The Story of Thor and the Giant's Hammer

The complete Norse myth of Thor and the giant’s hammer: the theft of Mjölnir by Thrym, the humiliating disguise, and the thunder god’s furious recovery of his weapon. Retold from the Poetic Edda with clear explanations for new readers. Table of Contents Myth at a Glance Tradition: Norse (Poetic Edda) Main Figures: Thor, Loki, Thrym, Freyja, Heimdall Themes: Theft and recovery of a sacred weapon • Humiliation and disguise • Cunning as the partner of strength • The defence of Asgard’s power • Comic inversion of heroic dignity Setting: Asgard (home of the gods) and Jötunheimr (the realm of the giants) A mong the poems of the Poetic Edda there is a story that shows the mighty Thor in a situation of extreme embarrassment and still greater rage. His hammer, Mjölnir—the unmatched weapon with which he protects gods and humans from the giants—has been stolen. To get it back he must put on a bridal veil and travel to the land of his enemies as a supposed bride. The tale is known as Þrymskviða (The Lay…