The gate of the year

Bronze statuette, known as the Eyrarland Statue, discovered in Iceland and dating to the XI century, representing the god Thor with his hammer, now in the National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavík.
Thor is, according to Snorri, “the strongest of all gods and men” (Gylfaginning, 21). The god of thunder rode on a chariot pulled by two goats, and possessed three objects containing his power: the hammer Mjöllnir, a “power belt” and iron gauntlets, which he needs to easily manipulate his hammer. He is above all the bulwark of the world of the gods against the giants, which Thor fought tirelessly. Because of these characteristics, the Romans identified this Germanic god with Hercules, the invincible hero who brandished his club. Thor’s goats had also extraordinary powers: he could kill one of these animals, butcher and cook it in a cauldron. After having eaten its meat, the bones were enveloped into the skin of the slaughtered animal and the goat was alive again. In their ritual practices, the Germans sacrificed sometimes goats to the god Thor (Polomé-Harris 2005).

[Image: http://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9E%C3%B3rsl%C3%ADkneski%C3%B0]




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Bronze statuette, known as the Eyrarland Statue, discovered in Iceland and dating to the XI century, representing the god Thor with his hammer, now in the National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavík. Thor is, according to Snorri, “the strongest of all gods and men” (Gylfaginning, 21). The god of thunder rode on a chariot pulled by two goats, and possessed three objects containing his power: the hammer Mjöllnir, a “power belt” and iron gauntlets, which he needs to easily manipulate his hammer. He is above all the bulwark of the world of the gods against the giants, which Thor fought tirelessly. Because of these characteristics, the Romans identified this Germanic god with Hercules, the invincible hero who brandished his club. Thor’s goats had also extraordinary powers: he could kill one of these animals, butcher and cook it in a cauldron. After having eaten its meat, the bones were enveloped into the skin of the slaughtered animal and the goat was alive again. In their ritual practices, the Germans sacrificed sometimes goats to the god Thor (Polomé-Harris 2005). [Image: http://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9E%C3%B3rsl%C3%ADkneski%C3%B0]