Ep: 7. Thor’s Hammer, Mjolnir (Norse Mythology)

Send us a text

Support the show

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Hi, friends welcome, my Mythicfriends, to Mythis.
According to yours truly, I'myour host, Wendy Morrow.
On this podcast, we dive intomyths and folklore from all over
the world.
These stories have shapedcultures, stirred imaginations,
and kept us captivated forcenturies.
Together, we'll explore theorigins, meanings, and mysteries

(00:22):
behind these tales.
Today, we are going to be divinginto one of my favorite topics,
Thor's hammer, Mjolnir.
Or Mjolnir, however you want topronounce it.
Previously we talked about thisin a different episode.
Actually, we talked about Loki,who's, like, involved in this

(00:44):
story so much.
Mjolnir is just Thor's hammer.
That's all it is.
And it has, a soul and a spiritof its own.
So, it has this, like, energy ofits own.
It's one of the most powerfulobjects.
Weapons in Norse mythology.

(01:06):
So we're just gonna dive intoit.
Thor's powerful hammer Itprotects Asgard and symbolizes
strength protection againstGiants and chaos in general We
all love Thor.
We love his hammer I don't thinkI've ever met a person even like
a child that doesn't know whoThor is at this point So I'm
very excited to dive into thisstory.

(01:28):
I want to know do you guys didyou guys know that Thor's hammer
was called?
Mjölnir Question, fun fact, um,follow me on Instagram and
comment on that, because I,honestly, I didn't know.
We'll explore the origins,meanings, and mysteries behind
these tales with a freshperspective and a little bit of

(01:49):
fun.
So, gather around my campfirefor a tale you won't forget.
Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, theProtector of Asgard.
The northern winds howl acrossthe frosted landscape.
Where the flickering Aurorasdance like ribbons of a divine
light in the night sky.

(02:12):
In the halls of Asgard, the godsof Norse panathon gather, their
mighty deeds echoing througheternity, as the heart of these
tales stand.
Thor, god of thunder, clutchedhis mighty hammer, Mjolnir.
Myths of the Norse a world ofnine realms connected by the
great tree gridazelle, chaos andorder are locked in eternal

(02:37):
conflict.
Asgard, home of the ire gods,stands as bystone of stability
and protection.
Yet, this peace is constantlythreatened by the giant of
destruction.
Jot Niham, forces of thedistraction that seek to topple
the gods of plunge the cosmosinto chaos.

(03:00):
Thor, son of Odin, and protectorof both gods and humans, is the
ultimate warrior against thisever present threat.
His hammer, Mjolnir, is morethan just a weapon.
It is a symbol of divinestrength, a shield against
disorder, and a tool forblessing and sanctification.
But Mjolnir was not always inThor's grasps.

(03:21):
Its creation is a tale ofrivalry, trickery, and the skill
of most talented dwarves,craftsmen, in all of the realms.
Dwarven, The creation ofMjolnir.
The story begins in the Hall ofAsgard, where Loki, mischievous
trickster god, of course, as weknow him, was up to his usual

(03:42):
antics.
One day, Loki, in a moment ofreckless humor, caught off the
golden hair of Sif, Thor's wife.
Thor, furious, grabbed Loki bythe throat and thundered.
You'll pay for this, Loki, or Iwill crush your bones to dust.
If you can recall, in ourprevious episode, we talked

(04:02):
about this exact experience, andthankfully he does kind of
redeem himself.
He was very resourceful.
He pleaded for the chance tomake amends.
He said that he will go to thedwarves, and commission a gift
so wondrous that even the Sithherself will forgive him.

(04:24):
So, Thor released him, but notwithout stern warning.
Loki hurried to Zavrat.
I think it's Svartfim, the realmof the dwarves, were the son of
Valdi, master of smiths, ofimperial skills, agreed to craft
three gifts, among these was thegolden hair of Sif, which

(04:45):
shimmered like sunlight and grewlike living strands.
But Loki cunning did not endthere, he sought out another
pair of renowned dwarves, Brokkand Sindri, and challenged them
to craft treasures that couldsurprise those of sons.
That would surpass those of theson of Valdi.

