Thor is an UNMISSABLE god of Asgard. The thunder god, son of Odin, is handsome, brave, and has incredible charisma. And today, I want you to learn more about this great guy. So read very carefully the lines that follow.
Who is Thor in Norse mythology?
Thor, son of Odin
Thor is the son of Odin, the lord of Asgard. Odin is a God with great wisdom. He is calm, thoughtful, and never makes decisions in haste. His mother is the goddess Jörd, said to be the personification of the Earth (yep, that’s right). Her name is often heard in Scandinavian poems when speaking of the Earth.
Thor is the husband of the goddess Sif with golden hair (you guessed it, she has a stunning blonde mane). Thor is also the God of strength and thunder. But he is much more than that. People invoked Thor’s name to seal contracts and marriages, for example. He was also worshipped to grant his protection to travelers… and of course for battles!
And in a few lines, we’ll see how Loki the trickster almost got a beating from Thor… because he had annoyed Sif! But just before that… I need to tell you a bit more about Thor’s personality.
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The personality of Thor in Norse Mythology
I’m sure you’ve already watched the Marvel movies with Thor played by Chris Hemsworth, the Australian actor. You know, the tall blond muscular guy with a neatly trimmed little beard? Well, that’s not really the Thor we know from Norse mythology. Thor had a big red beard and thick eyebrows (red too). He had a very rugged face marked by life.
Moreover, Thor is said to have had a very powerful and deep voice that could drown out the noise caused by a battlefield… in short, the guy could really belt it out! Otherwise, in terms of his personality… he is the complete opposite of his father Odin!
Thor? He’s not the kind of guy who thinks for 3 hours before doing something. He is impulsive, fearless, and very instinctive. Like if you start annoying him a bit too much… he’ll throw his hammer at your head. Yep, he’s not very diplomatic, that guy. Besides, it is said that Thor has limitless courage and loves fighting… which makes him a perfect warrior!
He is even feared by the race of Giants (the great enemies of the Gods of Asgard). Oh, and one more little detail. Thor is known for getting up early in the morning. He is someone determined and enthusiastic who bites into life (just like his enemies) with full force!
Thor, the God who stands out
Thor is incredibly popular today… and probably even more than Odin now! (the number of Google searches proves it). But then why is Odin, the lord of the Gods, less popular than his son?
First of all, you should know that between the years 800 - 1100 AD, Thor’s popularity reached a peak. After that, it got a bit more complicated when the Christians came… but that’s another story. At the time, many children were named Thor… the belief was that this would allow the child to be under the protection of the God of thunder.
And today, Thor is widely popularized by the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe company. We discover a tall, muscular, and charismatic blond on the screen! So naturally, it makes everyone dream.
Sif, Loki, and the little joke…
Loki is a little prankster… But sometimes he goes a bit too far (okay, it happens often). This time, Loki had cut off the beautiful blonde hair of Thor’s wife, the goddess Sif. Needless to say, when Thor found out… he was furious with Loki. So, being the good diplomat he is… he threatened him with death if Loki didn’t quickly fix his mistake (I told you, the guy is straightforward)!
So Loki went to the dwarves to have a golden hairpiece made. (the wig was supposed to be stylish). It was the dwarves Brokk and Eitri who successfully took care of it. But they weren’t going to stop there...
The little-known story of Thor’s hammer
So first of all, this hammer has a little name: Mjöllnir. And it has its own little story! When Loki went to see the dwarves to fix his mistake… well, he didn’t stop there! The God of trickery provoked the two dwarves by telling them they were incapable of making such a precious weapon.
Naturally, the dwarves, hurt in their ego, set out to make a mythical weapon… So the dwarves Brokk and Eitri roll up their sleeves, light the forge and bellows, and start creating the weapon. Everything goes well… until Loki turns into a fly (yes, he’s a shapeshifting God) and bites the dwarf forging the hammer until he bleeds.
Despite that, the dwarf continued… but the weapon still had one flaw… the hammer’s handle would be a bit short. But it’s not a big deal, the newly created weapon is super powerful and controls the power of sparkling lightning. So the dwarves decide to give it to Thor.
