Norse pantheon is, as in many heathen religions, extensive[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:28:00 2011
]widely spread[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:28:00 2011
] and complicated with all genealogical connections and complex roles and characters of individual deities[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:16:00 2011
]y[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:16:00 2011
]. One of the gods who were frequently[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:29:00 2011
]mostly[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:29:00 2011
] described is Þórr, which makes his divine role clearer than the roles of other divinities (such as?)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:29:00 2011
], rarely mentioned in the[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:32:00 2011
] remaining sources. His character can be observed in numerous poems and stories from Norse mythology. Some scholars assume that at some point in the past Þórr surpassed Óðinn and became the mainly worshipped of the[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:17:00 2011
] Norse gods[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:17:00 2011
]. [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:40:00 2011
] This change might be a result of many factors, one of which presumably is his divine role which drove this god closer to mankind.
What is divine role of Þórr? In various sources he is portrayed[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:28:00 2011
]seen[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:28:00 2011
] as either the god of war, who fights the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:29:00 2011
]forces of chaos, or the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:29:00 2011
]god of fertility and a[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:29:00 2011
],[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:29:00 2011
] symbol of well-being. He is either depicted as a[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:29:00 2011
] young, well-build warrior or an old man with red beard. W[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:31:00 2011
]hich one of these roles is more important [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:31:00 2011
]is a subject of an ongoing [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:31:00 2011
]There is [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:31:00 2011
]debate going on[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:31:00 2011
] among scholars, which one of these roles is more important[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:31:00 2011
]. I decided to focus on his role of the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:32:00 2011
]as [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:32:00 2011
]giant-slayer and defender of mankind and the Æsir, as this image predominates[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:32:00 2011
] in poems of Poetic Edda. I have chosen two poems from this set of mythological works: Hymiskviða and Þrymskviða. In my paper I want to concentrate on the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:32:00 2011
]relation between Þórr's creation and his divine role and how his character reflects his functions.
As I mentioned before,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:32:00 2011
] one of Þórr's main functions, if not the most important one, is the role of the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:35:00 2011
]defender of the Æsir and giant-[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:36:00 2011
] [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:36:00 2011
]slayer. This[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:37:00 2011
]It[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:37:00 2011
] can be seen in many poems of Poettic Edda, in[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:37:00 2011
]not ex[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:37:00 2011
]cluding Hymiskviða and Þrymskviða. In both stories the god encounters giants and in both cases he [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:37:00 2011
]slays the whole tribe of them[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:37:00 2011
]giants[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:37:00 2011
]. The giants are considered (constructed?)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:38:00 2011
] as main opponents of Þórr and it is significant how [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:38:00 2011
]that the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:38:00 2011
]often [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:38:00 2011
]giants often [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:38:00 2011
]try to disturb the Æsir and to interfere in their world. Without Þórr's power to defeat the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:38:00 2011
]giants,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:38:00 2011
] Ásgarðr and Miðgarðr would be at serious risk. The following[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:39:00 2011
] q[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:38:00 2011
]Q[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:38:00 2011
]uote describing the[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:39:00 2011
]at[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:39:00 2011
] risk comes from[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:39:00 2011
]can be foun[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:39:00 2011
]d[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:39:00 2011
] in[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:39:00 2011
] Þrymskviða:
Þegar munu jötnar Ásgarð búa,
nema þú þinn hamar ér of heimtir.
It thus becomes[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:42:00 2011
]is[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:42:00 2011
] clear then how big a[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:42:00 2011
] threat the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:42:00 2011
] were [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:42:00 2011
]giants were [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:42:00 2011
]for Norse gods and their dwelling. Without Þórr's abilities, power, and without his hammer the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:42:00 2011
]gods are in a[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:42:00 2011
] serious situation (facing a serious threat?)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:42:00 2011
].
