The Donarkeule and the Hercules-Thor Connection

 Many heathens in the English-speaking world and the public at large are unaware of the history of the continental Germanic god, Donar and his mythical associations. They may be vaguely aware of his existence and the equivalency of Thor with Donar but that is usually the extent of their knowledge.

The name, Donar is the Old High German (OHG) for the Germanic thunder deity, also known as Thunar in Old Saxon (OS), Thuner in Old Frisian (OF), Thunor in Old English (OE) and Thor in Old Norse (ON). The reconstructed Proto-Germanic name, from which these names all derive is *Thun(a)raz. Along with the Celtic, Baltic and Slavic god names *Thun(a)raz may be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) *Perkwunos, which has the meaning of 'the Striker'/Lord of Oaks'.

The weapon associated with the Germanic thunder god is generally perceived to be the hammer, or to give its personal name in ON, Mjollnir, derived from the Proto-Norse *melluniaR. There are various scholarly theories as to the meaning of this term, but I am not going to examine them in this essay as this would take me 'off the beaten track' of the subject I am discussing, which is the Hercules-Thor connection.

The Hercules' Club amulet began to appear in the archaeological record between the 2nd and 3rd century CE in the Roman Empire. From 2-5cm in length they were initially made from gold but later on from silver, bronze, antler or bone, shaped like a miniature mace or wooden club with small knobs on the surface of the lower part of the pendant. The appearance of the Hercules' Club or to give its German name, Herkuleskeule is contemporary with the migration age which saw large-scale Germanic tribal movements across continental Europe. A gold specimen from the 3rd century CE found in the Nippe district of Koeln bears the inscription, DEO HER [culi], which has the meaning 'to the god Hercules'. This is explicit proof for the association of the club (and its amulet form) with the god Hercules, or to give his original and Greek name, Herakles.

The Herkuleskeule was widely spread throughout the Roman province of Germania Inferior and were  found in late Roman cremations. Once this amulet had become established in the Germanic lands it transitioned into what we now know as the Donarkeule among the pre-Christian Germanic tribes. Donarkeulen have been found in graves from the 5th to the 7th centuries CE, generally made of bone and antler and often placed in the graves of women. 80-90% of the finds come from women's graves. The remainder are found in men's graves and less rarely, those of children (usually girls).

The reasons for the disparity between men's and women's graves may be due to the Germans regarding the amulet as a fertility symbol. The Donarkeule may also have been associated with protection in childbirth and household magic, which are generally preserves of the female in a ritualistic sense. Studies of migration-era cemeteries in Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) and Schleswig-Holstein indicate that Donarkeulen are often found alongside bead necklaces, broaches and other female associated wares. In Thueringen (Thuringia) Donarkeulen are almost exclusively found in women's graves and usually as part of necklace assemblages. In the Alemannic and Bavarian regions they are predominately found in female graves and sometimes with bundles of other amulets. In the Frankish areas of the Rhineland female graves dominate the finds but a few are found in male graves, which scholars interpret as inherited or symbolic items.

To summarise the reasons for the gender imbalance:

. Donarkeulen functioning as amulets, charms and household magic, the preserve of women.

. Donarkeulen included as part of necklace assemblages, which were rarely worn by men.

In contrast to the Donarkeule, the Herkuleskeule of the Romans was also a protective amulet and in late Roman finds it appears in the graves of both men and women. It is only with the adoption of this amulet form by the Germans that it became heavily gendered.

The Donarkeule differs from the Herkuleskeule in style and construction; the majority of Herkuleskeulen were made from various metals, usually gold, but also silver and bronze. By contrast, most Donarkeulen were carved from antler and bone, and were of a much rougher and less symmetrical design. Herkuleskeulen had tapered handles and bulbous heads with integrated suspension loops. Donerkeulen tended to have short and stubby proportions and a hole drilled for suspension. They also often have ring and dot symbols, indicating an association with the hailstone symbolism found on Thor's Hammer pendants and certain Thor idols. Herkuleskeulen lack that kind of lightning symbolism. From 3-6cm in length the Donarkeulen are slightly longer in length than the Herkuleskeulen. Donarkeulen could be made more cheaply than Herkuleskeulen due to their carving from natural materials such as antler or bone, while the predominately gold or bronze Herkuleskeulen were the preserve of an elite.

