Mark Hall wrote:
> Having learned Old Norse from them both, have you read a variety of
> pieces by John Lindow and Carol Clover on Thor and his symbolism? While
> you can't rule out a linkage to metal working, there are other aspects
> to his symbolism that link to Old Norse society.
Indeed there are - I'm certainly not saying Thor is only a metalworker!
He's a much more rounded figure than that, but the metalworking side, which
appears to be present, is not generally acknowledged. I haven't seen
anything by Lindow or Clover - any references would be appreciated.
> So, you totally discount the scenes in Snorri's EDDA on the creation of
> Thor's hammer?
> Plus, have you seen the smith's burial assemblage from Kilmanheim (sp?)
> gaol in Dublin?
> I really don't consider the hammers from that assemblage to be short
> handled.
There are many myths and stories which contradict one another. Some say
Mjollnir is made of stone, for instance. Myths do not have to be consistent
and different stories relate different aspects of the nature of people,
deities and artefacts - especially magical ones. You have the additional
factor that practically all the written tales we have of the Norse myths are
late, not penned until the Christian era. Stories are often invented that
explain something the origins of which are lost and in the process convey
other ideas, of a non-mundane nature.
I haven't seen the Kilmainham Gaol collection, but I wasn't saying Mjollnir
was definitely simply a smith's hammer, merely that it is suspicious that it
is short handled. Not all smith's hammers are short-handled, of course,
especially the lighter ones and sledges, but the main hammers are.
> I don't recall where Thor's clouds were described as anvil shaped---is
> this from an English translation, or in the original Old Norse?
Neither - I was refering to the popular description of these clouds which
also happen to have an association with Thor.
Regards,
Chris Wood
Norwich
England
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