the Christians, who would ask for God's protection over their dead.[16]

Swastika symbol[]

According to some scholars, the swastika shape may have been a variant popular in Anglo-Saxon England prior to Christianization, especially in East Anglia and Kent.[17] Wilson (1894) points out that while the swastika had been "vulgarly called in Scandinavia the hammer of Thor" (in Icelandic: Thorshamarmerki, mark of Thor's hammer), the symbol properly so called had a Y or T shape.[18]

Modern usage[]

Most practitioners of Germanic Neopagan faiths wear Mjǫllnir pendants as a symbol of that faith worldwide. Renditions of Mjǫllnir are designed, crafted and sold by some Germanic Neopagan groups and individuals.

Some controversy has occurred concerning the potential recognition of the symbol as a religious symbol by the United States government. In May 2013 the "Hammer of Thor" was added to the list of United States Department of Veterans Affairs emblems for headstones and markers.[19][20][21]

In the adventures of the Marvel Comics character Thor, based on the Norse god, a magical hammer similarly based on the original Mjǫllnir plays a major role. The Marvel adaptation endowed the hammer with additional powers not attested in the original myth - especially, that when holding it Thor can fly through air at great speed.

Description[]

Characteristics and abilities[]

  • The Mjǫllnir is described as being one of the most fearsome weapons, capable of levelling mountains.
  • After Þórr used the hammer and tossed it against a target, the hammer would levitate by itself, returning to Þórr.
  • Þórr could also cast and then generate lightning with Mjǫllnir.
  • The hammer could destroy, but also revive animals or people or even create.
  • The hammer could also be magically shrunken to fit inside Þórr's shirt.

Other Uses[]

The hammer was used in sacred ceremonies of both birth and death.

Variations[]

Most of the various craft based on the Mjǫllnir, share the celtic symbol of charm, or commonly known as Triquetra.

  • The figure and depiction of the hammer was also used to craft other items, such as pendants.

In Popular Culture[]

Comic books[]

  • In Marvel Comics' Ultimate universe titles, Þórr uses an axe version of the Mjǫllnir. Just as the original version of the hammer, this axe model is able to channel electricity, primarily naturally generated lightnings.

Films[]

  • The axe version of the Mjǫllnir appears again, used by Þórr on the animated feature film Ultimate Avengers.
  • The axe version of the Mjǫllnir is used by Thor against the Chitauri in Ultimate Avengers 2.
  • The Mjǫllnir appears on the 2011 film Thor. In the film, the hammer is stripped from Þórr, who has become unworthy of it, and, as such, Þórr must struggle to learn a lesson of humility and responsibility while being just human, to be worthy of Mjǫllnir and use it to defeat his evil, adoptive brother, Loki, and the Destroyer. In the movie, it is described as being as heavy as a thousand earths to those unworthy, and as light as a feather to those who are worthy. According to Odin, the hammer was forged in the heart of a dying star and has no equal as either a weapon to destroy or as a tool to build. Also, Darcy mispronounces its name as "myeh-myeh".
  • Marvel's Þórr uses the hammer again against Iron Man, Captain America and the hordes of Chitauri on 2012 film The Avengers.
  • Marvel's Þórr uses the hammer in sequels Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok, the latter film in which it is destroyed by Þórr's half-sister, Hela, who was revealed to have wielded it before Þórr.

Video Games[]

  • Mjǫllnir appears as an unlockable weapon in God of War: Ascension in the game’s multiplayer mode.
  • The hammer is mentioned in God of War (2018) by several characters throughout the game. Þórr's sons, Magni and Móði, competed with each other in order to see who would inherit the hammer from their father. It later appears briefly in the game’s secret ending, when Þórr appears outside Kratos' home in a vision.
  • Mjǫllnir appears again in God of War Ragnarök, wielded to deadly effect by Þórr. After Þórr's death, his daughter Þrúdr finds it in Álfheimr and takes it for herself, promising her father she would make him proud.
  • Mjǫllnir can be found in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and is able to be unlocked as a weapon after Eivor finds all the pieces of Þórr's armor scattered throughout the game.
  • Mjǫllnir is referenced in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. In the game's Not A Hero DLC, Chris Redfield is equipped with a semiautomatic shotgun called "Thor’s Hammer - AW Model-02", a clear reference to the mythological weapon.