While the two types of amulet have both similarities and differences, they relate to two different deities and cultures, so the question arises, why did the Germans adopt the Herkuleskeule form? The Germanic peoples of the Rhine and Danube lived alongside the Romans and inevitably through the process of cultural exchange adopted and adapted some Roman practices. The Herkuleskeule was already a widespread and powerful symbol in Germania Inferior and so the Germans adopted its shape and transformed it into a symbol of their god, Donar and their own religious Weltanschauung. 

We know from the writings of Tacitus that already in the first century CE, there was an association between the Roman Hercules and the Germanic peoples:

'They say that Hercules, too, once visited them; and when going into battle, they sing of him, first of all heroes.' (Germania 3, translation by Church and Brodribb, 1876)

It is clear from the context that the 'Hercules' referred to in Germania 3 is Hercules, the man, rather than the deified Hercules. Further on in Germania there is the following reference:

'Mercury is the deity whom they chiefly worship, and on certain days they deem it right to sacrifice to him even with human victims. Hercules and Mars they appease with more lawful offerings. Some of the Suevi also sacrifice to Isis.' (Germania 9, Church and Brodribb).

The 'Hercules' referred to in the aforementioned quotation, obvious from the context, is the deified Hercules, the god. In the 'interpretatio Romana', Hercules was often equated with the Germanic thunder god due to their shared focus as being defenders of mankind against forces of chaos. In other contexts, the Germanic thunder god would be equated with the Roman 'Iupiter' (anglicised as 'Jupiter' even though the initial 'I' is silent in Latin). 

In gesta Danorum (History of the Danes) by Saxo Grammaticus, there is a reference to the god Thor wielding not a hammer but a club:

'However, Thor was swinging his club with marvellous might, and shattered all interposing shields, calling as loudly on his foes to attack him as upon his friends to back him up. No kind of armour withstood his onset; no man could receive his stroke and live. Whatsoever his blow fended off  it crushed, neither shield nor helm endured the weight of its dint, no greatness of body or of strength could serve.' (Book III, translation by Elton, 1905)

The above quotation is concerned with a naval battle which took place between Thor and Hother. We are informed that Hother cut short Thor's club. This may be compared to the Icelandic sources which also confirm that Thor's other weapon, the hammer was cut short at the handle but the explanation for this is quite different.

'Thus the victory would have passed to the gods, but that Hother, though his line had already fallen back, darted up, hewed off the club at the haft, and made it useless. And the gods, when they had lost this weapon, fled incontinently.'

Moving outside of the world of Germanic mythology but remaining in the Indo-European tradition, we find other examples of thunder gods wielding a club:

. Indra-a club and a thunderbolt.

. Perun-an axe or a club.

. Taranis-a wheel and sometimes a club.

Another example of a club-wielding deity is The Dagda, the chief god of the Irish Tuatha De Danann, but he is not a thunder deity.

In the past, I have explored in my blogs, the antiquity of the axe in relation to the Germanic and other Indo-European thunder gods, but this is the first time that I have discussed in any detail, the club. It may very well be that just as the antiquity of the thunder axe is greater than the hammer, the club may exceed them both, being probably the most ancient hand weapon known to man. The evidence for my speculation is as follows:

. The isolated textual evidence of Saxo Grammaticus.

. The widespead finds of Donarkeulen in continental Germania.

. Stylistic differences between the Herkuleskeule and the Donarkeule. Did the Germans only just copy the idea from the Romans or was their tradition older, despite the lack of archaeological evidence to support this theory? The lack of earlier Germanic club amulets does not prove that they had no oral traditions linking the club to Donar.

