The great interest represents increase of cult Thor to last period Scandinavian heathenism - Viking Age. It has achieved the top in 10 and 11 centuries A.D., having left a bright trace in the north literature. If to exclude great creative and eschatology myths of both "Edda" the basic content North mythology appears the short stories describing Thor's heroic feats (see Thor and Jormungand ). Scandinavian God of Thunder imposed the struggle against disastrous forces of a nature (mountain and ice giants) and shook imagination by an opposition World Serpent (pictured on stones of epoch of the Vikings). It is necessary to tell, that the Vikings were some kind of "late aristocracy" (despite of a combination military remove also poetic skill with merchant employment). However, we can observe increase of a role of the God of Thunder in the given epoch also at east Balts (Perkunas) and east Slavs (Slav Perun ). But at the last it represented princely attempt, was accompanied by excesses and not maintained by people. As against east analogues, Thor did not demand human victims. His symbol - a hammer, replaced the former weapon - an axe, and was frequently represented on funeral stones. Besides hammer-amulets (which practice of carrying, probably, has arisen under influence of crosses of the Christians) in plenties are known from late Viking Age.
"Thor fishes The World Serpent". (A. Fantalov. 2000)
Thor is Scandinavian god of thunder.
Thor is Scandinavian god of thunder. He corresponds to Taranis of Celtic mythology, Tarhunt of Hittite mythology, Perkunas of Balt mythology, Perun of Slav mythology, Indra of Indian mythology. Thursday was titled by his name. In Viking Age Thor was considered as Odin's son. The most popular plot about this character is that he tried to fish the World Serpent. The World Serpent Jormungand caught a lure, but Thor's assistant giant Humir, who was freighted by the monster, cut rope and Jormungand escaped of destruction. This plot belongs to wide spread type battle between the thunder god and dragon (for instance: Indra and Vritra - Indian mythology; the Storm God and Illuyanka - Hittite mythology; Zeus and Tiphon - Greek mythology).
"The battle between Thor and Hrungnir". (A. Fantalov. 2000).
An important function of Thor is defense of peoples against mountainous giants. The most mighty from them was Hrungnir. He came in Valhalla and challenged the god of thunder for fighting. Hrungnir had got famous stone heart; his weapon was a whetstone. As his assistant, an enormous giant Mekkurkalvi was made of clay. However, Thor's hammer broke Hrungnir's whetstone and head. At the same time, Mekkurkalvi fell to pieces. But Thor was wounded with splinter of giant's weapon and suffered from it during his following life. (The fighting between gods and giants is typically for the Indo-Europeans: devas and asuras (Indian mythology); Olympic gods and titans (Greek mythology) and so on).
"Ragnarok" ("Doomsday of gods"). (A. Fantalov, 1993)
The evil creatures (on the left): the World Serpent Jormungand, the World Wolf Fenrir (like cloud), the Ship of the corpses, the giants are fighting against the gods (on the right): Thor (with axe), Heimdall (with a horn), Odin (on horse with eight feet). Especially I like the plot of fight between Thor (the god of thunder) and Jormungand. We can see like plots in the Indian mythology, Greek mythology, Hittite mythology.
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