As I mentioned the[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:44:00 2011
] hammer, I will now proceed to this [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:45:00 2011
]important feature of Þórr's characterisation.[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:46:00 2011
], his important attribute. [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:46:00 2011
] [Author ID2: at Fri Dec 2 10:15:00 2011
]The weapon of this mighty god and his significant attribute[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:46:00 2011
] is a primary (vital?)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:46:00 2011
] element of Þrymskviða. It is because of the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:53:00 2011
]missing hammer that Þórr is perplexed and all of the Æsir gets[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:53:00 2011
] anxious. As the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:53:00 2011
]it was seen in [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:53:00 2011
]quote above points out[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:53:00 2011
], without the hammer, the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:53:00 2011
]gods are almost powerless against the giants. But what the hammer means for Þórr? Even though Þrymskviða is an[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:53:00 2011
] comic poem, there is [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:54:00 2011
]also [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:54:00 2011
]an [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:54:00 2011
]element of hazard and danger [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:54:00 2011
]underneath the comedy and laughable elements lies also element of hazard and danger[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:54:00 2011
]. W[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:55:00 2011
]Þórr w[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:55:00 2011
]ithout his main attribute, Þhórr[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:55:00 2011
] behaves as if distracted, he sends Loki to find his belonging, instead of going for it himself,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:55:00 2011
] ,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:55:00 2011
] he shows all kinds of different feelings ([Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:55:00 2011
], [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:55:00 2011
]from anger when he discovers that his hammer is missing, to impatience when Loki returns with message about Þórr's belonging [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:56:00 2011
])[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:56:00 2011
], he is stubborn while ordering Freyja to become a wife of the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 20:56:00 2011
]giant, and then meek when gods insist on his cross-dressing. All that of course creates a great humorous effect, but apart from that it also [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:05:00 2011
]shows how unstable and volatile Þórr becomes when he is devoid of his hammer. This item is not only a symbol of military power of the god of war, but also a [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:06:00 2011
]sexual power symbol of a masculinity god. After coming to Þrymr's land, dressed as a bride, and [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:06:00 2011
]after a great feast, [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:07:00 2011
] [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:07:00 2011
]the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:07:00 2011
]when [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:07:00 2011
]time finally comes to consecrate the marriage. T[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:07:00 2011
], t[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:07:00 2011
]he hammer is placed on Þórr[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:07:00 2011
]'s[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:07:00 2011
]the[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:07:00 2011
] lap of Þórr [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:07:00 2011
]which is a clear allusion to a fallic symbol. ([Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:14:00 2011
]I don´t know whether it is clear - Ash says it´s clear, Shafer seemed to have some doubts about it [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:15:00 2011
][Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:15:00 2011
] O[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:15:00 2011
]And o[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:15:00 2011
]nly after this ceremony[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:15:00 2011
]at[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:15:00 2011
], the god regains his great powers and immediately slays the whole family of Þrymr.
In Þrymskviða,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:22:00 2011 ] Þórr is shown in a [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:22:00 2011 ]comical and laughable light. His power is revealed only in two last stanzas and there is not much emphasis on his strength and potency. The very [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:23:00 2011 ]opposite happens in Hymiskviða. This poem is distinct (different)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:23:00 2011 ] from Þrymskviða because it focus directly on Þórr's divine role. It is a compilation of shorter episodes concerning [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:24:00 2011 ]Þórr[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:24:00 2011 ] as[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:24:00 2011 ] the god of war. The episode of fighting with Jǫrmungandr is just one of them. I believe that Þórr's characterisation in the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:25:00 2011 ]stories included in Hymiskviða reflects[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:25:00 2011 ] ([Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:25:00 2011 ]greatly)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:25:00 2011 ] his role and activities according the Norse mythology.