. The evidence form other Indo-European cultures suggests an ancient, shared tradition.

However, there are no find of club amulets from Scandinavia. The hammer as an amulet may have developed from the club. Saxo's myth does draw a connection between the shortened haft of the club with the shortened haft of the hammer although the explanation is completely different. The Icelandic sources indicate that Loki was to blame for the hammer's short haft. It is possible that the club marked a transition to the hammer. The earliest hammer finds from Scandinavia (7th-8th century CE) have short handles and broad, flat heads.

The inceasing popularity of the hammer may be due to the strong tradition of iron-smithing in Scandinavia and deities related to this activity, such as Volundr. The hammer is not merely a weapon but a tool for consecration, used at both weddings and funerals, as well as the hallowing of land and for the ritual protection of the community. The popularity of the hammer increased and spread due to the inroads made by Christianity in the North, making it a symbol in opposition to the Christian cross: one culture's magic against another's! The hammer thus became a more recogniseable religious symbol in comparison to the club. By the beginning of the Viking Age in the 8th century, the hammer became the most recogniseable symbol of pre-Christian Germanic heathenry. By 8th century, it had replaced the symbol of the club. However, this statement should be balanced against the fact that heathenry was already beginning to die out in continental Germania by this time.

There is a misconception that the hammer only arose as a heathen symbol with the spread of Christianity, but this is incorrect. There are hammer finds predating the Viking Age from continental Germania and also from Anglo-Saxon England, dating back to the 6th century. The fact that the earliest hammer find are from territories occupied by the Anglo-Saxons, Old Saxons and Frisians demonstrates that the hammer as a heathen symbol did not originate in Scandinavia. In fact, the hammer as a religious symbol can also be considered a development of the axe, finds of which go back to the Bronze Age and continued in use in Germania up to the time of its replacement by the hammer in the 8th century. Indeed, the axe continued as the thunder weapon of choice in the Baltic and Slavic lands.

It is my intention to discuss the club-axe-hammer development and its probable timeline in a future essay. I also intend to discuss the use of the club in Irish and Welsh mythology and in a wider Indo-European perspective; this essay is merely intended to be a short introduction to a subject which I have reflected on for many years.

 

Examples of Donarkeulen from my personal collection.

The Ysby Thor's Hammer and its Striking Resemblance to the Hedeby Thor's Hammer

 Please examine the photograph of a newly discovered Thor's Hammer pendant from the site of an archaeological excavation at Ysby in Halland, Sweden in 2022, which was widely reported in professional journals and the Miami Herald in October of that year.

                                                     Image courtesy of Radio Sweden

The photograph shows the hammer after it had been cleaned up. It is approximately 3cm in height and cast from lead. Although made from the most humble of metals it may have very well been gilded in silver or gold.

I would now like you to see an image of a Thor's Hammer discovered in modern day Hedeby in Germany. I am unable to glean exactly when it was discovered but I am led to believe that it was either in the 1950s or the 1970s. I have owned a bronze version of this hammer since the late 1990s and currently wear a stainless steel version, manufactured in Germany, and purchased by me well over 5 years ago.

The original, as pictured, was cast in silver. Modern reproductions of this hammer are available in gold, silver, bronze, pewter, stainless steel and zinc alloy.

Below is a photograph I have taken of my stainless steel version, which shows the detail with far more precision than my bronze copy.

My readers will note that this is one of the few historical hammers which depict a human face, which by process of deduction must be assumed to be that of the god, Thor, not Odin as some sellers on 'Etsy' have incorrectly suggested! This adds an extra layer of sacrality to the amulet. On the head of the hammer is found an 'infinity knot' with three circles. The design is the same on both sides on the original and on modern reproductions.

My question is this: why do we find the same design of hammer in both Germany/Denmark and Sweden? Are there any other original examples in existence? I would appear to be the very first researcher to have publicly identified the similarity in design of both hammers.

