Thor

In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_mythology" title="Norse mythology" >Norse mythology</a>, Thor (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English" title="Help:IPA for English" >/</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >θ</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >ɔr</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English" title="Help:IPA for English" >/</a>; from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Norse" title="Old Norse" >Old Norse</a> Þórr) is a hammer-wielding <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86sir" title="Æsir" >god</a> associated with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder" title="Thunder" >thunder</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning" title="Lightning" >lightning</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm" title="Storm" >storms</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak" title="Oak" >oak</a> trees, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_strength" title="Physical strength" >strength</a>, the protection of mankind, and also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallow" title="Hallow" >hallowing</a>, healing and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertility" title="Fertility" >fertility</a>. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Germanic_deities" title="Common Germanic deities" >cognate deity</a> in wider <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_mythology" title="Germanic mythology" >Germanic mythology</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_paganism" title="Germanic paganism" >paganism</a> was known in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English" title="Old English" >Old English</a> as Þunor and in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_High_German" title="Old High German" >Old High German</a> as Donar (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_runic_inscriptions" title="Continental runic inscriptions" class="mw-redirect" >runic</a>þonar ᚦᛟᚾᚨᚱ), stemming from a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Germanic" title="Common Germanic" class="mw-redirect" >Common Germanic</a> *Þunraz (meaning "thunder").

Ultimately stemming from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Indo-European_religion" title="Proto-Indo-European religion" >Proto-Indo-European religion</a>, Thor is a prominently mentioned god throughout the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recorded_history" title="Recorded history" >recorded history</a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_peoples" title="Germanic peoples" >Germanic peoples</a>, from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire" title="Roman Empire" >Roman occupation</a> of regions of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germania" title="Germania" >Germania</a>, to the tribal expansions of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migration_Period" title="Migration Period" >Migration Period</a>, to his high popularity during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_Age" title="Viking Age" >Viking Age</a>, when, in the face of the process of the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianization_of_Scandinavia" title="Christianization of Scandinavia" >Christianization of Scandinavia</a>, emblems of his hammer, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mj%C3%B6lnir" title="Mjölnir" >Mjölnir</a>, were worn in defiance and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_paganism" title="Norse paganism" class="mw-redirect" >Norse pagan</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_name" title="Personal name" >personal names</a> containing the name of the god bear witness to his popularity. Into the modern period, Thor continued to be acknowledged in rural folklore throughout <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic-speaking_Europe" title="Germanic-speaking Europe" >Germanic</a> regions. Thor is frequently referred to in place names, the day of the week <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thursday" title="Thursday" >Thursday</a> ("Thor's day"; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English" title="Old English" >Old English</a> Thunresdaeg, Thunor's day); <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language" title="German language" >German</a> "Donnerstag" (Donar's day), bears his name, and names stemming from the pagan period containing his own continue to be used today.

In Norse mythology, largely recorded in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland" title="Iceland" >Iceland</a> from traditional material stemming from Scandinavia, numerous tales and information about Thor are provided. In these sources, Thor bears at least <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_names_of_Thor" title="List of names of Thor" >fourteen names</a>, is the husband of the golden-haired goddess <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sif" title="Sif" >Sif</a>, is the lover of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B6tunn" title="Jötunn" >jötunn</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A1rnsaxa" title="Járnsaxa" >Járnsaxa</a>, and is generally described as fierce-eyed,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_hair" title="Red hair" >red-haired</a> and red-bearded.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor#cite_note-HAIR-COLOR-1" >[1]</a> With Sif, Thor fathered the goddess (and possible <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valkyrie" title="Valkyrie" >valkyrie</a>) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Er%C3%BA%C3%B0r" title="Þrúðr" >Þrúðr</a>; with Járnsaxa, he fathered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B3%C3%B0i_and_Magni" title="Móði and Magni" >Magni</a>; with a mother whose name is not recorded, he fathered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B3%C3%B0i_and_Magni" title="Móði and Magni" >Móði</a>, and he is the stepfather of the god <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ullr" title="Ullr" >Ullr</a>. The same sources list Thor as the son of the god <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin" title="Odin" >Odin</a> and the personified earth, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fj%C3%B6rgyn_and_Fj%C3%B6rgynn" title="Fjörgyn and Fjörgynn" >Fjörgyn</a>, and by way of Odin, Thor has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_Odin" title="Sons of Odin" >numerous brothers</a>. Thor has two servants, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Ej%C3%A1lfi_and_R%C3%B6skva" title="Þjálfi and Röskva" class="mw-redirect" >Þjálfi and Röskva</a>, rides in a cart or chariot pulled by two goats, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanngrisnir_and_Tanngnj%C3%B3str" title="Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr" >Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr</a> (that he eats and resurrects), and is ascribed three dwellings (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilskirnir" title="Bilskirnir" >Bilskirnir</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Er%C3%BA%C3%B0heimr" title="Þrúðheimr" >Þrúðheimr</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Er%C3%BA%C3%B0vangr" title="Þrúðvangr" >Þrúðvangr</a>). Thor wields the mountain-crushing hammer, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mj%C3%B6lnir" title="Mjölnir" >Mjölnir</a>, wears the belt <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megingj%C3%B6r%C3%B0" title="Megingjörð" >Megingjörð</a> and the iron gloves<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A1rngreipr" title="Járngreipr" >Járngreipr</a>, and owns the staff <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%AD%C3%B0arv%C3%B6lr" title="Gríðarvölr" class="mw-redirect" >Gríðarvölr</a>. Thor's exploits, including his relentless slaughter of his foes and fierce battles with the monstrous serpent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B6rmungandr" title="Jörmungandr" >Jörmungandr</a>—and their foretold mutual deaths during the events of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnar%C3%B6k" title="Ragnarök" >Ragnarök</a>—are recorded throughout sources for Norse mythology.

Thor

Attachments