Gallery[]

Image gallery of Mjǫllnir

See also[]

See also[]

Notes[]

  • Unsourced accounts state the Mjöllnir was only able to be lifted by Þórr, strong enough beings or beings who are worthy of the hammer, though it is not specified in what aspects a being needs to be worthy to lift or wield the hammer.

References[]

  1. "Mjolnir". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
  2. Højbjerg, Martin (2011–2014). "Norse Mythology: Items of the Gods and Goddesses". Norse Mythology. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140521214832/http://viking-mythology.com/items.php. Retrieved June 17, 2014. "Mjölnir is one of the most fearsome weapons, capable of leveling mountains. Thor's hammer can hit any target. After the target is hit, the hammer will return to Þórr's right hand all by itself. The hammer can send out lightning bolts." 
  3. Campbell, Hank (February 19, 2013). "Is Thor Mighty Or Just Magic?". Science 2.0. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. http://www.science20.com/science_20/thor_mighty_or_just_magic-104019. Retrieved June 17, 2014. "Science 2.0 fave Dr. Neil Tyson recently tried to bring back the 'Þórr is really strong' concept by stating 'If Þórr's hammer is made of neutron-star matter, implied by legend, then it weighs as much as a herd of 300-billion elephants' which means only someone really strong could lift it. Of course, it also means it would be changing Earth's gravitational field..." 
  4. Barnett, Laura (May 22, 2011). "Another View on Thor: Hammer supplier Amanda Coffman sizes up the mystical properties of Mjölnir in Kenneth Branagh's Thor". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2011/may/22/amanda-coffman-thor-kenneth-branagh. Retrieved June 17, 2014. "Mjölnir is so powerful it can level entire mountains. I can't imagine any of our hammers doing that, but some models are pretty strong: they're used for breaking up concrete, knocking paving slabs into place, and in the manufacture of cars and aeroplanes. There's a little leather strap on Þórr's hammer, too, for attaching it to his wrist. I'm not sure why that's there, really. None of our hammers have that. Þórr doesn't even use his." 
  5. Old Norse mala, Gothic, Old High German and Old Saxon malan, compared to Lithuanian malŭ, malti, Latvian maíu, Old Church Slavonic meljǫ, mlěti, Old Irish melim, Greek μύλλω (μυλjω), Latin molō "to grind"; Sanskrit mr̥ṇā́ti "to crush, smash, slay". Grimm, Deutsches Wörterbuch; Derksen (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, p. 307.
  6. Turville-Petre, E.O.G. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. London: Weidfeld and Nicoson, 1998. p. 81. "It is tempting to postulate a base-meaning [of Hittite malatt- "(sledge)hammer, bludgeon, cudgel, club, mace"] 'mill(ing), grindstone' [...] grindstones as divine thunder weapons: OCS mlatu, Russian molot '(sledge)hammer', Russian molnija and Welsh mellt 'lightning', Þórr's 'hammer' Möllnir and the Latvian Perkons with his milna [...] Cf. Puhvel, Comparative Mythology 226-7 [1987] Jaan Puhvel (2004), Hittite Etymological Dictionary: Words beginning with M, Walter de Gruyter, s.v. malatt-, p. 28.
  7. Werner: "Herkuleskeule und Donar-Amulett". in: Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz, Nr. 11, Mainz, 1966.
  8. Joh. Adolf Heyl, Volkssagen, Bräuche und Meinungen aus Tirol (Brixen: Verlag der Buchhandlung des Kath.-polit. Pressvereins, 1897), p. 804.
  9. Turville-Petre, E.O.G. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1964. p. 83. A recent discovery of a specimen took place in 2012 in Denmark (part of the Strandby Hoard); a pendant necklace in silver of Þórr's Hammer discovered during an archaeological dig last year Danish museum officials said Thursday May 16, 2013 that an archaeological dig last year has revealed 365 items from the Viking era, including 60 rare coins. Associated Press Template:Webarchive, May 2013; strandbyskatten.dk/thors-hammer-fra-skatten Template:Webarchive.
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-07-17. http://www.schoyencollection.com/religions.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-13. Schoyen Collection, MS 1708 Template:Webarchive
