There was a time when Thor, the God of Thunder, was best known as a red-bearded legend from Scandinavian mythology. But that ages-old Thor has been overtaken in popular culture by the blond version of Thor in the Marvel Universe.
Marvel's Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth in THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, is certainly based on the original mythology from Norway and Iceland, but he is a very different Thunder God. So what is the relationship between Marvel's Thor and the legendary Thor of myth? Let’s break it down.
No matter which version of the character you look at, Thor is strong. Marvel's version is a God, and that’s pretty much it. We don’t get much more of an explanation for his strength than the fact of his parentage and that he is, again, a god from Asgard.
Three Important Objects
The mythological Thor is a little bit different. He is strong, yes. But some of his strength is rooted in three possessions. First, of course, is Mjolnir, the hammer. Marvel's movie Thor features a pretty straightforward hammer that has one defining characteristic: It can only be used by someone who is worthy. Mostly, that means Thor, but Captain America and Jane Foster have also been able to carry it.
The mythological Thor carries a hammer with an unnaturally short handle — the defect was caused during the forging of the weapon. The maker was bitten in the eye by a gadfly, likely Loki in the shape of an insect, which hampered the creation of the hammer. As a result, Thor wears iron gloves called Járngreipr in order to properly wield Mjolnir.
Then there's a metal belt, called megingjörð, which doubles his strength. All together this kit makes Thor the strongman we know him to be. Some myths even say that without the gloves, Mjolnir generates enough force to injure Thor himself.
The Man Who Stares at Goats
Perhaps the best thing about the mythological Thor is how he gets around. In the original myths, Thor has a magical chariot, , which is pulled by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. There's a version of this in THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, but it’s not quite the same thing.
That’s because these goats are also food. Let's say Thor is hungry after adventuring. He can kill and eat the goats, and so long as he does not break their bones, he can bring them back to life the next morning, and go about his business. Do the goats like this? We do not know.
Look for the Helper (It's Thor)
Perhaps the closest point of comparison between Marvel and myth is that Thor is fundamentally a helper. He is loyal and honorable, and brave above all. (Granted, he can also be too quick to turn to violence, and overly proud, but with a red beard as nice as his, pride is to be expected.)
Perhaps Thor's most important characteristic, and one which might have led him to be a Marvel superhero in the first place, is that Thor helps regular people. In different written accounts of Norse mythology, Thor assists farmers and other mortals. That carries over pretty obviously to his superhero life in the Marvel universe.
Finally, while THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER positions Thor‘s great love as Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman, the mythological Thor was married to the goddess Sif. Indeed, he has a daughter with her. Family differences don’t end there. Loki, Thor's half-brother in Marvel movies, is a more ambiguous figure in mythology. He can be a lot of different things, which is appropriate given that his true nature is fundamentally that of a trickster. Some things may change, but Loki is always going to look out for Loki before anyone else.
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER opens on July 8.
All images courtesy of Marvel Studios.