During the 8th to the 11th centuries Hedeby, or to give it its Danish name, Haithabu was an important trading centre on the southern end of the Jutland peninsula. It is now part of the German Land of Schleswig-Holstein in the most northern part of Germany. The issue of German or Danish ownership of this territory became an inflamed question during the 19th century. After the second Schleswig War in 1864 it became a permanent part of Germany but it has been fought over for many centuries prior to that. The official language of the Land is German but the languages of Low German, Danish and North Frisian are also recognised. Its culture is a mix of those three elements, making it an intriguing Germanic 'melting pot'. As an aside, I have recently learned that I am genetically related to a number of human burials from post Viking Age Hedeby, four males and one female, which makes the Hedeby hammer that much more special for me.

The Hiddensee Amulet

 In this article, I am going to discuss the 'Hiddensee amulet', a little about its background, and some of my own thoughts and speculations on its symbolism. The Hiddensee amulet was discovered as part of a hoard of  Viking-age gold treasure in 1873 on the German island of Hiddensee, which is situated in the Baltic Sea. Its discovery came about as the result of flooding in the area.

Experts date the hoard to the last quarter of the 10th century and it consists of 10 cross-like pendants, 4 small spacer pendants, a broach and a neck ring. The total weight of the hoard is 598g, a very substantial weight in gold! It is generally considered that all 14 pendants were worn as part of a single necklace. If that is the case then many of the spacer pendants are surely missing? It should also be noted that the cross-like pendants vary in size and weight, the smallest weighing just 20.2g and the largest, 40.4g (Armbruster, Eilbracht). If they were intended to be worn as a single item, as suggested, then it would have felt very heavy indeed, especially if the wearer was a woman. A closer examination of the pendants shows that there are at least two different styles. That fact, along with the large variations in size and weight of the pendants, gives me the feeling that this was not intended to be worn as a single necklace.

The whole treasure was manufactured in one workshop and from a single source of metal (Armbruster, Eilbracht). Anyone interested in its manufacture would profit by reading the excellent and detailed analysis by Barbara Armbruster and H. Eilbracht, Technological aspects of the Viking age gold treasure from Hiddensee, Germany.

For a long time there has been speculation that the treasure belonged to the Danish King Harald Bluetooth Gormsson (died 985/986 CE) or a member of his family. The neck so-called ensemble appears to mix heathen and Christian elements which is evident in the 10 cross-like pendants. Bluetooth converted to Christianity at some time in the 960s but the circumstances and details are rather vague and very confusing. Regardless of whom the hoard was commissioned for, the recipient must have been both wealthy and presumably powerful. Due to the dating of the hoard and the location where it was found, the assumption for its ownership by Bluetooth or his family may be valid. It has long been speculated that the hoard was stolen by Slavic pirates, operating at that time in the area. In my opinion, the theft was possibly from a goldsmith's workshop, rather than the Danish royal family, although it could have been commissioned by them.

I have only recently learned that these pendants were not at all unique and other examples have been discovered, one example being a silver version from a hoard in Tolstrup, Denmark and dies from Hedeby, Germany, one being quite elaborate, like the Hiddensee pendants, the other being more simplistic and lacking in filigree ornamentation (Armbruster and Eilbracht). 

Moving on to discuss the symbolism of the cross-like pendants. All 10 cross-like pendants have a suspension loop in the form of a bird, which clearly resembles the Thor's Hammer from Scania, Sweden. I interpret this bird to be a raven, not an eagle as some claim. The raven, as my readers will know, is closely associated with Odin and is thus a heathen, not a Christian symbol. So we have to ask ourselves, what is the the raven doing on these pendants if they belonged to a Christian king? Likewise, what is a wolf's head doing on the suspension loop of the Thor's Hammer from Fossi, Iceland, if it is a cross and not a hammer as I believe? One could argue that in both cases, these were examples of a period of transition from Germanic heathenism to Christianity. I have discussed the wolf hammer before, and I will do so again in a future article.

