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Thor's Hammer - Symbol of Christianization and Political Delusion

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Thor's Hammer - Symbol of Christianization and Political Delusion Thor's Hammer - Symbol of Christianization and Political Delusion nv yOnN STAECKER Staecker, Ji;rn. 1999. Thor's Hammer - Syrnbol of Christianization and Political Delusion. Lund Abstract Archaeological Reuiew 5 (1999), pp. 89-104. The article deals with the famous pagan symbol of the VikingAge, Thor's hammer. The use of the hammer during the Viking Age, its disappearance during medieval times and its renaissance in modern times are discussed here. It is argued that Thort hammer during the 8th-1 1th centuries expressed much more than the first contact with Christianity and the course of the mission than a pagan reaction, as was believed in earlier research. In the Middle Ages the heritage of the pagan belief was transformed into a Christian iconography. It was only during the 18th century that the heathen symbol was rediscovered and became part of a romantic view of history. In the last few decades Thort hammer has had another revival, this time also being misused by neo-Nazis. But it is not taken into account that the hammer never expressed a violent conflict. Jiirn Staecker Institute ofArchaeology, Uniuersity ofLund, Sandgatan I, SE-223 50, Lund, Suteden. 'We can see from the example of this Thor's hammer the Middle Ages, and the re-use of the amuler in what elaborate works existed in Sweden during the modern times. period when Christianity and heathendom were strug- gling for mastery over the souls of our ancestors. Thor's hammer in mythology (Hildebrand 1872, p. 55) and history of research Since the late 19th century Thort hammer has Before one tries to understand the importance fascinated archaeologists as a symbol of the lost ofThort hammer it is necessary to take a brief pagan religion of the Vikings. The hammer was look at Norse mythology. Here the world is regarded as the symbol of resistance, perma- created by the gods, together with the home of nently combating its direct opponent, the cross. the gods, Asgard (Asgardr), and at its centre Instead of looking atThort hammer as a part of Odint famous hall Valhalla (ValhAlD. On the the Christianization process, the myth of battle edge oftheworld lies the oceanwith the Midgard and war has been kept alive. This myth has even Serpent, and on the farthest coast the mountain made it possible for young neo-Nazis to identify world of Jdtunheimr is situated, where giants themselves and their ideology with the pagan (j iitnar) have their castle Utg ard (Otgar dr).Some- symbol. where in between lies Midgar d (A4i dgardr) ,where The aim of this article is to investigate the the human beings live. Gods and powers were role of Thort hammer during the mission in present in the cosmos, in heaven and on earth, Scandinavia, the question of a tradition during in the ocean and the underworld. Human be- 89 ings were confronted with helping and preserv- which according to the Edda had, a relatively ing powers on one side, and hostile and danger- short shaft, was first made by H. Hildebrand ous powers on the other. Vhile the gods tried to (1872) and shortly afterwards accepted by O. keep the world in order, their opponents, the Montelius (187 3, p. 107). UnfortunatelyHilde- giants, tried to destroy this order. But at the same brand (1872;1875) did not explain to his read- time there was a kind of interaction between the ers how he identified the object. A comparison gods and the giants. The giants possessed objects with the mythological motif on the runic stone and wisdom which the gods needed. One special from Altuna, Uppland (U 1161), which illus- feature of Norse mythology is the drama of the trates Thor and his hammer, could not be made total collapse, Ragnarcik (the fate of the gods). because this stone was discovered only in 1918. After three continuous terrible and icy winters Montelius regarded the hammer as a pagan (the Fimbul winter), there will be a last battle symbol and immediately recogniied its counter- between the gods and the giants when they part in the cross-pendant. The question of annihilate one another, which leads to the total whether this hammer could be seen as a reaction destruction of the world. But there is hope after to the process of Christianization dominated the collapse. A new world will rise from the research in the subsequent decades. Vhile ocean, new gods will appear and people will live Hildebrand (1872,p.55), Mtiller (1898, p. 281) in peace and harmony (Steinsland 1993, 148). and Lindqvist (1917-24, p. l2l) supported In Norse mythology one of the mightiest