Norse & Germanic
Mjölnir
Mjölnir
Smashes anything, and returns to its owner's hand when thrown.
WeaponFirst recorded 1220
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Photograph: A European steel spearhead of about 800 to 1000 with a willow-leaf blade and a socket decorated with silver.
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2,250 × 4,000 PX2250×4000
ArchiveNorse & Germanic · Weapon
Gungnir
Gungnir
Always strikes its target when thrown.
- Owner
- Odin
- Maker
- The dwarven sons of Ivaldi
- First record
- Snorri Sturluson, Prose Edda1220
- Gallery
- Norse & Germanic
Notes on the photograph 3
Story
Gungnir is one of the treasures Loki obtained while commissioning golden hair to replace Sif's. Along with the golden hair and the folding ship Skíðblaðnir, the sons of Ivaldi made this spear.
Runes were carved on its point, and once thrown it never missed. The Poetic Edda's Völuspá sings that the first war in the world began when Odin cast his spear over the host of the Vanir.
On the day of Ragnarök Odin takes up Gungnir to face the great wolf Fenrir. The spear does not miss, but Odin is swallowed by the wolf all the same.
The object in the photo
The photograph shows Spearhead(European, ca. 800–1000), a real museum object that evokes the legendary artifact.
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