The Viking God Thor: The Most Revered God in the Old Norse Pantheon. More than a thousand Thor’s hammers have been found, and the god was worshipped throughout the Viking world. While Odin was primarily the god of the aristocracy, Thor was revered by other classes as well. Thor’s hammers were worn by both men and women. In this blog, we explore the extensive history of this popular god and his symbolism.
Indo-European Weather Gods
Around 3000 BCE, the Proto-Indo-Europeans migrated from the Pontic-Caspian steppe into Europe, laying 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 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 life-giving significance: lightning could split a tree, but it also brought fertile rain.
Perkʷūnos was often associated with oaks, as they are frequently struck by lightning. Additionally, he was linked in stories to stones, forests, and mountainous regions.
Gods descending from Perkʷūnos can be found throughout European mythologies. Examples include the Norse Fjǫrgyn (Thor’s mother), 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- for “oak.” Similarly, the Albanian thunder god Perëndi appears related, with his name derived from words referring to “sky” and “striking.” In the Vedic tradition, Parjánya fulfills a similar role as the god of rain, thunder, and lightning.
In myths, the motif of Perkʷūnos as a warrior plays a major role. He strikes down demons, enemies, and malevolent forces.
Another group of thunder gods is connected to the Indo-European root *(s)tenh₂, meaning “thunder.” This group includes Germanic, Celtic, and Roman gods such as Thor, Taranis, Jupiter Tonans, and Zeus Keraunos.
Some researchers believe that these gods originally arose from a nickname or title, similar to the Vedic Parjánya, who is also called "the Thunderer" (stanayitnú-).
Even the Roman god Mars, who initially had a stronger connection to storms and thunder, may have descended from this lineage. His transformation into a war god illustrates how the image and role of gods could change over time while retaining many of their original attributes.
The Storm God in the Creation Myth
The storm god Perkʷūnos also plays a role in the Proto-Indo-European creation myth. In this story, the first man, *Manu, and his twin brother, *Yemo, travel through the universe, accompanied by a primordial cow. To create the world, Manu sacrifices his brother.
With the help of celestial gods, Manu uses Yemo’s body to form the earth and humanity. This act makes Manu the first priest. From Yemo’s body, the social classes emerge: priests from his head, warriors from his chest and arms, and farmers from his legs.
The third man, Trito, receives sacred cattle from the gods as a gift. However, a three-headed serpent, *Ngwhi, steals them. With the help of the Storm God, Trito defeats the serpent and returns the cattle to a priest so they can be sacrificed. This myth highlights the storm god’s role as a warrior deity.
Nordic Bronze Age
Thor is one of many thunder gods in various mythologies who wield a hammer-like weapon, often associated with lightning, fire, and weather changes.
Rock carvings from the Nordic Bronze Age depict figures with hammers or axes. Some scholars consider these images as precursors to Mjölnir. Rudolf Simek suggests that these figures indicate an early use of Mjölnir as a sacred instrument, likely in a fertility cult, as many of these motifs appear alongside the sun wheel. The underlying belief may have been that strong warriors also made fertile partners.
Goats and Bucks
Indo-European thunder gods are often associated with goats or bucks. Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr are the two goats that pull Thor’s chariot in Norse mythology. Their names mean “teeth grinder” and “thin teeth,” respectively.
In the Poetic Edda, they are briefly mentioned in the poems Hymiskviða and Þrymskviða, where they aid Thor’s journey to Jötunheimr. In the Prose Edda, a detailed story tells how Thor slaughters his goats to feed a peasant family. After eating their meat, he revives them, but one of the goats becomes lame because the family's daughter, Þjálfi, sucked the marrow from one of its bones. As a result, she and her brother Röskva become Thor’s servants.
The goats are associated with the idea of regeneration, similar to the mythical beast Sæhrímnir, which is eaten every night and restored each day. This theme of self-replenishing food is comparable to Scandinavian folk tales about magical food and may have a shamanistic background.
The ibex is seen as a fertility symbol throughout the Indo-European world, likely because its mating season falls between October and December. This period corresponds to the Indo-European season of the dead, which ends with the winter solstice, after which life returns to the earth.
Thor’s Hammer & the Swastika
The swastika appears on various objects from ancient Germanic peoples and the Bronze Age. In later Icelandic folk beliefs, the swastika was referred to as “Thor’s hammer.” According to runologists, the term “Thor’s hammer” in early modern times was associated with swastikas rather than hammer symbols from medieval runic inscriptions.
Some scholars suggest that the swastika symbolized Thor’s hammer from an early period. Folklorist Hilda Ellis Davidson concluded that both the swastika and the hammer symbol were likely connected to Thor, the god of lightning, sunshine, and rain.
Thor’s Hammer as a Pendant
Approximately 1,000 Thor’s hammers have been discovered in Scandinavia, England, northern Germany, the Baltic states, and Russia. Most are simple designs made of iron or silver, while about 100 examples are more refined and contain decorations.