(05:06):
To sweeten the deal, Lohiwagered his own head.
Which is very bold for him todo.
Mostly kind of insane.
But, that's a little key foryou.
Sendry accepted the challengeand two dwarves set to work.

(05:27):
As Brook pumped the pillows,Sendry placed material into the
forge, chanting spells to imbuethe items with power lowkey,
desperate to sabotage theirefforts, transformed into a fly
and bit Brook's hand, hoping todisrupt the process.
Despite the sting, Brookecontinued his work.

(05:49):
The Forge yielded threemasterpieces.
Let's get into them.
Let's talk about what thesethree pieces are.
I think they're actually prettycool.
Also, Loki is so strange.
What a trickster he is, becauseI would think he could do
something worse thantransforming into a fly.
I guess he didn't want to becaught, but I feel like a fly is

(06:12):
really small, and if you canchange into any animal without
anyone noticing, wouldn't youwant to go for something that
could actually cause, actualharm, like a bird?
Do you know what I mean?
Or a virus of some sort.
I guess.
Maybe that's too violent, but Afly seems very mediocre for
Loki's tricks.

(06:32):
But, I don't know.
Like, what do you guys thinkabout that?
I think that's kind of strange.
Um, I say go big or go home, um,okay, let's talk about these
three masterpieces that wereforged by these two dwarfs.
So, the first one was a goldenboar with this bristols that

(06:54):
glowed in the dark.
It illuminated any path.
So it was just like this beaconof light.
It was pretty cool.
Second one is dropped near agolden ring that multiplied
itself every ninth night,symbolizing endless wealth.
So, I honestly, in today'sworld, I wouldn't mind having
something like this.

(07:16):
It's a little selfish, to behonest, but it's true.
If I had a golden ring, thatwould be it.
Multiplied every nine nights,are you kidding me?
Yeah, of course.
Could you imagine?
That's insane.
That's crazy.
Would you guys want that ring?
Okay, I'll give you a thirdoption?
Final option, obviously, ismihonyer, the hammer.

(07:39):
So, let's talk a little bit moreabout the hammer.
It obviously is unmatchablepower.
Its handle was short.
It literally looks like this fathammer.
The, the top of it, is huge.
And then, the handle itself isreally small.
It's a really short hammer.

(08:00):
The reason why it's short isbecause of Loki's interference,
apparently.
Because he bit Brokk, so Brokkcouldn't finish making the
hammer long If you guys couldchoose between the three, Golan
Burst, Golan, I don't like thatname.

(08:21):
My mouth just can't do it.
It's a little embarrassing.
So it's just the light Golan,and then Drapnir is the ring
that multiplies, and Mjolnir isthe hammer.
The only thing is, in today'sworld, what's the hammer gonna
do for you?
Maybe I'm speaking too soon, butpersonally, I would go with,
Drapnir, Well, okay, if you wantto fight crime, Mijoneer is

(08:47):
great, but if you want to savethe world economically, I would
go for Dropneer, becauseDropneer, you can help other,
you can help people that arestruggling financially, you can
help the economy, you know, Ifeel like that's a, in today's
world, a way to become like aIt's more beneficial for the

(09:08):
economy today than Mjolnir wouldbe, but that's my personal
opinion.
This could be a really goodargument.
Actually, I want to hear yourguys's opinion on this.
Mjolnir or, Drapnir or Gollum,aka Gollumburst.
Let's talk about Mjolnir's powerand purpose.
Okay, so Loki returned to Asgardpresenting the gift to the gods.

(09:31):
Thor eagerly took Mjolnir intohis hands and the weapons might
became immediately evident.
It was said that with Mjolnir,Thor could summon lightning and
thunder to smite his enemies anddestroy the giants who dared to
challenge the gods.
Third, always hit his target nomatter the distance and return

(09:55):
to his hand.
So that was like, if you canSorry guys, I'm like, a little
sick.
Those are the, the three thingsMjolnir could do for sure.
So, if you want to fight giants,okay, summon lightning and
thunder, and throw anything andbe able to hit your target.

