Blog & lookbook - Pagan Symbolism: Donar's Clubs

Donarknots, Donar club, or Hercules club was a type of Germanic ornament that was worn throughout Germanic Europe during the late Roman Empire and the Migration Period. The Donarsknots can be compared to Thor’s hammer from the Viking Age. In this blog, we will explore the meaning of this protective amulet.

Indo-European Thunder Gods

Around 3000 BC, the Proto-Indo-Europeans migrated from the Pontic–Caspian steppe into Europe. In doing so, they laid the foundation for cultures such as the Vikings, Romans, Greeks, and Celts. Based on archaeology, comparative religious studies, and historical linguistics, we know a great deal about the society of the Proto-Indo-European steppe herders. We have even been able to reconstruct part of their pantheon.

*Perkʷūnos, the Thunder God

*Perkʷūnos is the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European god of lightning and storms. His name likely means “Lord of the Oaks.” This god is often depicted wielding a weapon such as a hammer, axe, or club. Lightning and thunder had both a destructive and a life-giving significance: lightning could split a tree but also bring nourishing rain.

Perkʷūnos was frequently associated with oaks, as these trees are often struck by lightning. In addition, he was linked in stories with stones, forests, and mountainous regions.

Gods descending from Perkʷūnos appear throughout European mythologies. Examples include the Norse Fjǫrgyn (the mother of Thor), the Lithuanian Perkūnas, and the Slavic Perun. The name of the Hercynian Forest—an ancient woodland mentioned in classical sources—may also derive from the word *perkʷu- meaning “oak.” The Albanian thunder god Perëndi also appears related, his name being derived from words associated with “heaven” and “to strike.” In the Vedic tradition, Parjánya serves a similar role as the god of rain, thunder, and lightning.

In myths, the motif of Perkʷūnos as a warrior plays an important role. He smites demons, enemies, and evil forces.

Another group of thunder gods is connected with the Indo-European root *(s)tenh₂, which means “thunder.” This group includes Germanic, Celtic, and Roman deities such as Donar, Thor, Taranis, Jupiter, Tonans, and Zeus Keraunos.

Some researchers believe that these gods originally emerged from a nickname or title—for instance, the Vedic Parjánya, who is also known as “Thunderer” (stanayitnú-).

Even the Roman god Mars, who originally had a stronger association with storms and thunder, may trace his origins to this tradition. His transformation into a god of war demonstrates how the image and role of deities can change over time while many of their original characteristics remain intact.

The Storm God in the Creation Myth

During the Roman period, Donar (the West Germanic equivalent of Thor) was often identified through interpretatio romana as Jupiter or Hercules, due to similarities such as those between Thor’s hammer and Hercules’ club. While the Germanic god Wodan was revered exclusively by the aristocracy, Donar was venerated by all levels of society. A similar phenomenon is seen in classical antiquity, where Hercules was widely depicted and popular among all people.

Tacitus records in Germania that the Suebi worshipped Mercury (Odin), Hercules (Donar), and Mars (Týr). In his Annals he mentions a forest dedicated to Hercules in northwestern Germany. The Germans extolled Hercules as their foremost hero before going into battle. The god Hercules Magusanus in Germania Inferior may possibly be connected to the Germanic god Þunraz.

The name Donar appears for the first time on the Nordendorf fibulae from the Migration Period, with the inscription “Þonar” (Donar). Old English texts from the 8th century mention Thunor, the Saxon version of Donar, which is also associated with the Old English terms þunorrād (“thunder ride”) and a fiery axe in the riddle text Salomo and Saturnus.

A 9th-century codex from Mainz lists the names Wodan, Saxnôte, and Thunaer (Donar), renounced as demons upon conversion to Christianity. In the 8th century, Boniface felled the Donar oak in Hesse, which was dedicated to Jupiter.

An 11th-century Kentish legend tells of a reeve named Thunor who was swallowed by the earth at þunores hlæwe (“Thunor’s mound”), indicating a blurring of Donar’s identity as the same god.

Donar Clubs

Clubs from the Roman period, produced from the 2nd to the 3rd century, were distributed throughout the empire, including Roman Britain. They were usually crafted in gold and fashioned in the shape of a wooden club. One example from Cologne-Nippes bears the inscription “DEO HER[culi],” which confirms the connection with Hercules.

There were two main types of clubs: a smaller type of about 3 cm, cast in molds, and a larger type of about 5 cm, made from sheet metal. A bronze votive club from Willingham Fen follows the Roman design but incorporates Celtic elements, such as animal heads, human figures, and a wheel (a sun wheel) at the base of the club.

During the Migration Period—from the 5th to the 7th century—the amulet spread rapidly from the Elbe region throughout Europe. These Germanic Donarknots were made of deer antler, bone, or wood, and sometimes of bronze or precious metals. They have been found exclusively in female graves and were worn as a pendant on a belt or as an earring.

In the course of the 8th and 9th centuries, during the Christianization of Scandinavia, these amulets were replaced by Thor’s hammer, a symbol that became characteristic of the Viking Age.