Montelius' idea, it was pointed out by Grieg gods besides Odin was Thor. He was mainly (1929, p. 305) that the hammer has an older worshipped by the peasants because he ensured tradition in Norse pagan religion. The discus- a good harvest. Thor is the protector of the sion continued in the 1960s with J. \flerner universe and is, therefore, also permanently (1964, p. 182) who published two 6th-century fighting the giants. On the other hand, Thor has Thort hammers from Gilton, England. Strrim to find a balance in these fights. \When Thor (1974, p.505;1984, p.140) on the other hand succeeds in fishing the Midgard Serpent from pointed out that there are different types of the ocean, he is also threatening the world hammers which belong to different periods. A because the snake is twisting around the world more intermediate position is adopted byA.-S. in order to keep it together. Thor's weapon is his Griislund (1 983-84) when explaining the cross- hammer Mjiillnir. According to Hallfredar saga shaped punch-marks on someThort hammers. (chap. 6), the hammer could be worn around She thinks that the combination ofhammer and the neck or on the clothing. From Hdhonar saga cross expresses the syncretism ofthe pagan and we know that Thor could give protection to Christian religions. Finally E. \flamers (1997) both the living and the dead and that the ham- has tried to change the interpretation com- mer was used as a symbol of fertiliry during the pletely. He suggests that the hammer is a wedding (Bo 1974, pp. 502 f.) praef.guratio of the cross, since the missionaries Hammer-shaped amulets were identified succeeded in changing the role ofThor fighting quite late as Thort hammers. In the early 19th against the Midgard Serpent into Christ defeat- century, Chr. Thomsen (1836, p. 45) inter- ing the snake. Thor is now becoming a preted hammer-shaped amulets made of amber praefguratio of Christ. The idea that Thort as part of a pagan religion, but not the Thor's hammer could be regarded as a pagan reaction hammers as they were discovered later on. By was further dismantled by M. Kokwedgaard 1869, the hammer was not connected with the Zeiten(1997 ,pp.25 ff.). In her opinion only the pagan god and instead interpreted as an "an- Thort hammers from the period around AD chor-shaped pendant" (Montelius 1869, p. 59). 1000 can be regarded in some way as a pagan The connection with Thort hammer Mj6llnir, "renaissance". 90 JORN sTAEcKER Fig. 1. Iron Thort hammer ring from Birka, Sweden, grave 854 (after Arbman 1943, fig. 27 5, 3). Scale l:2. Typology and chronology the 10th. The rings are an important part of the death ritual, and in many cases they are from Thort hammer is known from different objects. burials; of these, 95o/o are cremations and 5o/o There are objects in the shape of a hammer, inhumations (Strom 1970,p.20). In the crema- engravings on runic stones (Paulsen 1939; figs. tion graves the rings are quite often placed upon 1 06- I 08; Mokke 797 6, fig. 222), on vessels and or in the urns. In a fewcases, rings have also been pottery (Johansen 1912,fig.4; Steuer 1974,pp. discovered at settlement sites (ibid. p. 26 f.). 120 f.) as well as on coins (Linder'\?'elin 1956; There are no rings from hoards, which might be 'Wiechmann Hammarberg 8r Rispling 1985; explained by the material. Their distribution is 1996). Especially in the case of hammers on concentrated in Sweden and theislands ofAland, pottery and coins, it is diffi cult to j udge whether while a few finds have also been located in the symbol was supposed to be visible. But then, Russia. There are no iron rings known from only a small proportion of the VikingAge coins medieval Denmark or Norway (Strcim 1984). in Scandinavia has been studied for graffiti. The second rype is the Thor's hammer as a That is why only hammer-shaped objects and single pendant. A great deal ofresearch has been runic stones will be discussed here. done on their typologyand chronology (Petersen Two different types ofThor's hammers made 1876; Mackeprang 1938; Mtiller-\X/ille 1976; of metal are known. One is the so-called Thort Sandberg 1984; Staecker 1999, pp. 213 ff.; hammer ring, an iron ring with several items in Kokwedgaard Zeiten 1997). These pendants iron which can have aTlL or lozenge shape (Fig. are made of iron, amber, lead, bronze, silver or 1). These rings appear as early as the late 8th even gold. The hammer can be plain or deco- century, but they predominate during the 9th rated with punchmarks or niello inlay (Fig. 2). 'Sfith century before they seem to disappear during the exception of two 6th-century pen- THoR's HAMMER 9l b a e c d Fig. 2. Different rypes of single Thor's hammer pendants. Scale 1 : 1 . a.
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