Thor and Loki… a special relationship
At first glance, one might think these two hate each other… but it’s much more complex than that. Sometimes allies and best friends, sometimes enemies… I like to see Thor and Loki as magnets. They constantly attract and repel each other.
And for good reason, Loki is the exact opposite of Thor. He is very thoughtful, calm, intelligent, foresighted, and inventive! While Thor is more like a mountain of muscles who is never afraid and is there whenever needed. So in the end… the two are very complementary.
It all depends on Loki’s mood… because it’s true that sometimes he teases the God of Thunder a bit too much… like we saw with his little joke on Sif, Thor’s wife.
Thor during Ragnarök
Ragnarök is the end of the world for the Vikings… but it also marks a period of renewal. During Ragnarök, Thor will face the world serpent Jormungand who lives in the waters of Midgard (the middle earth and the humans’ land). He will win his last battle… but will perish afterwards because of the serpent’s venom flowing through his veins.
To finish…
Thor is a simple guy. He loves women. He loves big feasts. And he adores violent fights. He is a very popular Norse God at the time (when children were named after him)… and even today where movies and comics are dedicated to him.
And for good reason, the guy is brave and isn’t afraid to fight anyone (even very strong giants)! I’d say Thor can be a model of courage and execution… like the guy is not a procrastinator. However, it’s still cool to be inspired by Loki’s qualities… because he’s really clever after all!
What are Thor’s powers?
Thor, that big muscular bearded guy who loves fighting… And do you know why he loves brawling so much? Well, it’s because the guy has lots of powers… so naturally it’s much easier for him to be the winner on the battlefields! Well, it’s kind of normal that Thor has so much power… after all, he is the son of Odin, the lord of the Gods and the boss of Asgard.
It’s true that Thor has many powers and qualities in himself… but the guy is also lucky to have Mjöllnir by his side. Oh, you don’t know who Mjöllnir is? It’s simply his hammer forged by the most talented dwarves of the 9 worlds.
Mjöllnir grants Thor many powers. The two are inseparable, that’s why in the following lines I will present to you the powers of Thor and his divine hammer. Anyway, now that you know everything, I can reveal to you what Thor’s powers are, son of Odin and God of thunder.
#1. Thor controls the elements
No need to be a genius to guess that Thor, the God of thunder, can control the elements. But well, I remind you because it’s still really cool. The guy controls the weather, simply put. He can make it rain, call the thunder, the wind, or even the snow! Yep, just that.
But he couldn’t control the weather without his hammer. Indeed, it’s Mjöllnir that allows him to control the elements! And as you’ll see in the following lines… Luckily Thor has his hammer, it’s essential for the God. And Thor knows it, Mjöllnir is the apple of his eye and he wouldn’t want to lose it for anything in the world.
By the way, one day he even disguised himself as a woman to get it back because a giant had stolen it… So for Thor to dress as a woman… it means he’s very attached to his hammer. Because he’s not the kind of guy who cross-dresses for fun. Anyway, let’s move on directly to another power of the heir to the throne of Asgard.
#2. Thor’s Herculean strength
Thor is a tough guy. Yep, to carry and wield Mjöllnir, the sacred hammer, you have to be really strong. And Thor is. But did you know that at first he couldn’t lift his hammer? Yep, he had to wear a belt that doubles his power to be able to enjoy the limitless power of Mjöllnir!
According to some fans, Thor would be as strong as Hercules (the son of Zeus)... and he could even beat Hulk. That says a lot about the guy’s strength! It’s also a trait that makes him an excellent warrior on the battlefield. Legend even says he led the Vikings of Midgard to victory in battles.
#3. Thor is enduring
Well yes, it’s cool to be strong… but if you can’t last through a battle it’s useless ! That’s why Thor, besides being strong, is a very enduring God who can fight for centuries without getting too tired.
And it’s important for him to be enduring because Thor is the guardian of men (that’s also why he is so revered). And Midgard, the Earth where men live, is not a place for the faint-hearted.
Indeed, the Earth is surrounded by a giant serpent that is quite nasty… in fact, Thor will face this very serpent at Ragnarök… and after killing the beast, he will perish from its poison.