Primarily, the stories are concerned with Þórr's unimaginable (fabulous?) [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:26:00 2011
]strength and courage. After showing (satisfying?)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:27:00 2011
] his [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:26:00 2011
]immense appetite, to which I will come back later in this[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:26:00 2011
] my[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:26:00 2011
] paper, Þórr left [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:27:00 2011
]no more food was left [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:27:00 2011
]for the following day, and [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:27:00 2011
]. Because of that, [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:27:00 2011
]Hymir decided that they should go for a fishing trip. The giant allowed Þórr to take the bait from his herd, having in mind (meaning?)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:28:00 2011
] bull's dung. Þórr,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:28:00 2011
] however,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:28:00 2011
] dares to take the head of one of the giant's bulls. When the host sees what happened he is astonished and angry. In my opinion,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:29:00 2011
] this episode shows[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:29:00 2011
] how little respect did the god have for the belongings of the giant. He had enough [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:29:00 2011
]courage enough [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:29:00 2011
]and strength enough [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:29:00 2011
]to take the head of the beast. It reveals his[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:31:00 2011
]the[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:31:00 2011
] role of the enemy of the giant- even though he is a guest in [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:29:00 2011
]the dwelling of Hymir, he doesn't obey the host, nor is he respectful towards him.[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:31:00 2011
]. [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:31:00 2011
]
His carelessness towards the giant's requests can be seen in the next stanzas as well. The following story renders[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:31:00 2011
]is[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:31:00 2011
] the famous myth of [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:31:00 2011
]Þórr's fishing expedition. In this version of the myth, the[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:31:00 2011
] god was not able to kill the serpent Jǫrmungandr. Nevertheless, it highlights the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:32:00 2011
]enormous strength of Þórr and his bravery. The giant pro[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:32:00 2011
]or[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:32:00 2011
]bably did not[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:32:00 2011
]n't[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:32:00 2011
] realise that his guest would[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:32:00 2011
]ill[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:32:00 2011
] have enough courage to travel further out into the sea than anyone before him. Actually,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:33:00 2011
] Hymir seems quite fearful in comparison to Þórr and[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:33:00 2011
],[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:33:00 2011
] he wants to prevent the god from going any further. Nonetheless,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:33:00 2011
] the Á[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:33:00 2011
]á[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:33:00 2011
]ss does it without any regard for the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:34:00 2011
]giant's opposition. Hymir's haul is quite impressive in itself [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:34:00 2011
]- he catches two great whales. However, when[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:34:00 2011
]But[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:34:00 2011
] compared to Þórr's,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:34:00 2011
] it is almost nothing. The god manages to catch the world serpent, probably the greatest being in the seas. This[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:35:00 2011
]at[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:35:00 2011
] causes[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:35:00 2011
]d[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:35:00 2011
] immense reaction [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:35:00 2011
]in the whole world:
Hreingálen hlumðo, enn hölen þuto,
Fór in forna fold öll saman.
Sřcþiz síðan sá fiscr í mar.
As I mentioned before, this shows how amazingly strong was [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:35:00 2011
]Þórr is[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:35:00 2011
]. His stoutness (stoutness mean obesity, being fat - do you mean this or [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:36:00 2011
]that he is strong and powerful?)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:39:00 2011
] moved the whole earth right from the foundation. And if the god succeeded in taking his haul out of the water and killing it (the snake)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:39:00 2011
], the world would never be the same again - b[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:40:00 2011
]. B[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:40:00 2011
]ut,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:40:00 2011
] unfortunately for Þórr,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:40:00 2011
] Jǫrmungandr sinks back to the depths of the sea.
Þórr manifests his strength in next passage of Hymiskviða as well. When the god and the giant come back from the sea, Hymir intends to divide the amount of things to carry in between them two. Þórr, however, takes both whales (Hymir's haul) and the boat on his shoulders and carries it back to the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:40:00 2011
]giant's dwelling. That impresses[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:40:00 2011
]d[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:40:00 2011
] but also annoyes[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:41:00 2011
]d[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:40:00 2011
] his[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:41:00 2011
]the[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:41:00 2011
] host, and because of that he gives (proposes?)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:41:00 2011
] another challenge to the god [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:41:00 2011
]- if he manages to break Hymir's cup, he will obtain the item of his desire, i.e. [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:41:00 2011
]- [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:41:00 2011
]kettle for the merriment of the Æsir. Firstly,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:42:00 2011
] Þórr tries to break the cup by hitting it against the pillar but it does not[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:42:00 2011
]n't[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:42:00 2011
] work. Then, with all his might and godly[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:42:00 2011
]'s[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:42:00 2011
] power,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:42:00 2011
] he strikes the head of Hymir and manages to break the glass. The giant is forced to give up and handles the kettle over[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:42:00 2011
] to Þórr.