Another feature of the pendants are the 'eyes' in the lower half of the pendants which give them a mask-like appearance. If you have a reproduction copy and hold it up to the light, you will see this most clearly. Until I read Armbruster and Eilbracht's work I thought that I was probably the only person to have observed this feature. They comment on this on page 38 of their article and quote from Graham-Campbell (2001, p.180), referring to the 'glaring eyes associated with Thor in Eddic tales.' They also compare the body of these pendants with 'the pagan Thor's hammer.' I would encourage anyone who is interested in any aspect of the Hiddensee hoard to read Technological aspects of the Viking age gold treasure from Hiddensee, Germany

 An excellent example of the Tolstrup pendant may be found on the website of Asgard, a Scottish manufacturer of good quality Viking age reproductions: Hiddensee . You will note from this reproduction and the photograph on page 38 of Armbruster and Eilbracht that the Tolstrup pendant lacks the 'eyes' of the Hiddensee ones but they are present on the dies from Hedeby (page 31).

All of the Hiddensee, Tolstrup and Hedeby pendants contain what appear to be three equilateral crosses within their body. Two of the Hiddensee pendants resemble more the cross style featured on the Tolstrup pendant and are less stylised and not so subtle. One can see how the majority of them resemble a series of three Thor's Hammers, rather than Christian crosses and they share this style with the four hammer-shaped spacer pendants.  

Thor's Hammers Found Outside of the Scandinavian Cultural Area

There is a general mistaken belief amongst heathens and academics that the widespread wearing of Thor's Hammer amulets began in Scandinavia as a consequence of the aggressive spread of Christianity through northern Europe. I have commented before on earlier blogs that just because this practise became more common in a certain time (Viking Age) and in a certain place (Scandinavia) it is not an explanation for its origins.

One blogger called Sven writing in an interesting article Early Thor's Hammer Pendants Outside Scandinavia draws our attention to the existence of hammer amulets outside of Scandinavia and before the Viking Age such as Kneitlingen and Warendorf in 8th century Germany. The most interesting example that he gives is the hammer found in Ditmarschen on the North Sea coast and dated to between the 8th and 9th centuries. It bears a striking resemblance to the Thor's Hammer from Laby in Uppsala in Sweden. This for me is the classic Thor's Hammer design for it shows a clear metamorphosis from the axe which preceded it. I have discussed before on early blogs how Thunor's Hammer originally took the form of an axe before it developed into its hammer shape. Furthermore the original thunder weapon was constructed not of iron but of stone.

"se thunor hit thryscedh mid thaere fyrenan aecxe." (Dialogue of Solomon and Saturn)

The above quoted Old English sentence may be translated as 'Thunor threshes with his fiery axe'. The Anglo-Saxon and thus Old Saxon interpretation of the Norse Thor is of greater antiquity and the same must be said for His thunder weapon which has its origins in the Neolithic Age and representations of the Indo-European thunder axe symbol may be found even today on Stonehenge. It should be noted that phases 2 and 3 of Stonehenge are the product of Indo-European civilisation. I am thus of the opinion that the Ditmarschen/Laby Thor's Hammer is of greater stylistic antiquity than most of the others. Generally speaking the more simplistic the design of the hammer the greater is its antiquity.


There are references to Thunor's axe in our folklore:

"It is well known in England, and also in Germany, that no witch can step over a besom laid along the threshold of the house door on the inside. She will kick it or push it aside before she can enter your house, and by this token you may know her for what she is.  An axe (Thor's weapon) and a broom are laid crosswise on the innerside of the threshold over which the nurse has to step when she goes out with an infant to have it christened. This is done that the babe may be safe from all the devices of the powers of evil." (Curiosities of Indo-European Tradition and Folklore, Walter Keating Kelly, 1863) 

"As Indra used to milk the cloud cows and churn the milk lakes and fountains with a thunderbolt , so did Thor. The German god's fiery weapon was often represented as an axe, and hence it is a customary thing with witches to draw milk from the handle of an axe stuck in a doorpost." (Kelly)

In Scandinavian Mythology (1969) H.R. Ellis Davidson states that "Thor's symbol in the Viking age was both an axe and a hammer." In Dictionary of Northern Mythology (1984) Rudolf Simek points out that the "Germanic axe cult" was of great antiquity and that the weapons of Indra, Hercules and the Gaulish Sucellos "all suggest an Indo-Germanic origin of the various forms of the axe." Indeed the axe remained the weapon of choice for Thunor's Slavic and Baltic equivalents.