#4. Thor the traveler
You should know that Thor has two goats to pull his chariot, the goats are called: Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. But beware… these are not normal goats you find in the fields. Yes, these goats allow him to travel between the 9 worlds. Because yes, according to Norse mythology there are 9 worlds all connected to the tree Yggdrasil.
But that’s not all! When Thor is hungry… well, he eats his goats. But don’t worry… once he has eaten them, he resurrects them thanks to his hammer Mjöllnir. There is just one condition… not to break the animals’ bones.
#5. Long lifespan
A God as powerful as Thor living only a human lifetime? That doesn’t make sense. That’s why he has a long lifespan… and do you know the little secret to youth of the God of thunder and the Gods of Asgard?
It’s because he eats the apples of Idunn (also called apples of youth) which come from the goddess of youth Idunn. And as soon as you eat these apples, you become younger. It’s as simple as that! So whenever the Gods feel a bit old (because yes, originally they are mortal and age), they take a little apple of Idunn.
#6. Thor’s Energy Blast
Thor, with his hammer Mjöllnir, can create powerful blasts of energy that can destroy enemies around him in seconds. This is pretty useful on the battlefield. The energy blast is also called anti-force. In short, a great asset when it comes to fighting.
#7. Purging oneself
Once again, this is not a power of Thor… but of his divine hammer Mjöllnir. In reality, Thor doesn’t have the ability to regenerate on demand like Wolverine… so he needs something against poison because otherwise he would be too vulnerable.
Especially against his eternal enemy, the world serpent Jörmungand which is very venomous and aggressive. That’s why Mjöllnir can purge its wielder’s body (in this case Thor) of all toxins and poisons. Pretty handy, right? The only catch… this power of the hammer Mjöllnir wasn’t enough to save him from the venom of the world serpent Jörmungand during their battle at Ragnarök.
To finish…
Well, you got it. Thor is a guy you'd rather have on your team when you go to war. The guy is reckless, brave, afraid of nothing... and he's always there when it's time to fight! He's even often called the God of War... that's saying something.
So here it is... you were wondering what Thor's powers are... now you know everything! And you even know that Thor, in the end, is not a god with a lot of power directly. He relies heavily on his hammer forged by two talented dwarves to help him in the wars he fights.
In my opinion, Mjöllnir is MORE powerful than Thor... but the two are inseparable. Mjöllnir cannot be wielded by anyone other than Thor. In the Marvel movie "End Game" we see Captain America use the hammer... but in Norse mythology, it doesn't work like that (there is no Captain America haha)! Now you know everything!
What are Thor's feats of arms?
With parents like Thor's... Thor's destiny was bound to be exceptional... and it turned out to be TRUE! That's why I'm going to reveal to you 6 little-known feats accomplished by Thor himself. In the following lines, you will discover:
- Why Thor had to disguise himself as a woman...
- The reason why Thor smashed the skull of a giant who had done nothing...
- Why Thor terrorized a peasant family because of two goats...
- How Thor trapped a giant to go fight his greatest enemy...
- The strange reason why Thor was barefoot in the water trying to catch a salmon...
So stay with me for a few minutes to learn all about Thor and his little-known stories... I promise, you'll love it! Without further ado, let's start:
A giant thief... and Thor disguised as a bride
I admit this story really made me laugh the first time I heard it! Let me tell you all about it. Thor was sleeping peacefully. His hammer was near him and everything was perfect. The problem? When he woke up, his hammer was gone! Furious, he searched everywhere but in vain... completely lost, Thor calls on Loki to help him.
In no time, Loki gets to work and finds that the hammer is with the giant Thrym. And he agrees to return the hammer if the Gods of Asgard offer him the hand of the goddess Freyja. But she refuses (and understandably so, given the giant's appearance).
So here is Loki’s plan… They disguise Thor as a bride so he can impersonate Freyja and Loki will accompany him, disguised as a servant. The two accomplices go to the feast organized by the giant… and everything goes well. The giant notices nothing!
