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11 The Mighty Thor! You might know Thor as one of the Avengers – the team of comic book superheroes. But did you know that Thor was also a Viking god? During the Viking Age, warriors worshipped Thor as the god of thunder, lightning and storms. He was the strongest of all the Viking gods. Thor first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1962. The writers chose him because they wanted to create a hero with superhuman strength. In this unit we will learn about the mighty Thor and one of the most famous myths about him. Keywords Vikings Thor Asgard gods Mjölnir Loki Sif trickster dwarves Sons of Ivaldi Brokkr Sindri Odin Frey Thor The Vikings believed that Thor lived in Asgard – a heaven-like world that was home to the Viking gods. Thor travelled between Asgard and Earth on a burning rainbow bridge. He rode in a chariot pulled by his two goats, Grinder and Snarler. He wore a magical belt that doubled his strength. Thor’s mighty hammer, Mjölnir, never missed its target and always returned to its owner’s hand. The Vikings had many myths about Thor. One myth is about the creation of Mjölnir. In it, the god Loki tries to play a trick - but the trick doesn’t go quite as Loki plans … Fact File Some Viking warriors Vikings prayed to Thor on wore necklaces with pendants in the shape Thor’s Day. That’s where of Thor’s hammer. the day of the week Thursday comes from! Think About It: Do you know any Irish myths? 58 History 58 Story: Myths and legends The Creation of Mjölnir Sif’s Hair Thor woke one morning to find that his wife, Sif, had lost all of her golden hair. He immediately knew that Loki was to blame. Loki was a trickster who was able to change shape. Thor found Loki and threatened to break his bones. Loki pleaded with Thor. He promised to ask the dwarves, who were great craftspeople, to make Sif a new head of even more beautiful, ever-growing golden hair. Thor agreed and allowed Loki to go to the caves where the dwarves lived. Two dwarves, known as the Sons of Ivaldi, agreed to make the hair for Sif. They gave Loki the hair and two other beautiful treasures – a great ship that could be folded up into one’s pocket, and a deadly spear that could strike any target. A Chance to Cause Trouble Loki saw an opportunity to cause some mischief! He challenged two other dwarf brothers, Brokkr and Sindri, to make three treasures even more beautiful than the ones made by the Sons of Ivaldi. ‘You are not as skilled as the Sons of Ivaldi,’ Loki teased. ‘I bet my own head you will lose the challenge!’ This made Brokkr and Sindri angry. They agreed to the bet. They did not know that Loki secretly planned to stop them from winning. Brokkr and Sindri began working. Loki changed into a black fly and flew into their forge (workshop). As Brokkr pumped the fire to keep it hot, Loki landed on the back of his hand and bit him hard. Brokkr did not stop pumping. If he did, the treasure would be ruined. Soon Sindri pulled the first treasure from the fire. It was a huge, live boar with golden hair. Loki was furious that his plan had not worked. For their second gift, Brokkr and Sindri made a magnificent golden ring. Once again, Loki attacked Brokkr. This time he bit the dwarf’s neck, but still Brokkr did not stop pumping the fire. When Sindri pulled the perfect golden ring from the fire, Loki became even angrier. History 59 Story: Myths and legends 59 Mjölnir is Created As the brothers worked on the final treasure, Loki landed on Brokkr’s eyelid. He bit down so hard that blood ran into Brokkr’s eye. Brokkr was forced to stop pumping to wipe the blood away. Sindri then pulled the mighty iron hammer Mjölnir from the fire. To his disappointment, the handle was shorter than it should have been. Loki was happy. He was sure the other gods would be more impressed by the treasures made by the Sons of Ivaldi – and his head would be safe! Brokkr and Sindri were pleased with their treasures. They travelled to Asgard to receive their payment. However, Loki got there before them. Thor, his father Odin and the god Frey were waiting. Loki gave the golden ring and the deadly spear to Odin. He gave the great ship and the golden-haired boar to Frey. Finally, he gave Sif’s new hair and the hammer to Thor. Loki’s Trick Loki waited for Thor to become angry or disappointed. But the hammer he had given Thor was the unbreakable Mjölnir – the lightning-maker. Mjölnir would always hit its target and no matter how far Thor threw it, it would always return to his hand. Thor was delighted with the gift. The gods agreed that Brokkr and Sindri’s treasures were finer than the treasure made by the Sons of Ivaldi. This meant that Loki had to give them his head, as promised. But as the dwarves tried to take his head, Loki laughed. ‘I may have bet my head,’ he said, ‘But I did not bet my neck, so you cannot cut my head off!’ The trickster Loki had succeeded in his tricks once again! There are many other stories about Thor and Loki. The 2017 Marvel film Thor : Ragnarok is about another Viking myth. Do you know of any other films that 60 are about myths or legends? History 60 Story: Myths and legends Activities Fact Finding 1. What was Thor the god of? 2. How does Thor travel to Earth? 3. Who does Loki ask to make Sif’s new hair? 4. What three treasures do Sindri and Brokkr make? 5. Who’s treasures did the gods agree were finer? Explore More 1. Why do you think some Viking warriors wore a pendant of Thor’s hammer? 2. Why do you think Thor knew that Loki was to blame for Sif losing her hair? 3. What did you learn about Loki from the story? 4. Why do Brokkr and Sindri agree to Loki’s challenge? 5. How did Loki succeed in tricking the dwarves? Working as a Historian: Time and Chronology List these main events in the story in the order they took place. • Loki loses the bet with Brokkr and Sindri. • The Sons of Ivaldi give Loki three treasures they have made. • Thor wakes up to find that his wife, Sif, has lost all her golden hair. • Loki goes to the dwarves’ caves to get new hair for Sif. • Loki gives the golden ring and deadly spear to Odin. • Brokkr and Sindri agree to Loki’s bet. • Loki disguises himself as a black fly. Working as a Historian: Using Evidence Every country has its own myths and legends. Myths and legends from around the world often have things in common. Look back at the story of The Cattle Raid of Cooley in Unit 2. Compare it to the story of The Creation of Mjölnir. Try to find these things in both stories: • A powerful warrior • Someone very clever • A god • A journey • Something very valuable History Story: Myths and legends 61.
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