Thor The Mighty God Who Guards the Norse World

by John Agbo, age 13

The Norse world has many gods, but Thor protects them all. Thor is known as the god of the sky, thunder, and agriculture. Not only could warriors call on him for help, but Thor was also a god of the townspeople.

Thor was the son of Odin, the chief of the gods, and Jörd, the giantess of Earth. Thor grew up as an only child in Asgard, the realm of the gods. He was described as having long, red hair and a wild beard.

Thor primarily worked as a protector and problem solver. Oftentimes, Thor rode on a chariot pulled by two goats, Tanngnjóstr and Tanngrísnir. He consumed those two goats every night and revived them the next morning. Along with his goats, Thor had three magical items that helped him in defense: his hammer Mjollnir, belt of strength Megingjörð, and his iron gloves. Mjollnir characterized Thor the most and established his great strength. His gloves helped him pick up the heavy Mjollnir while his belt doubled his strength.

Despite modern depictions of Thor in Marvel comics and movies, Thor's hammer, Mjollnir, was not enchanted to be wielded by the worthy. It is described as small with a short handle. In most myths, Thor is associated with water and is mostly out at sea on a boat because he is out fishing for his enemy, Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent. Thor is considered a guide among the seas for he knew the seas well.

Thor’s emotions were always indomitable and full of gusto and vigor. Additionally, Thor was often impatient and thus easily fooled. Many myths involved Thor and his companions going on adventures and getting tricked by giants along the way.

Thor is a respectable god and his influence is still seen in movies and comics today. He was mainly worshiped in Sweden, and his temples are underneath churches to this day.

[Source: World History Encyclopedia]