(10:16):
I would go for mihonya becausemihonya that's just so cool Also
some of the things i've seenmihonya do according to the
movies okay is Thor was able tolike Use it to travel which was
pretty cool.
Who would Thor be withoutMjolnir to be honest?
So you know how like princesseshave their little familiars.

(10:36):
So witches have their familiarand princesses also have
familiars.
But, that's not the word I wasthinking of, but technically
that's exactly right.
I feel like Mjolnir is Thor'sfamiliar, because according to
Greek mythology, only Thor coulduse Mjolnir.

(10:57):
Mjolnir chose Thor, so to me,that is like technically, Thor's
the henchman and Mjolnir's themain character.
Because he's the one that hasthe powers, not Thor.
Thor just wields it.
Actually, that's also a prettyinteresting thought.
I want to hear you guys thoughtson that.
Because I think, personally, um,I would have to say so.

(11:21):
Mjolnir's main character, let'sbe honest.
Despite its short handle,Mjolnir became the most revered
weapon in Asgard, a symbol ofThor's strength, the gods
protection against the forces ofchaos.
The Hammer's Powers was testedin and of Thor's most famous
adventures in one of Thor's mostfamous adventures, The Theft of

(11:45):
Mjolnir by Thrym, King of theFrost Giant.
Let's talk about it.
Okay.
So one morning, Thor awoke tofind Mjolnir missing.
Angered, he sought out Loki whoborrowed Freya's feathered cloak
to fly to Atiham, I think.
Or, it's either Atiham orJotiham.

(12:08):
It kind of, the end sounds likeHam, but I don't want to say
that because I feel like peoplewill come after me for that, but
He went there to investigateThrym was seated on this ice
throne.
He was boasting.
He was like, I have taken Thor'shammer and buried it in eight
leagues beneath Earth I'm socool.

(12:30):
I will return it only if, Freyaagrees to be my bride.
Blah, blah, blah.
Giants annoy me because, what?
Loki relayed his demand to thegods.
Freya's furious refusal shookthe halls of Asgard.
Hamdahl, the watchful guardian,proposed a cunning plan.

(12:52):
Thor should disguise himself asFreya and infiltrate Thrym's
halls, which, good idea thor,though reluctant, donned a
bridal dress, veil, and jewelwhile Loki accompanied him as a
handmaid.
The two gods made their way toJötunheim, Where Thrym welcomed

(13:16):
his bride with great feasting.
Thrym marveled at Freya'svoracious appetite as Thor
devoured an entire ox, eightsalmons, and three barrels of
meat.
No, not meat, mead, my bad.

(13:36):
Low key quick witted as everexplained, the bride was not
eaten, the bride has not eatenin eight days out of excitement,
the bride has not eaten in eightdays out of excitement for this
wedding.
When Thrimm leaned in to kissthe bride, a.
k.
a.
Thor, he was startled by hisfiery glare.

(13:58):
Loki covered for him by againsaying the bride has not slept
in eight nights dreaming of thismoment.
At last, Thrym called forMjolnir to be brought forth as
part of the wedding ceremony.
As the hammer was placed inFreya's lap, Thor cast off his
disguise.
Here is your bride's dowry,Heroid, wielding Mjolnir to

(14:21):
strike down Thrym, and his skin,restoring order to the realms.
So, we don't like the giants.
Giants can be cruel, and rude,and mean, and steal people's
wives.
Okay, let's talk about thecultural significance of
Mjolnir.
The reason I'm doing this, lessin a storytelling format is
because Mjolnir is an object andnot a person.

(14:44):
Even though, You could say ithas like a some kind of Living
breathing energy is still likean object Mjolnir is far more
than a weapon in Norsemythology, it represents
protection, fertility, which ispretty cool, and the power of
the gods to maintain cosmicbalance.