This story is,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:42:00 2011
] in my opinion,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:42:00 2011
] significant,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:43:00 2011
] for shows the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:42:00 2011
]relation between Þórr's creation and his divine role. He is considered as the god of masculinity and[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:43:00 2011
], god of[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:43:00 2011
] bravery. The[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:45:00 2011
]o[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:45:00 2011
]se episodes are concerned with his power and strength. They[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:45:00 2011
]It is[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:45:00 2011
] emphasised[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:45:00 2011
] how outstanding his courage was[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:45:00 2011
]ere[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:45:00 2011
], also when[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:49:00 2011
] and it was[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:49:00 2011
] compared to the giant's deeds, which were in themselves very remarkable, but after putting them against[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:49:00 2011
]together with[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:49:00 2011
] Þórr's exploits,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:49:00 2011
] they seem rather bleak (bleak means forlorn, [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:47:00 2011
]desolate - did you mean poor, feeble?)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:48:00 2011
]. I have [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:49:00 2011
]briefly mentioned before that the god is always in opposition to the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:49:00 2011
]giant's will and this is also a significant marker of his role. After all, he is the (appointed?) [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:49:00 2011
]enemy of giants, and even though he sometimes needs[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:49:00 2011
] to co-operate with that race, he shows no respect for them. In Hymiskviða,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:50:00 2011
] he does not[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:50:00 2011
]n't[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:50:00 2011
] have to kill the giants, and he would not[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:50:00 2011
]n't[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:50:00 2011
] do that if they did not [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:50:00 2011
]n't [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:50:00 2011
]follow him in pursuit.
I mentioned Þórr's immense appetite before. ([Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:51:00 2011
]I would like to come back to it now, as i[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:51:00 2011
]. I[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:51:00 2011
]t appears in both poems that [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:51:00 2011
]I am concerned with. In Þrymskviða,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:51:00 2011
] it is present in stanza 24, when Þórr,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:51:00 2011
] disguised as the bride,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:51:00 2011
] eats huge amounts[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:51:00 2011
] of food. This[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:51:00 2011
]at[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:51:00 2011
] astonishes Þrymr, but [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:52:00 2011
]not in a [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:52:00 2011
]negative way. It is perhaps a good feature in [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:53:00 2011
]for [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:53:00 2011
]giantesses to eat a lot, and because of that Þrymr finds it attractive. It has a great comical aspect, but apart from this effect,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:53:00 2011
] it shows Þórr's appetite. The same charaxcteristic of Þórr can be found in Hymiskviða, stanza 15. Hymir is angry because of his unexpected guests, but he is obliged to be a host to[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:53:00 2011
]for[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:53:00 2011
] them. He orders the dinner to be served, and to his great amazement,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:53:00 2011
] Þórr himself eats two whole oxen. As we can see, the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:53:00 2011
] [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:53:00 2011
]god's good apetite causes surprise,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:53:00 2011
] but also admiration. It is a symbol of masculinity and vigour of the god. Perhaps for his enemies [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:54:00 2011
]the fact that Þórr is able to eat this amount of food is also a sign of his power and strength for his enemies[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:54:00 2011
]s[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:54:00 2011
]. If his appetite is so[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:54:00 2011
]this[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:54:00 2011
] great, his strength must be adequate.