Sven refers to the hammers found in the graves of two Anglo-Saxon women buried in Gilton in Kent during the 6th century. He does cast some doubt on whether they can be regarded as Thor's Hammers-or more correctly Thunor's Hammers, saying that their design may originate from amongst the Christian Merovingians. However I cannot agree with this suggestion. It is abundantly clear that the hammers do in fact represent long handled Thunor's Hammers. Many hammers found in Scandinavia do incorporate a long handled design. Furthermore if one examines these hammers carefully one will observe that they contain ring and dot designs which is quite common with Thor's Hammers and may symbolise hailstones. Along with hammer amulets spear amulets were excavated also, a clear indication that these amulets have their origins in pre-Christian Germanic religion.

It should come as no surprise that the Frisians also wore hammer amulets. Sven refers in his blog article to one found in Nebel on a North Frisian island, Amrum. It is a long handled iron hammer, excavated from a woman's grave. There is a dearth of information on archaeological finds of hammers and I had to really did just to find the blog post by Sven.

Thunor's Hammer-a Sign of Protection

The Hammer of Thunor is one of the most powerful symbols that we have in our spiritual arsenal. Naturally it can be worn as an amulet in order to display our faith to others and also as a magical charm. The axe is closely related to it and indeed of greater antiquity and may be worn as an alternative. 

What is lesser known except to those of us who are involved in esoteric practices is that the Hammer of Thunor may be visualised and used as a spiritual weapon of either defence or offence. To those who are new to the practice of visualisation you may wish to start by carefully drawing a hammer with a red felt tip pen on a piece of stiff white card. Ensure that the hammer is between 6 to 8 inches in height. The hammer should be coloured in, again with a red felt tip pen. Place the card approximately 6 feet away from you as you sit crossed legged on the floor. I find that it helps if this is carried out in the dark with one or two candles for illumination. Try to stare at the hammer for at least 5 minutes with only minimal blinking. The use of a stopwatch will help to determine the passing of time. Then after 5 minutes close your eyes and try to visualise the hammer as accurately as you can. You will find that the image of the hammer is imprinted at the back of the eye. The difficult part is maintaining that image and this is an activity in which you must engage the will, ignoring any kind of external or internal distraction. Attempt to visualise the hammer for at least 5 minutes initially. As you become more accustomed to this practice increase the visualisation time gradually to 10 minutes. After doing this everyday for at least 2 weeks you should then dispense with the card and start to visualise the hammer without any aid or introductory exercises.

I always visualise symbols whether they be the hammer, fylfot or runes in red light, the colour of blood. Essentially we are replicating blood astrally. The colour stands out better than any other when practicing in a darkened room. The visualisation of the hammer will help when setting off to engage in any activity which may have an element of danger. It will also help on a daily basis to increase your self confidence for by doing so you are utilising the power of the Thunder God Himself. Armed with your hammer/axe amulet and your spiritual weapon of visualisation it will hep you to face any and all situations.

Balder, Woden and Thor reflected in Teesdale Place-Names

Baldersdale lies within the traditional English county of the North Riding of Yorkshire, close to County Durham. The river Balder flows through Baldersdale until it joins the river Tees (the boundary between Durham and the North Riding) at Cotherstone on the Yorkshire side of the river. It is speculated in Steel River by David Simpson (1996) that the river Balder was named after the Germanic God of light. Sir Walter Scott makes reference to this in his poem Rokeby:

"Balder named from Odin's son;

And Greta, to whose banks ere long

We lead the lovers of the song;

And silver Lune from Stainmore wild

And fairy Thorsgill's murmuring child.

