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Thor's Hammer Amulets
Thor's Hammer Amulets were worn in the Viking era as religious amulets honoring Thor, the old Norse god of thunder. Amulets are common in the archaeological record of 10th century A.D., (but some have been found dating back to 6 A.D.). |
Thor's hammers were believed to have religious meaning since they have been found in graves and on fallen warriors at ancient battlefields. Some written histories from the viking age speak of people making the "sign of the hammer" over their food to bless it, so it follows that people of the viking age would wear amulets in the shape of the hammer to appeal for Thor's protection.
Thor's hammers have been found primarily in Denmark, south-eastern Sweden and southern Norway, but have ranged to Iceland, the British Isles and Germany. Several examples are in museums throughout Scandinavia.
As Christianity spread through Scandinavia, the Amulets were still worn, but often were melded with the Christian cross. Some sites had Thor's hammers and Christian crosses side by side. Many wonder, did Scandinavians continue to wear the Thor's hammer after the spread of Christianity as heathen defiance of the Christian cross or because christian missionaries used the hammer in their attempts to slowly convert heathen vikings to Christianity?
Today, Thor's hammers are worn mainly for cultural reasons, and can be easily found at some jewelry stores and metalworker's sites.
Mythology
Thor was the god of thunder and son of Odin. He was the most popular god among the vikings. His magical hammer was Mjollnir. It had many special properties:
Links
Thor's Hammer: This page shows many examples of museum pieces, several which are not covered in this presentation.
Hammer in the North: Mjollnir in Medieval Scandinavia: This is an excellent history on the subject, far more complete than this presentation. The page is written by Dan Bray of Sydney University
Ragweed Forge: An excellent source to buy Thor's hammers, or to learn about them. Each hammer on the page has a little history about it and there are some fine contemporary designs.
Mjolnir: Entry at answers.com about Thor's hammer and the related amulets.
Thor's hammers have been found primarily in Denmark, south-eastern Sweden and southern Norway, but have ranged to Iceland, the British Isles and Germany. Several examples are in museums throughout Scandinavia.
As Christianity spread through Scandinavia, the Amulets were still worn, but often were melded with the Christian cross. Some sites had Thor's hammers and Christian crosses side by side. Many wonder, did Scandinavians continue to wear the Thor's hammer after the spread of Christianity as heathen defiance of the Christian cross or because christian missionaries used the hammer in their attempts to slowly convert heathen vikings to Christianity?
Today, Thor's hammers are worn mainly for cultural reasons, and can be easily found at some jewelry stores and metalworker's sites.
Mythology
Thor was the god of thunder and son of Odin. He was the most popular god among the vikings. His magical hammer was Mjollnir. It had many special properties:
- unbreakable
- never missed its target
- always returned to Thor
- could fold it up and put it in his pocket
Links
Thor's Hammer: This page shows many examples of museum pieces, several which are not covered in this presentation.
Hammer in the North: Mjollnir in Medieval Scandinavia: This is an excellent history on the subject, far more complete than this presentation. The page is written by Dan Bray of Sydney University
Ragweed Forge: An excellent source to buy Thor's hammers, or to learn about them. Each hammer on the page has a little history about it and there are some fine contemporary designs.
Mjolnir: Entry at answers.com about Thor's hammer and the related amulets.