My final insight about Þórr's creation (representation?)[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:55:00 2011
] in two poems from [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:55:00 2011
]the[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:55:00 2011
] Poetic Edda concerns the names and adjectives used to described[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:55:00 2011
] the god. I believe they are significant and add much to the [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:55:00 2011
]characterisation of Þórr. Those short descriptions can tell us something [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:55:00 2011
]much [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:55:00 2011
]about role of the god. In Hymiskviða,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:55:00 2011
] we can[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:55:00 2011
]could[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:55:00 2011
] divide the kennings used to describe Þórr into two groups. First of them would be connected to his genealogy, the second describes[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:56:00 2011
] his activities and attributes. Examples of those connected to genealogy would be the son of Ygg, Sif's mate, Son of Óðinn. Such kennings help to situate Þórr in the genealogy of the mythological deities. There is also another piece [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:56:00 2011
]description which attracted[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:57:00 2011
]draw[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:57:00 2011
] my attention, namely: `Faðir Móða'- the father of Móði. Móði means 'Angry', and [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:57:00 2011
]Þórr has another son called Magni- `Strong', and a daughter,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:57:00 2011
] Þrúðr,[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:57:00 2011
] which means `Power'. The last two names do not[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:57:00 2011
]n't[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:57:00 2011
] appear in either of poems I am concerned with, but they appear in other poems. In my reading, the[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:57:00 2011
] want to use[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:57:00 2011
] names of Þórr's children are[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:58:00 2011
]as[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:58:00 2011
] an important factor in his chatacterisation. Anger, strength and power are adjectives best describing Þórr, and the fact that his children are called by those particular names emphasises it and points directly to his divine role as a giant- slayer and god of war.
Examples of the other[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:58:00 2011
]e[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:58:00 2011
] group of kennings used to described him [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:58:00 2011
]are as follows: slayer of giants, lord of the goats, warder of men, [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:58:00 2011
]worm's destroyer, the bold one. All those variant of a single name complete the image of Þórr and create [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:59:00 2011
]add [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:59:00 2011
]a stronger impression of his [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:59:00 2011
]status and significance.
There are many [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:59:00 2011
] is plenty of [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:59:00 2011
]other relations between the[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 21:59:00 2011
] individual characterisation of Þórr and his divine role. I believe that the bountifulness of sources about the god make studies much more comprehensive and allows scholars and students to go deep into meaning without ambiguity and without too much supposition, which could be the case with other gods. [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 22:00:00 2011
]
I´d perhaps reconsider[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 22:00:00 2011 ] a bit [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 22:01:00 2011 ] the last sentence - I like the part about the fact that since we have more sources about Thórr, we can analyse him more precisely, but I´d be careful with comprehensiveness and lack of ambiguity[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 22:00:00 2011 ] - but this is only my personal opinion[Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 22:01:00 2011 ][Author ID1: at Thu Dec 1 22:01:00 2011 ]
Professor John McKinnell `Old Norse Mythology' Durham University, lecture given on … November 2011
Georges Dumezil, Gods of the ancient Northmen, Edited by Einar Haugen (Berkeley : University of California Press, 1973)
John Lindow, Norse mythology : a guide to the gods, heroes, rituals, and beliefs (Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2002). Pp.287-291
`Immidiately will giants live in Ásgarđ / unless you recover your hammer for yourself'
John McKinnell, `Myth as therapy: the usefulness of Ţrymskviđa', Medium Ćvum, 69/1 (2000).
`Þrymskviða' in Anthony Faulkes (ed.), A New Introduction to Old Norse; Part II- Reader, 5th edn., (London : Viking Society for Northern Research, University College London, 2011) page 138, lines 16-18
`Þrymskviða' page 138, line 1
`Þrymskviða' page 139, lines 35-39
`Ţrymskviđa' page 139 lines 46-47
`Ţrymskviđa' page 140 line 72
Footnote in prose edda in Bellows
`Hymiskviđa' in Hans Kuhn and Gustav Neckel (ed.), Edda : Die Lieder des Codex regius nebst verwandten Denkmälern (Heidelberg : C. Winter, 1962) page 92, stanza 24; translation:
Enemy of reindeer howled, and rocks resounded
And the old earth was shaken
Then sunk the fish into the sea
Appear in `Hymiskviđa'
Appear in `Þrymskviða'
`Hymiskviđa' in Hanz Kuhn, stanza 34
Pulsiano, Philip (ed.), Medieval Scandinavia: an encyclopedia (New York; London: Garland, 1993). 672-673.
Appear in `Hymiskviđa'