"Beneath the shade the Northmen came,

Fixed on each vale a Runic name.

Reared high their altar's rugged stone,

And gave their gods the lands they won.

Then, Balder one bleak garth was thine,

And one sweet brooklet's silver line;

And Woden's croft did little gain

From the stern father of the slain."

 "Woden's croft" is a reference to Woden Croft situated near Cotherstone, south of the river Tees. Cotherstone is an Old English place name, meaning 'Farmstead of a man called Cuthere'. (A Dictionary of Old English Place-Names, A.D. Mills, 1991). The river Greta (meaning 'stony stream' in Old Norse) is a tributary of the Tees and flows through the North Riding. Stainmore (originally Stanmoir) means 'rocky moor', derived from the Old English stan, later replaced by the Old Norse Steinn + mor.

Another verse from Rokeby refers to Thorsgill Beck, a stream which joins the River Tees at Startforth, south-west of Barnard Castle but on the Yorshire side of the river:

"To Odin's son and

Spifia's spouse,

Near Startforth

high they paid

their vows,

Remembered

Thor's victorious fame,

And gave

the dell the

Thunderer's name."

Startforth is derived from Stradford (Domesday Book, 1086) and earlier Stretford (1050), meaning 'Ford on a Roman road', from the Old English straet + ford.  

The Axe/Hammer as an Iconic Representation of the Thunder God

According to J.T. Sibley in her remarkable book The Divine Thunderbolt. Missile of the Gods (2009), a work which I highly recommend, there is evidence for worship of the Thunder God going back to before 2000 BCE in the Neolithic Denmark where an 'Axe God' in the form of a flint celt mounted on a wooden shaft has been found in Follenslev lake/bog. The shaft of the axe was originally buried in the ground to its horizontal line. She speculates on whether the head above the axe had been carved in such a ways as to resemble a human face. H.R. Ellis Davidson makes a similar observation regarding the Mammen axe in her book Scandinavian Mythology, 1969. 

This artifact is evidence for a very early knowledge of the single-bladed axe being a divine thunderweapon and precedes the Bronze Age rock carvings which depict God-like figures waving single-bladed axes in the air. Miss Sibley posits the theory that the axe was worshiped as a divine representation of the Thunder God and I am inclined to agree with her. Later on in her book she draws our attention to the fact that in the Baltic lands huge iron hammers were used as objects of worship at sacred sites. These iron hammers were erected in a vertical position in either a grove or a temple as a "proxy for the humanoid idol of the god."

The Scythians likewise venerated Ares via a mighty iron sword:

"The impressive personification of the sword matches well with that of the hammer, and to my way of thinking each confirms the other. Both idea and name of two of the greatest gods pass over into the instrument by which they display their might.

"Herodotis 4, 62 informs us, that the Scythians worshipped Ares under the semblance or symbol of an ancient iron sword, which was elevated on an enormous stack of brushwood ['three furlongs in length and breadth, but less in height'] (Asgard and the Gods, Wilhelm Waegner, 1886).

Thunar's Hammer, a Vital Ritual Tool

When engaging in any religious or magical activity in the Germanic tradition it is now customary to invoke the power of Thunar's Hammer and there is good reason for this. Thunar is the warder of both men and Gods, the guardian deity of Asgard and Midgard. His Hammer kept the Jotun, the forces of chaos and destruction at bay. His Hammer also had a sacralising function and both these functions, i.e. protection and making sacred are important to us.

When we approach the Gods in order to engage in ritual or magical activity it is vital that we create a sacred space, a space set apart purely for these activities. The reality for many of us is that unless we devote a room specially set apart for these activities or have access to an otherwise inaccessible outdoor sacred site we must use a space that is also used for everyday profane activities. It is thus essential to make this space sacred for the duration of the activity and we do this by performing the Thunar's Hammer rite. There are many variations of this rite that may readers may find in decent books on thus subject, most notably by Edred Thorsson.

