The Icelandic Thor's Hammer

[Frozen Soul]

I wear an Icelandic Mjollnir. I notice it looks very different from other Mjollnir's. Does anyone know the reasoning for this? Why is it the Icelandic Thor's Hammer looks so different from the rest? I only know of one person who recognized it as Mjollnir. I like the desing regardless. It is a stunning pendant.

[Hveðrungur Kveldúlfsson]

I voiced my opinions in another thread about the hammer. I wouldn't wear it even though I am of strong Icelandic ancestry.

[aud_friggsdottir]

Hail All!

Darryl wears one, but he has a coupla different hammers. It isn't a christian symbol....actually it is believed that Folks wore it to counter christian intolerance and basically to say "in your face"!

I believe it is a symbol of our Faith and Troth to Our Elder Kin! Nothing to do with christianity at all.

[Hveðrungur Kveldúlfsson]

Ive read a few websites that say the hammer was worn as a way for our folk to wear a mjollnir but to turn it the other way up to look like a cross when people who they knew were christians were around. Personally I dont feel I need to hide my faith or feel threatened that someone will know im an Asatruar. Id buy one to have and hang from my altar as a symbol of the lengths our ancestors had to go to keep our faith alive as ive said before, but I would never wear one. I do not need to hide my faith in our gods.

[Frozen Soul]

I would never feel a need to hide my faith. People often mistake my Icelandic Mjollnir for an inverted cross. It's really quite entertaining. I am very fond of this pendant, regardless of other's views on it. I would like a much larger one.

[aud_friggsdottir]

I do not need to hide my faith in our gods.

You are welcome to your opinion of course, but my husband is NOT hiding his faith in the least bit...especially considering he has a very large Hammer tattooed on the back of his hand (check out the pics on the OR list)........People still ask him what it is and he says a Thor's Hammer, and he goes through why he wears it, etc...

[Hveðrungur Kveldúlfsson]

You are welcome to your opinion of course, but my husband is NOT hiding his faith in the least bit...especially considering he has a very large Hammer tattooed on the back of his hand (check out the pics on the OR list)........People still ask him what it is and he says a Thor's Hammer, and he goes through why he wears it, etc...
I never meant to say Darryl was hiding his faith but the purpose behind the original idea of that hammer was to be able to make it look like a cross if needed. I dont think I would personally want to wear such a design. I prefer more hammer looking hammers but again its just my opinion.

[Norsk Blod]

check out the pics on the OR list
where are these? I didnt see a picture section at the OR site

[Hengest]

It's on the members only discussion group.

[damonrunehammer]

I agree that the icelandic hammer was used during a time when our faith was under a lot of pressure by christian missionaries and influences. I am not icelandic, at least not that I know of, but if I was, I wouldn't wear it either. The Viking period is seen as a great time for our faith.. but this is not true.. if you read into it. I may be preaching to the choir, but just my opinion. People can do what they want. It may be worn as a means of what we have overcome (which we still have a lot to as well).. I guess it's all in interpretation.

[Frozen Soul]

I am considering a different hammer as of now. I really enjoy the Raven hammer. I am still very partial to the Icelandic design, as I have worn an Icelandic hammer for quite some time. I don't think of my hammer as a way of hiding my faith either. To each his own indeed.

Thank you all for the replys, I have learned a great deal of information thanks to those who respond.

[Schwarzesonne]

Ive read a few websites that say the hammer was worn as a way for our folk to wear a mjollnir but to turn it the other way up to look like a cross when people who they knew were christians were around.

Vilhelm Grønbech informs us that the Icelanders were the first Heathens to wear Malant. They did so as a way of saying, “Homey don’t play dat!” to the Christian missionaries. But according to HR Ellis Davidson, the usefulness of this was not lost on the merchants & smiths who would mould these pendants in such a way that they could be sold to people on both sides of the fence.

Hmmm… If this had occurred in Germania instead of Iceland I wonder if the Saxons would have started wearing Irminsûl pendants?

[Scramaseax]

But according to HR Ellis Davidson, the usefulness of this was not lost on the merchants & smiths who would mould these pendants in such a way that they could be sold to people on both sides of the fence.

She's not wrong, there's the famous mould from Denmark that made both crosses and Mjollnirs:

http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/graphics/cros&hmr.jpg

[Frozen Soul]

I still like the Icelandic Thor's hammer. I was told by a Folkish friend that the Icelandic hammer meant total rejection of christian faith. They made it look like an inverted cross to symbolize war.

I am not saying I believe this though. If anything, the pendant I wear is symbolic
to me. It's meaning to me is important.

[Fjorn]

Would you be talking of this hammer:

http://www.vikingcrafts.co.uk/hammer3.jpg

I believe, although I am not certain, that it is the style of the famous 10th century hammer from Foss, Iceland (pictures below - copyright - National Museum of Iceland.)...

http://www.ragweedforge.com/ice-thor.jpg

As a collector of Mjollnir's I am amazed at myself for not having one of these. Their are many reasons for it's design but I am just not sure, havn't looked into it enough, although any information other than what has already been said would greatfully be received.