Mjöllnir

In Norse mythology, Mjǫllnir (Old Norse: ᛘᛁᛅᛚᚾᛁᛦ, IPA: [ˈmjɔlːnir]), anglicised as Mjolnir and Mjollnir (/ˈmjɔːlnɪər/; ) is the hammer of Þórr, the Norse god of thunder. Mjǫllnir is depicted in Norse mythology as one of the most fearsome and powerful weapons in existence, capable of leveling mountains. In its account of Norse mythology, the Prose Edda relates how the hammer was made by the dwarven brothers Eitri and Brokkr, and how its characteristically short handle was due to a mistake during its manufacture. Similar hammers (Ukonvasara) were a common symbol of the God of thunder in other North European mythologies.

Name
Old Norse Mjǫllnir /ˈmjɔlːnir/ regularly becomes Mjøllnir /ˈmjœlːnir/ in Old Icelandic by the 13th century. The modern Icelandic form is Mjölnir, Norwegian and Danish Mjølner, Swedish Mjölner.

The name is derived from a Proto-Germanic form *meldunjaz, from the Germanic root of *malanan "to grind" (*melwan, Old Icelandic meldr, mjǫll, mjǫl "meal, flour"), yielding an interpretation of "the grinder; crusher".

Additionally, there is a suggestion that the mythological "thunder weapon" being named after the word for "grindstone" is of considerable, Proto-Indo-European (if not Indo-Hittite) age; according to this suggestion, the divine thunder weapon (identified with lightning) of the storm god was imagined as a grindstone (Russian molot and possibly Hittite malatt- "sledgehammer, bludgeon"), reflected in Russian молния (molniya) and Welsh mellt "lightning" (possibly cognate with Old Norse mjuln "fire").

In the Old Norse texts, Mjǫllnir is identified as hamarr "a hammer", a word that in Old Norse and some modern Norwegian dialects can mean "hammer" as well as "stone, rock, cliff", ultimately derived from an Indo-European word for "stone, stone tool", h₂éḱmō; as such it is cognate with Sanskrit aśman, meaning "stone, rock, stone tool; hammer" as well as "thunderbolt".

Skáldskaparmál
An account of the origin of Mjǫllnir is found in Skáldskaparmál from Snorri's Edda: In this story, Loki bets his head with Sindri (or Eitri) and his brother Brokkr that they could never succeed in making items more beautiful than those of the Sons of Ívaldi (the dvergar who created other precious items for the gods: Óðinn's spear Gungnir and Freyr's foldable boat Skíðblaðnir).

Sindri and Brokkr accept Loki's bet and the two brothers begin working. They begin to work in their workshop, and Sindri puts a pig's skin in the forge and tells his brother (Brokkr) never to stop working the bellows until he comes and takes out what he put in. Loki, in disguise as a fly, comes and bites Brokkr on the arm. Nevertheless, he continues to pump the bellows.

Then, Sindri takes out Gullinbursti, Freyr's boar with shining bristles. Next, Sindri puts some gold in the forge and gives Brokkr the same order. Again, Loki, still in the guise of a fly comes and, again, bites Brokkr's neck twice as hard as he had bitten his arm. Just as before, Brokkr continues to work the bellows despite the pain. When Sindri returns, he takes out Draupnir, Óðinn's ring, which drops eight duplicates of itself every ninth night.

Finally, Sindri puts some iron in the forge and tells Brokkr not to stop pumping the bellows. Loki comes a third time and this time bites Brokkr on the eyelid even harder. The bite is so deep that it draws blood. The blood runs into Brokkr's eyes and forces him to stop working the bellows just long enough to wipe his eyes. This time, when Sindri returns, he takes Mjöllnir out of the forge. The handle is shorter than Sindri had planned and so the hammer can only be wielded with one hand.

Despite the flaw in the handle, Sindri and Brokkr win the bet and go to take Loki's head. However, Loki worms his way out of the bet by pointing out that the dvergar would need to cut his neck to remove his head, but Loki's neck was not part of the deal. As a consolation prize, Brokkr sews Loki's mouth shut to teach him a lesson.

The final product is then presented to Þórr, and its properties are described, as follows,

— The Prose Edda, translated by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur (1916).

Poetic Edda
Þórr possessed a formidable chariot, which is drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. A belt, Megingjǫrð, and iron gloves, Járngreipr, were used to lift Mjǫllnir. Mjǫllnir is the focal point of some of Þórr's adventures.

This is clearly illustrated in a poem found in the Poetic Edda titled Þrymskviða. The myth relates that the giant, Þrymr, steals Mjǫllnir from Þórr and then demands the goddess Freyja in exchange. Loki, the god notorious for his duplicity, conspires with the other Æsir to recover Mjǫllnir by disguising Þórr as Freyja and presenting him as the "goddess" to Þrymr.

At a banquet Þrymr holds in honor of the impending union, Þrymr takes the bait. Unable to contain his passion for his new maiden with long, blond locks (and broad shoulders), as Þrymr approaches the bride by placing Mjǫllnir on "her" lap, Þórr rips off his disguise and destroys Þrymr and his jǫtunn cohorts.

Precedents and comparanda
A precedent of these Viking Age Þórr's hammer amulets are recorded for the migration period Alemanni, who took to wearing Roman "Hercules' Clubs" as symbols of Donar. A possible remnant of these Donar amulets was recorded in 1897, as a custom of Unterinn (South Tyrolian Alps) of incising a T-shape above front doors for protection against evils of all kinds, especially storms.