But everything is about to change. Tradition requires the giant to place the hammer on the bride’s lap… Thrym complies. As soon as Thor finds Mjöllnir on his lap… he grabs it and smashes the giant as well as all his family present at the feast! Yes, Thor does not joke, especially when someone touches his hammer!
The betrayed giant with a smashed skull
One fine day, a master builder offers his fortress-building services to the Gods of Asgard… The builder promises to build a fortress in only 1 and a half years… a fortress that would protect the Gods from the Giants. And he asks for only one thing in return, the hand of the goddess Freyja. The Gods do not take him seriously, everyone thinks he will never succeed. So the Gods accept the offer.
And then surprise… the builder progresses very quickly, which worries the Gods who ask Loki for a trick to slow down the builder. Loki by an unfair method distracts the builder's horse, necessary for the fortress construction… And this drives the builder mad, revealing to the Gods that he is actually a Giant! And that’s when Thor arrives to smash his skull with his hammer. Fast. Simple. Effective. That’s Thor.
The Goats and the Farmers
Thor and Loki are welcomed by a farmer. Thor then offers the farmer's family to eat his goats but warns the family not to break the goats' bones. Because yes, Thor can resurrect his goats but cannot repair their bones. You guessed it, a farmer breaks a bone to get the marrow… and of course Thor did not like that. Terrified, the farmer offers his two children as servants to Thor (better not joke with Thor).
The Giant, the Fishing, and the Serpent
This time Thor appeared as a young boy. The story takes place with the giant Hymir who had hosted him for the night. In the morning, Thor offers to accompany him fishing, and the God of thunder brings a bull's head as bait. They set out to sea at high speed.
Very quickly, the Giant becomes worried… because he knows very well that if they go too far they will surely encounter the terrible world serpent named Jörmungand… So the giant tries to turn back… but Thor stops him!
Then he throws the hook into the water… and guess who bites the hook? Exactly, the world serpent! Thor pulls with all his strength and prepares to strike the world serpent with his hammer… but the giant, completely panicked, quickly cuts the fishing line and moves away with his boat. Of course Thor was furious and he did not fail to strike the giant!
Murder, Salmon and Punishment
The Gods learn that Loki killed Baldr (God of light and beauty). So after Baldr’s funeral… it’s time to make Loki pay. To hide, Loki will transform into a salmon and jump into the water. The clever Gods use a fishing net and go up the river to find Loki.
But Loki is quick, and jumps over the net! This time Thor is in the middle of the river… and as soon as Loki jumps, Thor grabs him by the tail! The Gods of Asgard then bring Loki while taking his sons Vali and Narfi and transform them, the first into a wolf so he can devour his brother (yep, it’s cruel). Then, with Narfi’s intestines, the Gods will bind Loki to a stone and place a serpent right in front of him that spits venom directly on his face.
The pain is unbearable… But Loki will remain there enduring this fate until Ragnarök when his chains (well, his son’s intestines) will break.
To finish…
There you go, you know more than 99% of people about Thor now. Yes, these stories are little known, and for good reason they are directly taken from the text Gylfaginning which is the cornerstone of Norse mythology.
Thor and Jörmungand his greatest enemy
Thor and Jörmungand… they are not the best of friends, far from it! And in a few lines I will reveal to you why. Now that I have introduced Thor to you… let me tell you a bit more about Jörmungand the world serpent. And for that… I’m going to tell you the story of his childhood…
The birth of Jörmungand
I'm sure you know the creator of the world serpent Jörmungand… his nickname? Loki, the God of deception and dirty tricks, in short, a not very trustworthy guy. Jörmungand is therefore the offspring of Loki and the Ice Giantess Angrboda… but wait, the little couple didn’t just have Jörmungand.
These two are also the origin of the birth of the raging wolf Fenrir (who scares even the Gods of Asgard) and the goddess of the world of the dead named Hel. In short, real little demons in the making. But let's get back to Jörmungand, the world serpent. The Gods of Asgard know very well that according to prophecy, the children of Loki and the Giantess will cause their downfall. So naturally… they had to act.
