Thors Hammer Vaalse, Gold

Small Thor's Hammer Pendant Vaalse, Gold

This small thor's hammer pendant, inpsired by an original find from Vaalse / Danmark, is handcrafted from solid Gold. The Thor's hammer pendant is delivered with leather thong and certificate in a gift-box. Size 17 x 30 mm.

Thor's Hammer Pendants

To receive a god´s protection and support, people wear amulets and charms since the stone age until today.
In viking burials, mostly of woman and children, several specimens of miniature hammers were found, symbol of the god Thor and his magical weapon Mjoelnir. While christians wear crosses as sign of their belief, the pagan germanic people in northern europe wore Thor´s hammer as jewellery and amulets. Remarkable is a casting mould from the viking settlement Haithabu in northern Germany, showing a cross at one side and a Thorshammer at the other.
Also the famous amulet from iceland in shape of a cross turned upside down with animal head shows the unity of christian and pagan belief in this particular time of history.
In ancient germanic literature, Thor is described as an impulsive hothead, but also good-natured with a sense of humor. He was a strong protector for the warriors, without deception and too much shrewdness.The sound of his carriage, being pulled by magical goats, is the thunder in the sky, and the hammer Mjoelnir is the lightning, smashing his enemie´s bones and returning to it´s owner.

Thor's hammers - women's jewelry?

From an archaeological point of view, Thor's hammers are actually found almost exclusively in women's graves. This may be connected with a legend from the older Edda (Song Edda), which tells of the theft of the mythical hammer by the giant Thrym. Hidden deep under the earth, the giant did not want to return the magical artifact until he had the beautiful goddess Freya as his wife.
Thor and Loki used a ruse and went into the realm of the giants in women's clothing. Thrym, who did not recognize this ruse, hosted a large wedding banquet at which Thor attracted attention by his hunger and thirst. But finally the ruler of the giants put the hammer in his lap as a bride present and sealed his death and the downfall of his whole clan.
With this background, the Thor's hammer amulet may became a good luck charm for the wedding night and marriage in general.

Today the Thor's Hammer pendants are also established as a men's jewelry and symbolizes not only the connection to the world of the Vikings, but also to Germanic mythology and the legendary realms of their gods.