The myth of Thor, god of thunder

The myth of Thor is one of the oldest in the world and also one of the most famous in Nordic culture. So profound was the impact of this myth that it survived the Christianization of the Scandinavian countries.. In fact, in the 21st century he has believers who see him as a sacred figure in the so-called “neo-paganism.”

One of the most striking aspects of the Thor myth is that This god had influence over many different areas at the same time. Although he stood out for his role as a reckless and bellicose warrior, the truth is that aspects as dissimilar as protection, climate, justice, battles and travel were also dedicated to him.

In addition, The myth of Thor describes this character as a god wise and thoughtful, very skilled at mind games. On the other hand, he was associated with fertility, since he was the god of lightning, bringer of rain and essential for crops to flourish and wine to mature. As was usual among the gods, Thor also had magical powers.

The origin of the myth of Thor

The myth of Thor says that this character was the son of Odin, supreme god of the Norse. Her mother was the goddess Jöro, the personification of the Earth. Her father, also called Wotan, was a complex and ambivalent being. He was associated with poetry and inspiration, but at the same time with fury and madness.

Thor, on the other hand, was a more consistent figure. Perhaps for this reason, Despite not being the supreme god, his cult was more widespread than that of Odin. The latter had three sons: Vali, Balder and Tho, the most notable of them all. As a whole, the gods had been created from the elm and ash trees.

Unlike other mythologies, in the Norse and German mythologies the gods were mortal and They were dominated by the force of destiny which was called “Ragnarök”. This is a great battle at the end of the universe in which the gods must face the ice giants, their eternal rivals. They must fight until they die and from the survivors the new world will be born.

Thor, a god with powers

The myth of Thor indicates that this god married Sif, goddess of fidelity and crops. It is said that she had long golden hair and that unleashed the envy of Loki, god of fraud. He took advantage of the fact that she was sleeping and cut her braids, but was surprised by Thor. Loki, scared, commissioned some dwarves to make golden hair for Sif, which would grow like natural hair.

Thor had two sons, Modi and Magni, and a daughter, Thrudr. The god of thunder became famous for his magic hammer, called Mjolnir. This had been made by some dwarfs who, bothered by a botfly, made the mistake of leaving a handle that was too short.

The hammer had the property of never missing the target and always returning to the hands of its owner.. Thor wore iron gloves so as not to be hurt by the magic weapon. Likewise, the hammer could be picked up and carried discreetly. It shot lightning bolts and the myth of Thor indicates that it was also a symbol and an amulet.

Thor traveled in a chariot pulled by two goats: Gnashing Teeth and Glittering Teeth.. They had the peculiarity that the god could roast them and eat them if he was hungry. He just had to leave his bones intact. Then, with a single touch of his magic hammer, the animals came to life and took their original form. In this way, the god of thunder was also the creator of life.

An unexpected end

Thor professed great antipathy towards giants and dwarves.. One of the latter wanted to marry his daughter. He was called “Alviss”, which meant ‘he who knows all things’. The god of thunder told her that he would give her his daughter if she answered all the questions she asked him. Alviss accepted and hours and hours passed like that, until sunlight arrived, and it turned him into stone.

The myth of Thor says that the god also had a belt that doubled his strength. With these great powers he lived great adventures and stood out for his courage and fierceness in combat. However, he had to face a giant snake and this marked the end of him.

The serpent, sired by Loki, Thor’s old enemy, launched a savage attack against the god. He managed to put his poison. Thor throws his hammer at it and manages to kill the beast, but it was too late: he was poisoned. Thus he died and passed into eternity at the same time.

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