In the stories, we often see him venturing far into the giant's territory with nothing to protect him but a disguise. Though Thor was profoundly strong, he was never reluctant to go out of his depth. It is no wonder that he was loved, idolized, and revered. So Thor did not just protect humankind from the giants вЂ“ the destructive cosmic/natural forces вЂ“ his efforts and his favor blessed them with safety at sea and bounty on land. The relationship between the weather and the fertility of the land (often seen as a conjugal union in Indo-European faiths) is the basis of feast or famine. When they returned to their homelands in Scandinavia or their colonies, many Vikings were farmers. For the Vikings, favorable weather at sea could give them great advantages over enemies (and competitors) while bad weather could be deadly. Herein lays another reason for ThorвЂ™s popularity and importance in the lives of ordinary Vikings. They say men marry women who are like their mothers, so Thor married Sif (one of the only mellow, вЂњnice girlвЂќ goddesses one finds in Norse myth) who seems to also be an earth/agricultural goddess. That Thor was the principal male deity celebrated at Yule (a winter solstice festival with very deep roots) reinforces this association. Fyorgyn is called a giantess in some narratives but seems to be associated with the older Indo-European tradition of the Great Mother earth goddess. Thor was the son of Odin and Fyorgyn (also called Jord, as well as other names). Thor was a sky god, like Zeus or Marduk, and the god of weather. This is not wrong, as his name means вЂњThunder,вЂќ but his role was bigger than that. Thor was invoked at weddings, at births, and at special ceremonies for these abilities to protect and sanctify. With MjГ¶lnir, Thor could even bring some things back to life. Thor used MjГ¶lnir to hallow вЂ“ that is, to restore, make holy, or to bless. When the Vikings saw the skies flashing and felt the rumble of the storm, they knew that Thor was fighting for them again. His hammer, MjГ¶lnir, was able to destroy mountains, and he used it to smash the heads of the giants that threatened Asgard (the realm of the gods) and Midgard (the world of humanity). Some of the giants were, but that only made the challenge of beating them more enjoyable for the red-bearded god. And of course, most know that the day 'Thursday' comes from the Old Norse term Гћorsdagr, meaning 'Thor's Day.'

Many believe that Odin and Thor were the original inspiration for Santa. Likewise his father Odin had a chariot pulled by a flying 8-legged horse named Sleipnir.

Thor'sВ chariot was pulled by his two flying goats (Tanngrisnir 'teeth barer' and Tanngnjostr 'teeth grinder). Of course, he is still in that role today in our culture.

Norsemen continued to wear these hammer amulets even after converting to Christianity, suggesting that Thor's role as a hero and protecting influence had not diminished. Hundreds of MjГ¶lnir (вЂњLightning,вЂќ ThorвЂ™s mighty hammer) amulets have been discovered in Viking graves and other Norse archeological sites. He was the paragon to which Vikings aspired.Д®vidence of Thor's popularity and status as a role model can be seen clearly in Iceland, where more than a quarter of the founding population had some form of his name in theirs (i.e., Thorkill, Thorgest, etc.). If Thor were a mortal, every Viking would have wanted to raise an ale horn with him. He was indomitable, indefatigable, and steadfast. While Odin was wandering the nine worlds seeking insight into the arcane, Thor was riding across the skies in his goat-drawn chariot smashing giants with his hammer. Where Odin was cunning, Thor was straightforward and stalwart. Thor, by contrast, was the great protector of all that was good, as the Vikings defined it. The men to which he was patron were kings, jarls, poets, and outlaws вЂ“ individuals (rather than equal members of a community) who could see themselves in Odin's often-egocentric activities. While OdinВ was the Allfather, it was no real secret who his favorite children were. A few experts have postulated that this was because Odin demanded occasional human sacrifices while Thor did not, but the real reason for Thor's popularity is fairly obvious. Odin was the chief of the gods, but Thor may have been the most popular.

Age of mythology thor