Thor’s hammers have been found in various contexts, including urban excavations, treasure hoards, and graves. About 10% of the finds come from burial sites, nearly all of which are cremation graves, often identified as female graves.
Thor’s hammer pendants likely developed from an older tradition of similar pendants worn by North Germanic peoples.
Scholars suspect that the hammer may have been inspired by the Hercules club (2nd-3rd century CE), a pendant worn during the late Roman and Migration periods. The Romans identified Donar, the Germanic thunder god and predecessor of Thor, with Hercules. The amulet was used by Germanic tribes and Roman auxiliaries throughout the empire. Club-shaped figures from the Migration Period, and possibly even the berlock pendant, continued this tradition.
The first Thor’s hammers were crafted during the Migration Period. A Merovingian example was found in Kent, England, despite the Merovingians being Christian at the time. Similar examples have been recovered in Germany.
The first Scandinavian Thor’s hammers date from the Vendel Period (540–790 CE), but their use increased during the Viking Age, possibly as a counter-symbol to the cross motif and Christian cross amulets. Some late Thor’s hammers, such as the wolf cross from Iceland, may represent a hybrid between a Thor’s hammer and a cross, suggesting that the old faith was secretly maintained.
In Viking Age cremation graves, such as those in the Mälaren region, Åland, and Russia, Thor’s hammer rings have also been found. These are iron rings with multiple attached amulets, often including hammers. They were found in urns containing cremated remains and were mostly associated with female graves. Although their precise function is unknown, researchers speculate that these rings played a role in cremation rituals.
Several specific finds illustrate the diversity of Mjölnir amulets. In Verdal, Norway, a decorated silver hammer was discovered, though its dating is uncertain. In Hilde, Norway, archaeologists found a ring with nine small hammers in a female cremation grave within a ship burial, dating to the 10th century. A simple iron hammer from Kaupang, Norway, is dated between 800 and 960, though no additional context is known. In Købelev, Denmark, a 10th-century hammer was found with a runic inscription reading: Hmar × is, meaning “This is a hammer.” This serves as evidence that these pieces of jewelry were indeed intended to symbolize Thor’s hammer.
In 1999, German archaeologist Jörn Staecker developed a typology for Thor’s hammers based on decorative styles and materials such as amber, iron, and silver. Twenty years later, American researcher Katherine Suzanne Beard expanded this typology by adding factors such as the hammer’s shape and the type of suspension mechanism. That same year, she launched Eitri: The Norse Artifacts Database, an online database providing detailed information on finds, composition, and context.
Images of Thor’s Hammers
Mjölnir also appears on other objects, such as Arabic coins found in urban excavations.
A notable object that may depict Thor is the Eyrarland statue, a bronze figurine discovered at the Eyrarland farm near Akureyri, Iceland. This 11th-century statue shows a seated figure holding a hammer, possibly representing Thor.
Depictions of Thor’s hammers also appear on various runestones. In Denmark, they are visible on stones such as DR 26, DR 48, and DR 120, while in Sweden, they appear on VG 113, Sö 86, and Sö 111. On some stones, such as the Altuna runestone in Sweden and an image in Gosforth, England, Thor is depicted capturing the serpent Jörmungandr, with Mjölnir clearly visible. Interestingly, Thor appears to be the only god invoked to bless or sanctify runestones, a phenomenon that has been studied by researchers since the 19th century.
Thor in Literary Sources
Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, had a dual function in Old Norse tradition: it was not only a powerful weapon but also a symbol of protection, blessing, and sanctification. Archaeological findings indicate that Thor was also invoked for healing, with some objects explicitly using his hammer as a symbol.
According to Hilda Ellis Davidson, Mjölnir’s power represented everything important to the community. It was associated with birth, marriage, death, funeral and cremation rites, weapons, feasts, travel, land acquisition, and oath-taking. Mjölnir symbolized both the destructive force of storms and celestial fire, as well as protection from evil and violence, reflecting Thor’s central role in society.
The Kvinneby Amulet
The Kvinneby amulet is a small copper amulet, likely worn around the neck, found in Öland, Sweden. It dates to the 11th century and contains an Old Norse inscription in the Younger Futhark, invoking Thor and his hammer. Runologists Mindy MacLeod and Bernard Mees translate the text as follows:
"Here I carve (runes of) help for you, Bofi.
Help me! Knowledge (?) is certain for you.
And may the lightning drive all evil away from Bofi.
May Thor protect him with his hammer that came from the sea.
Flee from evil! It (?) gains nothing from Bofi.
The gods are below and above him."
This inscription references stories recorded hundreds of years later in the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda
The Anglo-Saxons
In Old English texts from the 8th century, Thunor (Þunor), the Saxon version of Thor, is mentioned. He is sometimes linked to Jupiter and possibly to the expression þunorrād ("thunder ride"), referring to a thundering chariot. A 9th-century manuscript lists Thunaer, alongside UUôden (Wodan) and Saxnôte, as gods to be renounced upon conversion to Christianity.
