THOR
The Mighty God of Thunder
Background Information
• Son of Odin, king of the
gods, and Jord, goddess
of the Earth
• Married to Sif, goddess
of fertility
• Had twin sons: Magni,
god of Might, and
Modi, god of battle
• Also had a daughter
named Thrud
• Thor was the most
powerful of all the gods,
even Odin
• Served as the protector of
gods and humans from
evil
• He is the god of thunder
and lightning
• Thunderstorms began
when he rode his chariot
through the sky; his
chariot was pulled by the
goats Tanngrisni (Gaptooth) and Tanngnost
(Tooth Grinder)
The Weapons of Thor
Mjollnir
The hammer of Thor. No one, not even
the gods could lift Mjollnir except for
Thor. Lightning flashed anytime Thor
threw his hammer.
Megingjard
The belt of Thor. Even though Thor
was the most powerful of all the
gods, he wore this belt which
doubled his strength.
The Death of Thor and the End of
the World
Ragnarok
In Norse mythology, it was
believed that the world would
come to an end during a great
battle between the forces of good
and evil.
Snakes, dragons, demons and
giants would arise and attack the
gods and mankind.
Many of the gods would die in
the battle and the Earth would
burn until there was nothing left.
Eventually it would be covered in
water.
This battle would be called
“Ragnarok.”
One of the most terrible monsters to attack
during Ragnarok is Jormundgand, a
serpent that lived in the sea and was so
large that it circled the entire world to bite
its own tail.
It would be Thor’s duty to kill Jormundgand
The Final Battle
Once Ragnarok begins, Jormundgand
will rise from the ocean, creating tidal
waves and earthquakes around the
world.
The giant serpent will try to make its
way to land, but Thor will be there to
stop it.
Thor will battle the monster and
eventually kill it by smashing in its
skull.
However, Thor will be poisoned by
Jormundgand. He will take nine steps
after the battle and fall over dead.
The Death of the Gods
With their protector dead, most of the other
gods will die during Ragnarok.
Even Odin, king of the gods, will be
devoured by the wolf, Fenrir.
The fire giant, Surt, will set the world on
fire with his sword and end all life in the
world.
The ocean will eventually cover the
Earth until it is reborn as a place of
perfection without suffering and misery.
Works Cited
Barbar, Richard. A Companion to World Mythology. New
York: Delacarte Press, 1979. Print.
Lindermans, Micha F. “Thor.” Encyclopedia Mythica.
Encyclopedia Mythica, 2 Feb. 2006. Web. 11, Mar.
2011.
Willis, Roy, ed. World Mythology. New York: Henry Holt and
Company, 1996. Print.
Wikipedia or
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9
Grader?
Round 1
Zeus is etymologically cognate with and, under Hellenic
influence, became particularly closely identified with
Roman Jupiter.
Zeus was called, Jupiter, by the Romans.
Round 2
Apollo was the god of prophecy and fortune telling.
Apollo was an oracular god—the prophetic deity of
the Delphic Oracle.
Round 3
Athena is portrayed as a shrewd companion of heroes
and is the patron goddess of heroic endeavor. She is
the virgin patroness of Athens.
Athena is the goddess that protects heroes. The city
of Athens was even named after her.
Round 4
Hermes was the messenger of the gods.
Hermes is a god of transitions and boundaries. He is quick and cunning,
and moves freely between the worlds of the mortal and divine, as emissary
and messenger of the gods,[1] intercessor between mortals and the divine,
and conductor of souls into the afterlife. He is protector and patron of
travelers, herdsmen, thieves,[2] orators and wit, literature and poets,
athletics and sports, invention and trade.[3] In some myths he is a trickster,
and outwits other gods for his own satisfaction or the sake of humankind.
His attributes and symbols include the herma, the rooster and the tortoise,
purse or pouch, winged sandals, winged cap, and his main symbol is the
herald's staff, the Greek kerykeion or Latin caduceus which consisted of
two snakes wrapped around a winged staff.[4]
Taking notes
•The website says this:
Although Hades was an Olympian, he spent most of
the time in his dark castle in the Underworld. This
Lord of Hell, who was formidable in battle, proved
his ferociousness in the famous battle of the
Olympians versus the Titans, which established the
rule of Zeus.
You write this:
-He’s an Olympian
-Spends most time in Underworld
-Helped Zeus beat the Titans
-Good fighter
You try it
Hephaestus was the God of Fire and the Forge, the
patron god of smiths, craftsmen, sculptors and artisans.
He was the weapon maker of the gods and god of
metal, fire and volcanoes. His chosen attributes and
symbols are a smith's hammer, an anvil and tongs.
Of all the gods, Hephaestus was the only one to be
physically ugly, and he was also lame (crippled). But
of all the gods, it was the deformed Hephaestus who
created the greatest works of beauty.