Who Was Thor? - A Guide to the Hammer-Wielding Viking God of Thunder

1 hour ago2 min read

God of thunder, wielder of mighty hammers and man with great bushy beard - who exactly was the Viking god Thor?

Thor, a bearded man in a horned helmet and fur cloak, looking intense. Dark, moody background. Viking warrior style. No text visible. — Move over Chris Hemsworth. Thanks to the power of AI, we can get a glimpse of what Thor might have looked like in the imaginations of the Vikings.

Thor in Popular Culture

Thor really needs no introduction; Chris Hemsworth has made this character super famous! We all know that Thor is the god of thunder, is very handsome, has massive muscles, long blond hair, and throws the mighty hammer Mjölnir as a weapon. Right?

Thor in Norse Myths

Well, the original mythological version of Thor, god of thunder, is rather different. First off, he's described as having fiery eyes, red hair and a red beard. He still has massive muscles but his super strength comes from a magical belt called Megingjörð (if you'd rather not try and pronounce that - we don't blame you. It translates as the much more easily pronounced 'Power-Belt').

Thor, a warrior in red armour, wields a hammer amidst lightning, surrounded by goats and chaos. The scene is intense and dynamic, evoking power. — Thor's goats watch on as he takes out his wrath on someone's bonce.

Thor and his Hammer

He still has the hammer Mjölnir, but 'being worthy' has nothing to do with him being able to lift it. Instead he has some magical gloves which let him hold the short handled hammer.

Thor as the GOAT

Oh, and Thor can't fly using his hammer as he does in the movies. Instead, he speeds around on a chariot pulled by two flying goats named Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. If Thor gets a little peckish (and he usually does - boy oh boy this god loves his food) then he kills his pet goats, eats them, and then brings them back to life the following morning with his magical hammer. Those poor goats, they probably don't know whether they're coming or going.

Find out more about the Viking gods in our A-Z list right here.

Or perhaps you're looking for something more out of the ordinary? Then you'll want to check out our list of Viking gods you've (probably) never heard of, right here.