Norse & Germanic
Mjölnir
Mjölnir
Smashes anything, and returns to its owner's hand when thrown.
WeaponFirst recorded 1220
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Photograph: A Sasanian sword and scabbard of about the seventh century, lying horizontally. The scabbard and hilt are covered entirely in gold sheet and set with garnets.
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3,000 × 1,051 PX3000×1051
ArchiveNorse & Germanic · Weapon
Tyrfing
Tyrfingr
Each time it is drawn someone must die, and it brings about three great evils.
- Owner
- King Svafrlami, Angantýr, Hervör
- Maker
- The dwarves Dvalin and Durin
- First record
- Hervarar Saga1250
- Gallery
- Norse & Germanic
Notes on the photograph 3
Story
In the thirteenth-century Icelandic Hervarar Saga, King Svafrlami captured the dwarves Dvalin and Durin outside their rock and forced them to forge a sword that would never rust, would cut anything and would never miss.
The dwarves delivered a dazzling sword with a golden hilt, and laid a curse on it. Each time it left the scabbard a man must die, three great evils would be done with it, and at last it would kill its master.
Passed from generation to generation, the sword fulfilled the curse. His granddaughter Hervör won it from her father Angantýr in his grave, and it was present afterward at the tragedy of brothers killing each other.
The object in the photo
The photograph shows Sword and scabbard(Sasanian, ca. 7th century CE), a real museum object that evokes the legendary artifact.
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