The hammer of the god Thor is a legendary weapon from Scandinavia. Meaning of the amulets and the tattoo with the image of the Thor's hammer

In the mythologies of different countries and religions of the world, there are all kinds of explanations for how our world has appeared. But no matter how different these theories are, there is what unites them: in every version of the emergence of the universe there are the forces of nature and some higher intelligence. Also often there are giants and people of incredible, incomprehensible power. This is due to the fact that ancient people could not accurately know the origin of natural phenomena, they were afraid of thunder, fire, and their explanation of the various elements was divine.

Almost in every mythology was the ruler of thunder, in Germanic-Scandinavian his name was Thor. The hammer of the god Thor is one of the "relics" of this legend. Who is this god?

German-Scandinavian mythology

One of the oldest known myths in the modern world is the so-called German-Scandinavian, which was formed from the fifth century BC, until the era of Christianity. Everyone who has ever been interested in such a science knows the "Elder Edda" (poetic) and "Younger Edda" (prosaic), in which the appearance of the world according to the version of the Germanic tribes was described (the texts of these works were written in the seventh century AD Sturluson).

At the heart of this mythology lay the abyss ("ginungagap"), on the edges of which reigned fire and water. It tells about the born giants, about the appearance of the god Odin, who created the land of Midgard, in contrast to Asgard - the land of the gods, which is in heaven.

Everyone has an idea of German-Scandinavian mythology, at least according to the medieval poem "Songs of the Nibelungen." On its basis, the opera was written by the great Richard Wagner and many films were shot. For children, this is something like a fairy tale fantasy, which by popularity can be compared to the hobbits themselves (which, in turn, was invented by writer JRR Tolkien).

The structure of the newly created world had a horizontal component - the world of people, and the vertical component - the tree of life, the ash Yggdrasil.

Gods and heroes, adventures and battles ... Such a huge new world demanded protection. Thor - the god of thunder (we compare it with the thunderer Zeus in ancient Greek mythology), he defends Midgard and fights his famous hammer.

Mjolnir

What is the Thor's Hammer? Mjolnir. This is a special weapon. Thanks to Loki's prose (the god of cunning and mischief), his center of gravity was shifted, and the handle was unreasonably short. This explains the fact that only Thor and his son Magna could fight this throwing cannon. It is also described that the lord of thunder put on special iron gloves, and then in his hands the hammer became very precise, every time after blow, returning to the hands of the thrower.

The hammer of the god Thor - mjolnir - possessed such force, that from its impact there was a thunder. We know now why there is a thunder, science has long explained all the natural phenomena. But the ancient Germans did not know this, and therefore attached great importance to the divine description of events.

Thor's hammer in language and culture

German-Scandinavian mythology has had a huge impact on the language and culture of many countries. For example, in English and German, the day of the week "Thursday" is called only "Thor's day" (English Thursday - Thor's day, German Donnerstag - the day of thunder, that is, Torah).

In Scandinavia, the Thor's hammer is very popular. The amulet with its image is worn around the neck. It is believed that he will save the owner (more precisely, his life). A statuette of this instrument was placed under the bed for the newlyweds, it was believed that this would bring them many healthy children. Apparently, expectations were justified, because for many centuries this tradition was alive.

It is known that the traditions of antiquity have a property to return, and what once angered our ancestors, can now disturb modern adolescents.

Present time

Now the Thor's hammer is no less relevant among young people than it was at that time. Often people (this fits mostly youngsters, defenders of girls) make themselves tattoos with such an interesting image.

The weapon lived a separate life from its owner. Then flying away, then returning, the hammer was as if alive. The god of thunder had to rescue the instrument from captivity, to return to itself.

In the stories of computer games, too often occurs mjolnir (the hammer of the god Thor) as a special weapon of the hero. This subject comes from Scandinavia inspired by many metal bands, its image even found in their emblems.

Tattoo

In the sketches of tattoo parlors, a color or black and white picture of this instrument is often presented. It has runic patterns, it is symmetrical, looks, of course, stylish. But, we will make a reservation at once, to put this drawing on a skin without special mood, certainly, it is impossible. All that is an ancient symbol, has the power, supported by centuries, and can not be inflicted without consequences.

It is necessary to formulate exactly for yourself why you want to put the Thor's hammer on your body. Its meaning is approximately this: it protects from various adversities, troubles, because the god of thunder and lightning in German-Scandinavian mythology is hardy, tall, strong, called to protect Midgard from the invasion. The image of this mythical weapon will suit the natures bright, power-hungry, purposeful, with some cunning. Those who would like to develop such character traits, tattoo specialists are also advised to apply this pattern.

A small conclusion

In any case, if you wear an amulet with this weapon, if you do a tattoo, you need to remember one thing: the hammer of the god Thor carries in itself the powerful energy of the ancient epic, a legend that can not be taken lightly.