Page:Norse mythology or, the religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpreted with an introduction, vocabulary and index.djvu/467



[]. A giant; the father of Njord's wife, Skade. His dwelling was Thrymheim; he was slain by Thor. Thjasse.

[Anglo-Sax. þunor; Eng. thunder; North Eng. thunner; Dutch donder; Old High Germ. donar; Germ. donner; Helίand thunar; Danish tor, in tor-den (compare Lat. tono and tonitrus.) The word Þórr is therefore formed by absorption of the middle n, and contraction of an old dissyllabic þonor into one syllable, and is a purely Scandinavian form; hence in Anglo-Saxon charters or diplomas it is a sure sign of forgery when names compounded with þur- appear in deeds pretending to be of a time earlier than the Danish invasion in the ninth century; although in later times they abound. The English Thursday is a later form, in which the phonetic rule of the Scandinavian tongue has been followed; but perhaps it is a North English form]. The god of thunder, keeper of the hammer, the ever-fighting slayer of trolls and destroyer of evil spirits, the friend of mankind, the defender of the earth, the heavens and the gods; for without Thor and his hammer the earth would become the helpless prey of the giants. He was the consecrator, the hammer being the cross or holy sign of the ancient heathen, hence the expressive phrase on a heathen Danish runic stone: Þurr vigi þassi runar (Thor consecrate these runes!) Thor was the son of Odin and Fjorgyn (mother earth); he was blunt, hot-tempered, without fraud or guile, of few words and ready stroke—such was Thor, the favorite deity of our forefathers. The finest legends of the Younger Edda and the best lays of the Elder Edda refer to Thor. His hall is Bilskirner. He slays Thjasse, Thrym, Hrungner, and other giants. In Ragnarok he slays the Midgard-serpent, but falls after retreating nine paces, poisoned by the serpent's breath. Thor.

[Third]. A name of Odin in Gylfaginning. Thride.

The giant father of Bergelmer. Thrudgelmer.

or } Thor's abode. Thrudheim; Thrudvang. .  }   The name of a goddess; the daughter of Thor and Sif. Thrud.

Thjasse's and Skade's dwelling. Thrymheim.