The missionary Saint Boniface felled the sacred Donar Oak, dedicated to Thunor, in the 8th century in Hessen, Germany. A Kentish legend from the 11th century tells of a man named Thunor who was swallowed by the earth, leading to the name þunores hlæwe ("Thunor’s mound"). This may indicate the fading memory of Thunor as an ancient god.
The Poetic Edda
In the Poetic Edda, Mjölnir is mentioned in the poems Vafþrúðnismál, Hymiskviða, Lokasenna, and Þrymskviða.
In Vafþrúðnismál, the wise jötunn Vafþrúðnir tells the disguised Odin that after Ragnarök, Móði and Magni, Thor’s sons, will inherit Mjölnir.
In Hymiskviða, Thor uses his hammer to defeat hostile jötnar while retrieving a massive cauldron that Ægir requested to brew beer for the gods.
In Lokasenna, the gods threaten Loki with Mjölnir as they exchange insults.
The most famous story about Mjölnir appears in Þrymskviða. Thor discovers that his hammer has been stolen by the jötunn Þrymr. To retrieve Mjölnir, he disguises himself as a bride and travels with Loki to Jötunheimr. There, Þrymr demands Freyja as a bride in exchange for returning the hammer. When Freyja refuses, Thor himself dresses as the bride. Eventually, he regains Mjölnir and kills Þrymr and his companions.
The Prose Edda
In the Prose Edda, Mjölnir is described as one of Thor’s three special possessions, along with his iron gloves and his magical belt, Megingjörð.
In Gylfaginning, Thor’s hammer is mentioned when he and Loki encounter the giant Skrýmir, who traps them in an illusion.
Gylfaginning also recounts Baldr’s death and the use of Mjölnir to bless his funeral ship. After Ragnarök, Thor’s sons, Móði and Magni, will bring the hammer back to Asgard.
In Skáldskaparmál, Mjölnir appears in a 9th-century poem by Bragi Boddason, describing Thor lifting his hammer against the Midgard Serpent.
The book also tells of Thor’s battle with the jötunn Hrungnir, in which Thor defeats Hrungnir with Mjölnir after Hrungnir throws a whetstone that splits the hammer in two.
The story of Mjölnir ends with an account of its creation by the dwarves Eitri and Brokkr. Loki had wagered his head that Eitri could not forge three magical objects of equal value. Despite being bitten three times by a fly, Eitri successfully forged three objects, including Mjölnir. Although the hammer’s handle was short, the gods judged it the most valuable of the three.
These stories portray Mjölnir as a symbol of strength and protection, as well as humor and trickery in Thor’s adventures.
Adam of Bremen
In the 11th century, chronicler Adam of Bremen described a statue of Thor in the Temple of Uppsala, Sweden, in his Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum. Adam referred to Thor as the "mightiest" of the gods, seated on a triple throne, flanked by Woden and Fricco. Thor was worshiped as the ruler of the sky, responsible for thunder, lightning, winds, storms, fertility, and good weather. Adam compared Thor to the Roman god Jupiter and noted that he wielded a club as a weapon. Sacrifices were made to Thor during crises such as plagues or famines. Adam also mentioned that in 1030, an English preacher named Wulfred was lynched by Germanic pagans for “insulting” an image of Thor.
Gesta Danorum
In his Gesta Danorum, the 12th-century Danish author Saxo Grammaticus presented a euhemerized version of Thor. He recounted how Magnus the Strong removed large bronze hammers from a temple dedicated to Thor (identified as Jupiter through interpretatio romana) in 1125. These “Jupiter’s hammers,” considered sacred objects symbolizing thunder and lightning, were destroyed by Magnus out of Christian zeal, an act viewed as blasphemous by the Swedes.
Saxo also described Thor wielding an oaken club with a short handle, reminiscent of Mjölnir’s stories. Some scholars suggest this club represents Mjölnir, though Katherine Suzanne Beard notes that archaeological Thor’s hammers from that time do not resemble club-like weapons. She suggests this might be due to interpretatio romana, where Norse gods were depicted in terms familiar to Roman mythology, such as Jupiter’s lightning bolts or Hercules’ club.
Conclusion
The Viking god Thor has a clear Proto-Indo-European origin, with variations of him worshipped across the Indo-European world. In some cultures, Thor’s hammer is depicted as a club or axe. Thor symbolizes strength and is associated with the warrior class, but also represents protection, healing, and fertility. Unlike Odin, who was the god of the aristocracy, Thor was the god of the entire society.
Thor’s hammers
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Donar’s clubs
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Axe amulets
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Ram jewelry
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Pouches with Thor’s hammer
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Objects with Thor’s hammers
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