In performing the rite we not only make the space that we are going to use sacred because for that moment in time it is set apart and we may encounter our Gods but also it provides protection from our enemies, both corporeal and incorporeal. It protects us from all harm, physical and spiritual, forbidding entry into the space of malignant spirits.


I use variations of the Thunar's Hammer rite according to whether I deem the activity ritualistic or magical but as a general rule my readers can not go wrong if they address the four cardinal directions and both above and below with the following words:

"Hammer of Thunar/Thor, hold and hallow this holy stead and protect the folk/me from (all) harm."

Alternatively one may wish to actually address the said cardinal direction:

"Hammer in the north/east/south/west/above/below, hold and hallow this holy stead, Hammer of Thunar/Thor protect the folk/me from (all) harm."

Start facing north, then turn clockwise until you end in the west, trace the sign of either the Hammer or the Flyfot (also a sign of Thunar) in the air, imagining the symbol to be glowing. I visualise it glowing red, some may prefer blue. I suggest you go with whatever you are comfortable with. It is adviseable to also make the Hammer sign both above and below for complete protection, especially if the activity is magical in intent.

Whilst saying these words we must use either a ritual Hammer or a wand/staff consecrated for this purpose. In magical work I often use a wand, inscribed with Runes. I have found that different activities do call for a different kind of approach.

It is very rare for me these days to venture out of doors without the protection of a Hammer around my neck. If I feel the need to invoke the Gods, often Thunar I will grasp the Hammer and briefly invoke Him. As well as providing protection and peace of mind it can also be used as a witness to others. Often I find that people will engage me on the subject of my faith on noticing the Hammer or more often my runic rings.

Many books on Asatru/Odinism/Germanic heathenry recommend that we carry out a Hammer donning ritual on arising in the morning. I prefer to usually sleep with my Hammer around my neck for the forces of the Jotun do not sleep. However one could take the Hammer off on arising, carry out the rite and then place it back around your neck. 

Edred recommends holding the Hammer amulet in front of you at eye level when speaking the spell. One can also make the sign of the Hammer with your finger when blessing food and drink. There is historical precedence for this:

"The harvest thereafter, towards the winter season, there was a festival of sacrifice at Hlader, and the king came to it. It had always been his custom before, when he was present at a place where there was sacrifice, to take his meals in a little house by himself, or with some few of his men; but the bondes grumbled that he did not seat himself in his high-seat at these the most joyous of the meetings of the people. The earl said that the king should do so this time. The king accordingly sat upon his high-seat. Now when the first full goblet was filled, Earl Sigurd spoke some words over it, blessed it in Odin's name, and drank to the king out of the horn; and the king then took it, and made the sign of the cross over it. Then said Kar of Gryting, 'What does the king mean by doing so? Will he not sacrifice?' Earl Sigurd replies, 'The king is doing what all of you do, who trust to your power and strength. He is blessing the full goblet in the name of Thor, by making the sign of his hammer over it before he drinks it.'" (Heimskringla, Chapter 18, Hakon the Good's Saga, Snorre Sturleson)

Another version or method of making the sign of the Hammer is to visualise a ball of bright golden shining light above your head and with your right hand to reach up into the light, grasping it and bringing it down to your forehead. One should touch the forehead, intoning the sacred name of Tyr or Tiw, the shining polar deity. Then pull the light down to your mouth, intoning the sacred name of Woden/Wodan/Wotan/Odin for He is the God of speech and eloquence, His Rune being the Os Rune. The draw the light down to the solar plexus, intoning the sacred name of Thunar/Thunor/Thor/Donar. The move the light up and across to your left shoulder, intoning the sacred name of Frey/Fricco. Finally draw the light straight across to your left shoulder and intone the sacred name of Freya. This is the method taught by Edred Thorsson (see A Book of Troth)




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