Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

THOR

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V26, Page 876 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

THOR , one of the See also:

chief deities of the See also:heathen Scandinavians. He is represented as a See also:middle-aged See also:man of enormous strength, See also:quick to anger, but benevolent towards mankind. To the harmful See also:race of giants (demons), on the other See also:hand, he was an implacable foe, and many stories are told in the poetic and See also:prose Eddas of the destruction which he brought upon them at various times with his See also:hammer. On the whole his figure is somewhat secondary in the See also:mythology to that of See also:Odin, who is represented as his See also:father. But there is no doubt that in See also:Iceland he was worshipped more than any other See also:god, and the same seems to have been the See also:case in See also:Norway—indeed, perhaps, in all See also:northern countries—except among the royal families. Even in the See also:great See also:temple at See also:Upsala his figure is said to have occupied the chief See also:place. There is See also:evidence that a corresponding deity named Thunor or Thonar was worshipped in See also:England and on the See also:Continent, but little See also:information is obtainable regarding him, except that he was identified with the See also:Roman See also:Jupiter. His name is identical with the See also:Teutonic word for See also:thunder, and even in See also:Sweden the association of Thor with the thunder seems not to have been forgotten. Outside the Teutonic See also:area he has See also:close See also:affinities not only with Jupiter or See also:Zeus, but still more with the Lithuanian god Perkunas, whose name (which likewise means " thunder ") appears to be connected with that of Thor's See also:mother (Fiorgyn). The Varangian god Perun was probably Thor him-self under a See also:Slavonic name (See also:Russian perun, " thunderbolt "). See H. Petersen, Om Nordboernes Gudedyrkelse og Gudetro I Hedenold (See also:Copenhagen, 1876).

For other references see TEUTONIC PEOPLES: See also:

Religion (ad fin). (H. M.

End of Article: THOR

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
THOMSON, WILLIAM (1819-189o) 		[next]
THORAX (Gr. BWpaE, breastplate, also the part of th...

Site © 2006 - Net Industries