![]() Perthro, the fourteenth rune in this alphabet, follows Eihwaz and precedes Algiz. From the chilly landscapes of Scandinavia to the verdant isles of Britain, and even extending far to the south of Europe, these runes left their legacy. The Elder Futhark, the ancient runic system that Perthro is a part of, was widely adopted across Europe. It was simplified from its initial 24 letters, into a shorter 16 letter one called the Younger Futhark. Largely coinciding with the start of the Viking Age, the runic system in use in Scandinavia went through a transformation. It came into use around two thousand years ago and was in use right up to the early Viking Age. Let’s start at the beginning, with the Elder Futhark, the oldest form of the runic alphabets. Perthro in the Younger Futhark – The Vanishing Mystery.Photo: Thor’s hammer pendant from the collection of the British Museum, dated to the 9th or 10th century, courtesy Thorskegga, all rights reserved. More on Germanic heathen symbols in my earlier article. Thor’s hammer as a Norse symbol widely used by the vikings points to Norse heathen beliefs. The symmetry of this word written in Younger Futhark runes is remarkable. ![]() It is because the final -r in mjǫlnir developed from Proto-Germaic -z. However, if a viking would carve the word mjölnir in Younger Futhark runes, he would probably do it like this (it is a mere assumption): To my knowledge, there are no runic inscriptions that mention Thor’s hammer (though its image is present on the runestone at Stenkvista in Södermanland, Sweden). Indogermanisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch reconstructs it as *melðnii̯az (one should keep in mind that any such reconstruction remains a theory). If we were to write the name of Thor’s hammer in the Elder Futhark runes, we would have to reconstruct it in Proto-Norse. By the end of the 8th century the Elder Futhark was not in use any more. As a result, they adopted the Younger Futhark. Due to its difference as compared to its earlier form, Proto-Norse, Vikings were to reform their runic writing system. Many modern Thor’s hammer pendants try to feature the word Mjollnir in the Elder Futhark runes, simply replacing each letter with a corresponding rune. Another version states it is related to the Russian word молния and the Welsh mellt, both meaning ‘lightning’. It is thought to be etymologically related to the English word mill and to mean ‘crusher’. In the original Old Norse manuscripts the name of Thor’s hammer is spelled either mjǫlnir or mjǫllnir. According to some researchers, the swastika shape found in East Anglia and Kent before Christianization, may be a variant of the same symbol. The variant specific for Iceland was cross-shaped, while Thor’s hammers from Sweden and Norway tended to be arrow or T-shaped. Miniature pendant replicas of Thor’s hammer were very popular in the Viking Age Scandinavia. Thor’s hammer is feared by jötnar, giants of Norse mythology (singular jötunn) who endeavor to steal it or decoy the god of thunder into their lands without his hammer and Megingjörð, Thor’s belt of power. Mjöllnir is Thor’s characteristic weapon, like Gungnir, Odin’s magical spear, or Týr’s sword. It is also capable of becoming so small as to be carried under the clothes. In the Norse myths Thor’s hammer is often understood as an axe, which, being thrown, comes back like a boomerang. ![]() Initially, Thor’s hammer was thought of as made of stone, but in the Eddaic tradition it is an iron weapon forged by Svartálfar (black elves, correlated with the dvergar, dwarves) named Sindri and Brokkr. ![]() Mjöllnir or Thor’s hammer is the weapon of the Viking god of thunder. ![]()
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