Odin, the lord of the Aesir Gods, orders that Loki’s children be seized… and they managed to capture Jörmungand. But Odin will not kill the beast (though that was his goal)… he will throw the serpent Jörmungand into the sea of Midgard, the land where humans live. The serpent Jörmungand does not die because it grows fast… and quickly, its body will encircle the world of men called Midgard. Now that you know where Jörmungand comes from, I will tell you stories linking this serpent to Thor… and you will see why they are not very friendly.
The anecdote of the cat to lift
One fine day Thor was at the castle of the Giant king Útgarða-Loki (the name is too hard to pronounce, don’t even try). And you might know… the Gods of Asgard and the Giants… well, they’re not really friends! The two sides have a heavy history but now they are in “truce”.
Anyway, even if there is a truce, there is still rivalry between the two sides. So when Thor arrives at the castle… the Giants can’t help but play a trick on him. So the Giants issue a somewhat strange challenge, seemingly easy, to the God of thunder… to lift a cat! So Thor approaches the cat… he gathers all his strength and tries to lift it, in vain. Impossible to move it, it’s as if it were glued to the ground.
But the Giants are not mocking… because Thor still managed to lift a paw of the feline. And the Gylfaginning tells us that actually the cat was a visual illusion… and that Thor was trying to lift the world serpent Jörmungand instead of the cat! And that’s why the Giants were shocked by Thor’s strength.
The first encounter of Thor and Jörmungand
Thor had disguised himself as a child and went to see a Giant named Hymir… the God of thunder begged the Giant to take him fishing. Thor had even brought a bull’s head with him to use as bait (yeah, that’s a change from little worms). The Giant agrees to take him, and the two companions set out to sea. Everything goes normally… but Thor, God of thunder, wants the Giant to take him even further from the land’s coast… Hymir refuses because he knows very well that the world serpent Jörmungand would be nearby.
The fishing continues… while the Giant Hymir catches two whales… something bites Thor’s hook. Thor, with his Herculean strength, pulls the line with all his might and manages to bring out the serpent and then strike it with his hammer! The world serpent Jörmungand takes a hit and retreats into the water. Hymir is not happy about this incident… he sets sail towards the coast to get away from the sea monster.
On the way back, the Giant supposedly doubted Thor’s strength… well, that annoyed Thor a bit who ended up killing him (as I told you, the boy is impulsive). This is one version of this anecdote between Thor and Jörmungand, the story can depend on the texts.
Ragnarök, Thor vs Jörmungand
The Norse prophecy said that Loki’s offspring would cause the downfall of the Aesir Gods (the Gods of Asgard). And it didn’t miss. Norse mythology tells that a huge war would break out between the Giants, led by the God of deception Loki and the Gods of Asgard, on the plain of Vigrid.
This war is called Ragnarök. And it’s kind of the end of a world for the Vikings. But it’s also the event that marks a renewal, a new era. It’s not only a negative event. In short, during Ragnarok the chains made by the dark elves to imprison the wolf Fenrir will break… and the beast will be released, expressing its anger on the Gods of Asgard.
Loki, who is tied to a rock with the guts of his offspring and a serpent spitting venom on his face, will also be freed from his bonds. And as for the world serpent Jörmungand… he will rush with his father and brother onto human lands causing a massive tsunami. The battle is immense. And during it, Thor, Odin’s son, faces Jörmungand, the immense serpent of Midgard.
Thor manages to defeat Jörmungand… but not without difficulty. The serpent poisoned him with its venom. Thor, the great God of thunder, only takes 9 more steps before dying from his wounds. Ragnarok is a true bloodbath. Most of the Gods of Asgard and the men of Midgard will perish in the battle… leaving a ravaged world behind.
Yes, Ragnarok is a bit less funny than everything else but that’s what makes the magic, the complexity, and the fascinating side of Viking mythology. Not everything is so rosy… the good guys don’t always win. And I think it’s a beautiful life message and it makes Norse mythology even more thrilling!
To finish…
You’ve probably figured it out… Thor and Jörmungand are not exactly best friends. It all started when Loki and the Giantess gave birth to the serpent… mythology already said this serpent would kill the Gods. So naturally… Jörmungand was not welcome. And when he was little, Odin threw him into the sea. In a way, we can understand why the beast was angry at the Gods of Asgard.
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