Don't Know Much About Mythology - Kenneth C. Davis [149]
As time goes by, Loki becomes so bitter at the gods’ dislike and mistreatment of him that he triggers Ragnarok. This great battle is set in motion after Loki brings about Balder’s death by learning how to harm him with mistletoe. Loki’s punishment for this crime is to be secured to three rocks with the intestines of his own son, which harden like metal to bind him. A snake is then placed above Loki’s head and drips poison on his face until the day Loki breaks free and leads the giants in the apocalyptic Battle of Ragnarok. During the fight, Loki’s offspring, the monstrous wolf Fenrir, swallows the sun and bites the moon while another of Loki’s children, the venomous serpent Jormungand, which swims in the great ocean surrounding the world, stirs up the ocean depths and fights with Thor.
Odin Also known as Woden or Wotan, Odin is derived from an earlier Germanic god, and is chief among the Norse pantheon. The father of Thor, Balder, and other gods, Odin lives and rules in Asgard, the home of the gods.
In order to learn the secret knowledge of the runes, Odin pierces himself with his own spear and then hangs from the World Tree, Yggdrasil. After nine days and nights of pain and self-sacrifice, Odin learns all the hidden knowledge and casts off death. An old myth recorded after Christian times, this story would clearly connect Odin with the figure of Jesus, who also is pierced by a spear and dies hanging on a wooden cross often referred to as a tree before being resurrected.
Associated with battle, magic, poetic inspiration, and known as the protector of kings and heroes, Odin is a one-eyed god who had traded his other eye for a drink from the spring that provides clairvoyance. When the time comes for a warrior to die, Odin dispatches the Valkyries to the battlefield to select who will be brought to Valhalla, the Hall of the Slain in Asgard. His most devoted warriors are known as “Berserkers,” which probably means “bear shirt,” to describe those who wore bear or wolf pelts into battle. The Berserkers were renowned and feared for their ecstatic state of battle frenzy, possibly brought on by hallucinogenic mushrooms. The battle ecstasy also connects Odin to the state of inspiration that was believed to grip poets in their artistic frenzy. At the climactic Battle of Ragnarok, Odin is killed and swallowed by the monstrous wolf Fenrir. His Germanic name, Woden, is the source of the word “Wednesday.”
Thor Second in importance in the Norse pantheon after Odin, Thor is ruler of the sky, the god of lightning and thunder. He causes thunder with his great ax-hammer, Mjolnir, “the destroyer,” a weapon of such devastating power that it can destroy giants and mountains with a single blow. When Thor throws the hammer, it magically returns to his hand like a boomerang. He is probably derived from an older Germanic god named Donar, and has also been associated with the Celtic thunder god Taranis. (See above.)
Immense in stature, with a great red beard, Thor has flaming eyes and a huge appetite. He is the most popular Viking god, because his life reflects the values of Viking warriors. A generous and gentle giant, he flies into a great rage when provoked.
In one popular tale, a giant steals Thor’s hammer and will only return it in exchange for Freyja, the goddess, as a bride. Thor and Loki go to the giant disguised as Freyja and a handmaiden with the massive Thor hidden beneath a bridal veil. At the wedding feast, Thor almost reveals his identity when he eats and drinks in his usual insatiable way—he was capable of drinking an ocean—but Loki cleverly explains that “she” hasn’t eaten in eight nights in anticipation of the wedding. The “bride to be” asks to see the fabled Hammer of Thor, which he then uses to crush the giant’s skull and then shows no mercy on the wedding guests.
During Ragnarok, Thor dies by drowning in