(15:05):
The hammer was often used torituals to bless marriages,
births, and even funerals,emphasizing the role as a sacred
symbol of life and order.
So the Norse people, Thor'sbattle with the giants reflected
their own struggle against theharsh forces of nature.
His victories were a reminder ofthe resilience required to

(15:27):
thrive in an unpredictable andoften hostile world.
And I feel like a lot ofmythology is just that.
Because of the history of thepeople, these stories have come
out of The rubble of a pain.
Do you know what I mean?
You're supposed to say yes, yes,Wendy.
I know what you mean.
Okay, the Honours legacy enduresin modern times symbolizes

(15:50):
strength, protection, andenduring the power of myth
Alright guys, we have come tothat part of the episode when
we, drumroll please, myth thislore.
So, today's scripture, I'vechosen Psalms 28 7.
This is a King James Version.
It quotes, The Lord is mystrength, my shield, my heart

(16:11):
trusts in him, and I am helped,therefore, my heart greatly
rejoiceth, and with my song willI praise him.
I love this verse.
The reason for choosing thisverse was that Thor's hammer,
Mjolnir, is a symbol ofprotection and strength against
evil.
This scripture highlights truestrength comes from trusting in

(16:32):
God.
who shields us, get it, get it,who shields us in times of
battle, much like Thor uses hishammer to protect Asgard, It
teaches that real power andsecurity come from faith, not
just physical might.
Ah, don't you love that message?
Okay, I want to share mypersonal story with, um, just

(16:57):
hammers and things like that.
I I wanted to share that I knowthat in life today, there are so
many things that, continue to,hurt us and beat us down.
But, what I like about, Thegospel of Jesus Christ.

(17:20):
What I love about Christianity,faith, religion, hope,
spirituality, is that it's notjust like a shield to protect
us.
Because I think it's a weapon.
I think in today's world, thereare things out there that are

(17:44):
continuing to try to beat usdown and to, you know, shut out
our lights and shut out our hopeand wherever you come from,
whatever part of the world youcome from, we can rejoice in
knowing that we are not onlyprotected, we're being fought

(18:06):
for.
I heard this quote that reallytouched, like literally pierced
my heart and it was just that,in fact, let me pull it up for
you guys.
Jesus Christ can fix what'sbroken because he paid the price
of sin through the atonement.
What you are worth is that he iswilling to pay, and he paid with

(18:27):
his life.
You are of infinite worth.
That's the quote, and it's like,does not just Even if, even if
you don't believe in JesusChrist, and even if you don't
believe that you, your sins havealready been like paid for, and

(18:49):
that all is forgiven, and youfeel broken, that is what Jesus
Christ can heal.
He can, He doesn't only forgiveyou, He doesn't only give you
hope, He gives you hope.
He can fix it.
He can help you fix theseproblems.

(19:10):
Your worth is so much so that aperfect man died for you.
To help you heal the traumas,the misdeeds, the wrongdoings,
any tiffs or, anything awful andbad or injustices in your life.
He can help fix it and it maynot be today.
It may not be tomorrow, butsomeday he will help you I truly

(19:35):
believe that it may not even bein this lifetime But I know that
there it will be fixed becauseI've asked questions In my life
like why did this have to happento this person?
Or this group of people likethat's just so wrong.
But the truth is It didn't haveto happen.

(19:57):
It wasn't necessary.
God didn't condemn them and Itwasn't their fault But you know
what god can do, you know whatthe atonement of jesus christ
can do it can Not only heal it,it will give back ten fold.

(20:18):
It will heal and do more.
The blessings you will gain fromthat is more than the harm that
was caused.
So much more.
It doesn't mean the harm wasokay.
It doesn't mean that It was agood thing.

(20:39):
It just means that you are lovedbeyond measure And I hope you
guys know that and I hope youguys take that into the rest of
your day I will see you nexttime Bye guys