Viking Age pendants
About 50 specimens of Mjǫllnir amulets have been found widely dispersed throughout Scandinavia, dating from the 9th to 11th centuries, most commonly discovered in areas with a strong Christian influence including southern Norway, south-eastern Sweden, and Denmark. Due to the similarity of equal-armed, square crosses featuring figures of Christ on them at around the same time, the wearing of Thor's hammers as pendants may have come into fashion in defiance of the square amulets worn by newly converted Christians in the regions.

An iron Þórr's hammer pendant excavated in Yorkshire, dating to ca. AD 1000 bears an uncial inscription preceded and followed by a cross, interpreted as indicating a Christian owner synchronising pagan and Christian symbolism.

A 10th-century soapstone mold found at Trendgården, Jutland, Denmark is notable for allowing the casting of both crucifix and Thor's hammer pendants. A silver specimen found near Fossi, Iceland (now in the National Museum of Iceland) can be interpreted as either a Christian cross or a Thor's hammer. Unusually, the elongated limb of the cross ends in a beast's (perhaps a wolf's) head.

The Købelev Runic-Thor’s Hammer, found at the Danish island of Lolland in 2014, is so far the only one bearing an inscription, proving that this kind of pendant is meant to be a hammer. The inscription reads "Hmar x is," which translates to "This is a hammer." However, the proper spelling is "hamar," indicating the creator was not a fully literate individual.

Viking Age depictions
Some image stones and runestones found in Denmark and southern Sweden bear an inscription of a hammer. Runestones depicting Thor's hammer include runestones U 1161 in Altuna, Sö 86 in Åby, Sö 111 in Stenkvista, Sö 140 in Jursta, Vg 113 in Lärkegapet, Öl 1 in Karlevi, DR 26 in Laeborg, DR 48 in Hanning, DR 120 in Spentrup, and DR 331 in Gårdstånga. Other runestones included an inscription calling for Thor to safeguard the stone. For example, the stone of Virring in Denmark had the inscription þur uiki þisi kuml, which translates into English as "May Thor hallow this memorial." There are several examples of a similar inscription, each one asking for Thor to "hallow" or protect the specific artifact. Such inscriptions may have been in response to the Christians, who would ask for God's protection over their dead.

Swastika symbol
According to some scholars, the swastika shape may have been a variant popular in Anglo-Saxon England prior to Christianization, especially in East Anglia and Kent. Wilson (1894) points out that while the swastika had been "vulgarly called in Scandinavia the hammer of Thor" (in Icelandic: Thorshamarmerki, mark of Thor's hammer), the symbol properly so called had a Y or T shape.

Modern usage
Most practitioners of Germanic Neopagan faiths wear Mjǫllnir pendants as a symbol of that faith worldwide. Renditions of Mjǫllnir are designed, crafted and sold by some Germanic Neopagan groups and individuals.

Some controversy has occurred concerning the potential recognition of the symbol as a religious symbol by the United States government. In May 2013 the "Hammer of Thor" was added to the list of United States Department of Veterans Affairs emblems for headstones and markers.

In the adventures of the Marvel Comics character Thor, based on the Norse god, a magical hammer similarly based on the original Mjǫllnir plays a major role. The Marvel adaptation endowed the hammer with additional powers not attested in the original myth - especially, that when holding it Thor can fly through air at great speed.

Characteristics and abilities

 * The Mjǫllnir is described as being one of the most fearsome weapons, capable of levelling mountains.
 * After Thor used the hammer and tossed it against a target, the hammer would levitate by itself, returning to Thor.
 * Thor could also cast and then generate lightning with Mjǫllnir.
 * The hammer could destroy, but also revive animals or people or even create.
 * The hammer could also be magically shrunken to fit inside Thor’s shirt.

Other Uses
The hammer was used in sacred ceremonies of both birth and death.

Variations
Most of the various craft based on the Mjǫllnir, share the celtic symbol of charm, or commonly known as Triquetra.
 * The figure and depiction of the hammer was also used to craft other items, such as pendants.

Comic books

 * In Marvel Comics' Ultimate universe titles, Thor uses an axe version of the Mjǫllnir. Just as the original version of the hammer, this axe model is able to channel electricity, primarily naturally generated lightnings.

Films

 * The axe version of the Mjǫllnir appears again, used by Thor on the animated feature film Ultimate Avengers.
 * The axe version of the Mjǫllnir is used by Thor against the Chitauri in Ultimate Avengers 2.
 * The Mjǫllnir appears on the 2011 film Thor. In the film, the hammer is stripped from Thor, who has become unworthy of it, and, as such, Thor must struggle to learn a lesson of humility and responsibility while being just human, to be worthy of Mjǫllnir and use it to defeat his evil, adoptive brother, Loki, and the Destroyer. In the movie, it is described as being as heavy as a thousand earths to those unworthy, and as light as a feather to those who are worthy. According to Odin, the hammer was forged in the heart of a dying star and has no equal as either a weapon to destroy or as a tool to build. Also, Darcy mispronounces its name as "myeh-myeh".
 * Marvel's Thor uses the hammer again against Iron Man, Captain America and the hordes of Chitauri on 2012 film The Avengers.
 * Marvel’s Thor uses the hammer in sequels Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok, the latter film in which it is destroyed by Thor’s half-sister, Hela, who was revealed to have wielded it before Thor.

Gallery
Image gallery of Mjǫllnir