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So I'm pretty sure we all know the name of Thor, whether we are aware of it or not. He's in everything, religion, literature, movies, music. But this is a name and the imagine of a hammer wielding blonde super hero. Who is the real Thor? The Thunder God? Well hopefully in this post I can educate you in regards to all about Thor, Vingthor, Hlorridi. I will go into these names and more about Thor, the god of many things.
Thor is the son of Odin and Jord. Essentially from his parents we see that he is the son of the Allfather (representing all of divinity) and Jord or the Earth (representing nature and man.) Perhaps this is where his close ties with Midgard and the lives of men stems from. Also he is not a blonde. He's a red head and is often described to have "fiery eyes" and have sparks shoot from his hair and beard.
When Thor was very young he had aggression issues really bad. One day he threw a massive barrel across the room and Odin had had enough. He sent Thor off to be cared for by the most hardcore people he could think of Vignir and Hlora essentially the embodiments of thunder and lightning.
He learnt a great deal while with them, mainly anger management skills and the ability to call upon the power of thunder and lightning. He honors them so much that he attributes who he is today to them, and has taken on the names Vingthor and Hlorridi in honor of them.
Thor reached a ripe age of manhood and maturity and was finally welcomed back to Asgard to hold council and be equal with his kin, the Aesir. But upon his return he realized he was too mighty and possessed the heated lightening. He could not cross the Rainbow Bridge, Bifrost into Asgard. So from then on he has had a chariot pull him through the sky pulled by two mountain goats named Tooth-cracker and Tooth-gnasher. As you can guess the goat is a sacred animal for Thor.
Thor returned to Asgard and was given the field Thrudheim in Asgard; there he lives in his palace Bilskirnir with his family. Thor has four children and a wife and mistress. He has sired two children with the giantess Jarnsaxa. These children are his sons Magni and Modi which are the two gods that will outlive Thor on Ragnarok and inherit his hammer. His other two children are by his wife Sif. He himself had a daughter named Thrudr with Sif. Sif had a son by an unnamed frost giant. The son is non-other than Ullr, the winter huntsman. He is the stepson of Thor.
Thor wields the hammer Mjolnir and also has a magic belt and gloves that give him strength. He is prone to aggression but is also loving and compassionate. He is deeply wise. But he is a great family man.
Thor is the ultimate family man, as you can see from his large and mixed family. He also houses the spirits of some of the dead from Midgard in Bilskirnir. One example of care for his family was when Loki shaved Sif's beautiful blonde hair in the night. Thor nearly murdered Loki but Loki went to the dwarves and had them craft hair made from gold, a ship, and Odins spear. He then made a wager with a dwarf named Brock, that Loki's smith was better than Brock's brother. Brock and his brother then went on to create a golden boar for Frey, a multiplying ring for Odin, and the hammer Mjolnir for Thor. Needless to say the gods were amazed by the power of Mjolnir and Loki had redeemed himself in Thors eyes. But Brock demanded that Lokis lips be sewed together.
Another loving family moment was when a dwarf arrived to have Thrudr's hand in marriage. Thor did not like the puny suitor and here we see that Thor is far from a simple warrior, he is immensely wise in the art of common sense. He talks to the dwarf and debated with him until the sun came up and the dwarf was turned to stone. The dwarf still stands as a statue and warning to further suitors!
Another entertaining bit of lore is the Lay of Thrym. In this story from the Eddas we see and angry Thor awake in the morning to find his hammer missing. Loki goes out searching and discovers the giant Thrym has stolen the hammer and hidden it and will only return it is Freyja becomes his bride. Long story short after much persuasion Thor and Loki dress like Freyja and a handmaiden and journey to Thrym's palace. Thrym is skeptic at times but ultimately grabs the hammer and hands it to Thor believing he is Freyja. Thor grabs the hammer and instantly kills Thrym and goes into a killing spree.
Thor is not just a simple warrior slayer of frost giants. He is also a very wise thinking, a god of rain and nature, and a god of strength and honor. He is the common mans god. He always listens no matter where in the nine worlds he is. He helps you in your life and only asks for a simply mead or stout ale in return. Pretty good deal if you ask me.
Other offerings are roasted meats like goat (dont break the bones while preparing it) or beef. He also enjoys a good song or performance. Also an act of valor or courage is a huge offering for Thor when you dedicate your actions to his name.
Thor is honored anytime you feel but Yule is a traditional time to do a blot in his honor. His favorite colors are deep reds and blues. He also likes images of goats on the altar. A simply mead offered daily is a good practice for him.
Remember to respect Thor and honor him and your life will improve greatly. Hes more than the Thunder god or (ugh) a comic book hero.
I tried to pack as much into this post as I could without writing a book. With this info you should be able to gain a good understanding of Thor. Any comments or questions would be great! Hail Thor! :D