How Thor Got His Hammer

Watch and Learn

This is a story from Norse Mythology, which stemmed from Northern Europe a long time ago in the time of the Vikings.

Summary (click on the arrow on the right to see)

Loki had secretly cut off Thor's wife's hair. To fix what he did, Loki went to the dwarves (little creatures like humans) and tricks them into making gifts for the gods. The dwarves make a set of treasures, including a magical hammer called Mjolnir, which could never be broken and would never miss its mark, returning to Thor's hand when he throws it.

In the end, Loki lost the wager. Who were the real winners of the wager and who had won it for them?

Write about a time where you tried to prank someone and how they reacted.

Featured literary device: symbolism

Symbolism is used to represent ideas and/or qualities. Authors like to use an object or a word. An example of a word that is often used as a symbol is the color red, which can represent passion, love or anger. The bird dove is often used as a symbol for peace. In this case, Thor's Hammer is a symbol of protection and strength due to the power it carries and how it is wielded as a force against injustice and evil in the world.

Questions to think about:

  • How to Norse mythology differs from other kinds? How is it similar?

  • What kinds of characters do you prefer? Why?

  • Does a story require a villain?

  • What makes a good story?

Video

This is a movie trailer produced by the famous studio Marvel, which has created iconic characters such as Spiderman and Iron Man. How does the movie version inspired by Norse Mythology differs from the actual story? Why is it different and how does it affect the audience? Which version do you prefer?