  11. This has been interpreted as the property of a craftsman "hedging his bets" by catering to both a Christian and a pagan clientele."Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-02-11. http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/hvitkrst.shtml. Retrieved 2007-12-13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-06-29. http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/mold801.jpg. Retrieved 2007-12-13. 
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-02-23. http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/viking-hammer-of-thor-unearthed-140702.htm. Retrieved 2015-02-22. 
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-07-02. http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/06/2014/the-hammer-of-thor. Retrieved 2014-06-29. 
  14. Holtgård, Anders (1998). "Runeninschriften und Runendenkmäler als Quellen der Religionsgeschichte". In Düwel, Klaus; Nowak, Sean. Runeninschriften als Quellen Interdisziplinärer Forschung: Abhandlungen des Vierten Internationalen Symposiums über Runen und Runeninschriften in Göttingen vom 4–9 August 1995. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. pp. 727. ISBN 3-11-015455-2. Archived from the original on 10 November 2015. https://books.google.com/books?id=KYqsisEVQHEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=&f=false. 
  15. McKinnell, John; Simek, Rudolf; Düwel, Klaus (2004). "Gods and Mythological Beings in the Younger Futhark". Runes, Magic and Religion: A Sourcebook. Vienna: Fassbaender. pp. 116–133. ISBN 3-900538-81-6. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. http://dro.dur.ac.uk/1053/1/1053.pdf. 
  16. Turville-Petre, E.O.G. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1964. p. 82–83.
  17. Mayr-Harting, Henry, The Coming of Christianity to Anglo-Saxon England Template:Webarchive (1991), p. 3: "Many cremation pots of the early Anglo-Saxons have the swastika sign marked on them, and in some the swastikas seems to be confronted with serpents or dragons in a decorative design. This is a clear reference to the greatest of all Þórr's struggles, that with the World Serpent which lay coiled round the earth." Christopher R. Fee, David Adams Leeming, Gods, Heroes, and Kings: The Battle for Mythic Britain (2001), p. 31: "The image of Thor's weapon spinning end-over-end through the heavens is captured in art as a swastika symbol (common in Indo-European art, and indeed beyond); this symbol is—as one might expect—widespread in Scandinavia, but it also is common on Anglo-Saxon grave goods of the pagan period, notably in East Anglia and Kent."
  18. Thomas Wilson (1894)"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-12-14. http://www.northvegr.org/lore/swastika/005.php. Retrieved 2007-12-13. , citing Waring, Ceramic Art in Remote Ages, p. 12.
  19. "National Cemetery Administration: Available Emblems of Belief for Placement on Government Headstones and Markers". U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. http://www.cem.va.gov/hmm/emblems.asp. Retrieved 12 May 2013. "55 – Hammer of Thor" 
  20. Elysia. "Hammer of Thor now VA accepted symbol of faith". Llewellyn. Archived from the original on 12 June 2013. http://www.llewellyn.com/blog/2013/05/hammer-of-thor-now-va-accepted-symbol-of-faith/. Retrieved 12 May 2013. 
  21. Brownlee, John (July 9, 2013). "How Thor's Hammer Made Its Way Onto Soldiers' Headstones: Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, is a weapon of honor and virtue, making it an appealing icon for American soldiers. But its path to becoming an acceptable headstone symbol was anything but easy.". www.fastcodesign.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2014. http://www.fastcodesign.com/1672968/how-thors-hammer-made-its-way-onto-soldiers-headstones. Retrieved June 17, 2014. "In Norse mythology, Mjölnir (which means "crusher" or "grinder") is a fearsome weapon that can destroy entire mountains with a single blow.... On May 10, 2013, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs quietly made an update to its official list of approved emblems, adding Thor's hammer, Mjölnir." 
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