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Thor the Thunderer

Thor.

"I am the God Thor, I am the War God, I am the Thunderer! Here in my Northland, my fastness and fortress, reign I forever! Here amid icebergs rule I the nations; This is my hammer, Miölner the mighty; Giants and sorcerers cannot withstand it!"

Thor is the red-haired son of Odin and a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing and fertility. His belt Mejingjard doubles his strength and lightning flashes every time he throws his trusty hammer, Mjölnir.

Thor is one of the most powerful Norse gods and uses his superior power to protect Asgard and Midgard. Due to his lust for battle and incredible prowess, Thor is also portrayed as a war god and also an agricultural god due to his status as a weather deity that aids in the growth of crops. Thor's exploits, including his relentless slaughter of his foes and fierce battles with the monstrous serpent, Jormungandr, and their foretold mutual deaths during the events of Ragnarök are recorded throughout sources for Norse mythology.

Thor was very talented at slaying the Jotuns; many of his stories revolve around violent episodes between him and his enemies. In order to perform his duties, Thor uses his hammer, which was built by the dwarves, to slay his enemies swiftly and with precise ruthlessness. He also had iron gloves and a belt named Megingjard that doubled Thor’s strength once buckled on. There were also some other less destructive aspects of Thor.

Like many deities, Thor had many children and was no stranger to fornicating with other beings. With Sif, Thor fathered the goddess (and possible valkyrie) Thrud; with Járnsaxa, he fathered Magni; with a mother whose name is not recorded, he fathered Modi, and he is the stepfather of the god Ullr. The same sources list Thor as the son of the god Odin and the personified earth, Fjörgyn, and by way of Odin, Thor has numerous brothers.

Thor had a chariot to travel across the sky, which was drawn by two giant goats: Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. These powerful animals had a very convenient magical property: they could be killed and eaten at any time, and as long as their bones were undamaged and returned into their skins, they would regenerate overnight and the following day would be alive, just like new.

Thor was appealed to for protection on numerous objects found from various Germanic tribes. Pendants in a distinctive shape representing the hammer of Thor,  Mjöllnir, have frequently been unearthed in Viking Age Scandinavian burials. The hammers were worn as a symbol of Norse pagan faith and as a symbol of opposition to Christianization; a response to crosses worn by Christians. Casting moulds have been found for the production of both Thor's hammers and Christian crucifixes, and at least one example of a combined crucifix and hammer has been discovered.

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