Norse & Germanic
Mjölnir
Mjölnir
Smashes anything, and returns to its owner's hand when thrown.
WeaponFirst recorded 1220
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Photograph: A locking steel gauntlet from Augsburg, Germany, about 1540. Plates covering the fingers bend into a fist, with gold bands in decoration.
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3,000 × 1,993 PX3000×1993
ArchiveNorse & Germanic · Armor
Járngreipr
Járngreipr
Lets a hand hold Mjölnir, hot as lightning, in place of a bare grip.
- Owner
- Thor
- Maker
- Unknown
- First record
- Snorri Sturluson, Prose Edda1220
- Gallery
- Norse & Germanic
Notes on the photograph 3
Story
Járngreipr means "iron grippers." Thor always put on these iron gloves to wield Mjölnir.
Snorri notes briefly that the gloves were essential for gripping the hammer's handle. Later readers explained that this was because Mjölnir grew as hot as lightning and could not be held bare-handed.
When the giant Geirröd threw a red-hot lump of iron at Thor, Thor caught it in his gloved hand and hurled it back, killing Geirröd.
The object in the photo
The photograph shows Locking Gauntlet(German, Augsburg, ca. 1540), a real museum object that evokes the legendary artifact.
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