We continue our overview of the characters from Norse mythology present in God of War 2018 and God of War Ragnarok with the powerful Ase, Thor. The latter acts as the ultimate teaser after the credits of the first adventure of Kratos and Atreus and as for Odin, the duo should very quickly have to deal with him.
Origin and relationship between characters
Family
Thor is the son of Odin and Jörd , goddess of the earth. He is therefore part of the Aesir and is one of the most important characters in the Nordic pantheon. His wife is the goddess Sif, also associated with the earth, with whom he has a daughter Thrùd whose name means "*f orce , power ". He has another son, Modi (" courage ") whose mother is unknown, then another son Magni ("strength") with the giantess Jàrnsaxa. He is also the adoptive father of Ull, son of his wife and god of hunting and winter.
Her name
Thor borrows his name from the Old Norse word meaning " thunder " . He also has nicknames that mostly refer to his strength or protective role .
Role and attributes
God of what?
Thor, as his name suggests, is the god of thunder and causes thunderstorms by roaming the sky. He is also a warrior god , of strength and by extension of fertility. He is furthermore the defender of men and of the realm of Midgard .
His residence named Bilskirnir (" the twinkling shard ") located in the realm of Trudheim or Trudvand (" force field ") is the largest in existence.
How can we recognize it?
Thor is a warrior god , so he is often depicted with a massive body and in armor. His hair and beard can be long and red, and mention is made of his fierce gaze, sometimes of his red eyes.
He owns a chariot, pulled by two goats named Tanngrisnir (" grinding teeth ") and Tanngnjostre (" glittering teeth "), with which he roams the sky and unleashes thunderstorms.
Finally, Thor has three objects that set him apart: the famous hammer of Thor, named Mjöllnir ("the crusher" or perhaps "the destroyer"), a powerful weapon forged by the dwarves and which returns to the hands of its owner when it is launched. To wield this weapon, Thor uses special iron gloves named Jarngreipr as well as a magic belt, Megingjord, which allows him to double his strength.
Mythological references and possible connection to the game
Thor and the Flight of His Hammer
Thor's hammer is one day stolen by the giant Thrymr who agrees to return it in exchange for marriage to the goddess Freyja. Helped by Loki, they then devise a subterfuge and Thor disguises himself as Freyja to go to the wedding. When the Thrymr brings Mjöllnir to consecrate the union, Thor manages to seize it before slaughtering the giant and his family.
Thor, Jörmungand and Ragnarok
Jörmungand is a giant serpent, son of Loki, and Thor's greatest enemy. They meet at least three times. Their last confrontation ends in the death of both of them : during Ragnarök, the final battle, Thor deals him a fatal blow and after having taken nine steps, he in turn succumbs, victim of the snake's venom.
