Mjolnir
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Mjölnir ( Icelandic ; from Old Norse Mjǫllnir , meaning controversial, possibly "Malmer", "lightning" or "shining lightning weapon") is the name of a war hammer in Germanic mythology , the magical weapon of the god Thor , with which he is the enemies of the gods, above all the Thursen (Giants) and the Midgard Serpent , fought.
mythology
Creation and properties
Snorri Sturluson reports in his Snorra Edda (in the Skáldskaparmál ) of the creation of the hammer. Mjölnir was forged by the two dwarves Sindri and Brokk and has the property that, when thrown, it never misses its target and returns to the hand of the thrower (cf. Gungnir ). Mjölnir was originally planned as a kind of long-handled sledgehammer. Loki, however, bet his head on Brokk that the gods would not please his gifts. For fear of losing his head, he stabbed his eyelid, disguised as a mosquito, to distract him from his work on the bellows and thus thwart the blacksmithing work. This greatly shortened the handle. Nevertheless, the hammer was the best gem. And Loki, who was able to talk his way out of his punishment, had his mouth sewn shut.
Theft and recovery
The þrymskviða, a song of the Elder Edda , tells of the theft of the hammer by the giant Thrym (an. Þrymr "noise"). In exchange for the utensil indispensable for the gods, the giant demands the goddess Freyja as bride. Since she flatly rejects the trade, Thor and Loki are sent into the realm of the giants disguised as bride and bridesmaid in women's clothes. The giants almost discover the fraud, as Thor gobbles almost everything that is served as a feast far too quickly. But Loki claims with presence of mind that the bride fasted for a long time and therefore had such a big appetite. In this way it is possible to outsmart Thrym until the "bride" is placed in the lap of the "bride" as a sign of blessing, according to an old custom. Once again in possession of his wonder weapon, Thor slays the giant and his clan and returns victorious to Asgard .
Hammer amulets
Historical
Mjölnir was also the symbol for Thor and was worn around the neck as an amulet (see picture). Iron Thor's hammers on iron chokers were found in cremation graves of the 9th and 10th centuries, mainly in the Svea area, central Sweden, Åland and Russia. About 50 silver Thor's hammers are known from treasure, grave or settlement finds. They focus on southern and central Scandinavia and Iceland. They can be dated to the 10th and Gotland to the end of the century. Some finds come from Poland and England, some of which are made of amber . There are many different forms of hammer amulets, e.g. B. the Schonenhammer . From the transition period between pagan and Christian beliefs in Scandinavia , amulets were found that could possibly represent a reaction to the Christian cross. In fact, the majority of the finds were found in the graves of women and may be more related to fertility rites and marriage consecrations. Another similar use is that of the Thor's hammer on some rune stones ( rune stone from Hanning , rune stone from Læborg , rune stone from Stenkvista ) in Denmark and Sweden in the transitional period.
The runic Thor's hammer by Købelev , found in 2014 near Købelev on the Danish island of Lolland , is the only one with a runic inscription to date . This confirms the item as a hammer for the first time. Lis Imer, curator at the Danish National Museum , understands HMA R x IS as an incorrect spelling of hamar is, “hammer is”, where the x is a word separator, and assigns the inscription to a person with little writing skills. On closer inspection, however, we find that the R rune moves oversized into the center by omitting (left) and adding (right), which means that the rune sequence rotates around the pivot point R. The run name * raiðo describes the 'exit' and in Nordic specifically, with the expression þunorrad, Thors (Þunors) exit with his armed chariot over the clouds. Just as the thrown hammer Mjölnir generates lightning when it hits, the exit causes a dull rumble until the clap of thunder.
If the inscription is designed with runic magic in mind, then a numerical intention is also conceivable: the runic value of R is 5 (according to its place in the runic row); the rune value of the inscription is 50, with ten times always meaning a potentiation of the power. If the Rune R (similar to the rune box by Auzon ) is supposed to provide protection when riding into combat - perhaps even Thor's assistance - then this formula would be reinforced accordingly.
As Becker explains, one can also assume a fate-directing magical formula in the sequence of runic terms. This begins with H (misfortune) and turns over R with I and S to death and resurrection in Valhalla , to which the Valknut , which is found on this Thor's hammer as on many others, is meaningfully connected.
Modern use
Nowadays such hammer amulets are modeled in various forms as true-to-original replicas of historical models or offered as imaginative new creations. Numerous people, especially in Scandinavia and Northern Germany , wear Thor's hammers as pure jewelry without religious or ideological symbolism, apart from a connection with Nordic or Scandinavian culture and history and an interest in the Viking Age .
Mjölnir in metal and LARP
In the metal scene , this symbol is mainly worn by fans of the Pagan Metal and Viking Metal music genres , where it is considered a positive symbol of inner strength and drive and a sign of solidarity with one another. The Thorshammer is also popular with members of the " black scene " and traditionally with rockers (bikers). The Thor's hammer is also a popular accessory for LARP players with a connection to Vikings and fans of the medieval and medieval rock scene.
They are also worn by followers of Asatru (Germanic neo-paganism ) as a sign of their faith.
Mjölnir as a political symbol
The Thor's hammer was used as a badge by the Völkisch movement, which emerged around 1880 , but was increasingly replaced by the swastika in 1910 . More recently, the right-wing extremist scene rediscovered the hammer as a legally usable Germanic symbol . For this reason, it is increasingly included in lists of right-wing extremist symbols and signs . Due to its popularity with people who do not belong to the right-wing scene and because it lacks a direct reference to the Nazi era , because it was not listed as an official symbol of the Nazi government or any of its organs, the Thorshammer can be taken on its own are not regarded as a right-wing extremist distinguishing feature.
"Mjölnir" was also the artist name of the Reich Commissioner for Artistic Design Hans Herbert Schweitzer , a well-known graphic artist from the time of the Third Reich.
heraldry
The Thor's hammer is also used in heraldry . In the United States, it is one of the officially approved symbols of faith on the graves of government officials.
literature
- Joachim Henning , Anders Hultgård : Hammer. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 13, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1999, ISBN 3-11-016315-2 , pp. 483-492.
- Rudolf Simek : Lexicon of Germanic Mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 368). 3rd, completely revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-520-36803-X , pp. 284-286.
- Jörn Staecker : Rex regum et dominus dominorum. The Viking Age cross and crucifix pendants as an expression of the mission in old Denmark and Sweden. Almqvist & Wiksell International, Stockholm 1999 ( Lund Studies in medieval Archeology 23, ISSN 0283-6874 ), (also: Kiel, Univ., Diss., 1995).
- Egon Wamers : Hammer and Cross. Typological aspects of a northern European amulet custom from the time of the change of faith. In: Michael Müller-Wille (Ed.): Rome and Byzantium in the north. Mission and change of faith in the Baltic Sea region during the 8th-14th centuries Century. Volume 1. Steiner, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-515-07124-5 , pp. 83-107 ( Academy of Sciences and Literature, Mainz. Treatises of the humanities and social sciences class. Vol. 3, 1).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Alfred Becker: Mjölnir: Runes on the Thor's hammer from Købelev (Lolland), with illustrations
- ↑ Available Emblems of Belief for Placement on Government Headstones and Markers . US Department of Veterans Affairs - National Cemetery Administration. April 17, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.