Oral tradition Norse Mythology
Collected by Snorri Sturluson in the Prose Edda c1220
A story about Loki the trickster and Thor, god of thunder, which tells how Thor first got his famous hammer.
Story
Loki, the trickster god, sneaks into Thor’s room one night and cuts off all of his wife’s hair. Sif is distraught when she wakes and Thor insists that Loki replace the hair. Loki goes to the master smiths, the dwarves, and there sees the opportunity for more mischief.
Why we chose it
The story tells how Thor got his hammer. Thor is one of the most famous Norse gods and his hammer has become one of the most iconic mythical objects.
Where it came from
The poems and myths which tell the stories of the Norse gods and giants were told orally by poets and storytellers for many centuries before they were first written down in the 13th century in two manuscripts. The first, the Prose Edda, was written by Snorri Sturluson. He wanted to preserve the stories of the Icelandic skalds (or court poets). In it is the story of Gyfli the king of the Swedes who visits Asgard, home of the gods and hears tales about the beginning of the world, the adventures of the gods and the world’s end. The second manuscript, the Poetic Edda, is a collection of poems by unknown authors, dating back earlier to 800-1100AD and are generally dramatic mythological poems.
This story appears in the Prose Edda.
Where it went next
The myths of Thor and Loki have influenced literature, TV, and film. The characters appear in Marvel comics and in several films depicting the gods’ adventures.
Associated stories
The Norse myths are a cycle of stories, which begin with the creation of the world and finish at its end. In between are stories of gods and giants, men and dwarves, shape shifters, tricksters, monsters.
Our 1001 includes How the World Began, The Treasures of the Gods, Thor Loses His Hammer, Thor and Utgard Loki and Ragnarok. Other stories include Three Monstrous Children, The Death of Balder, Thor goes fishing and The Apples of Immortality.
The Norse myths and legends have been retold many times. Two recent highly acclaimed collections are Norse Myths, Tales of Odin, Thor and Loki by Kevin Crossley Holland with illustrations by Jeffrey Alan Love and Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman.
Thor and Loki appear in the Marvel films Thor, Thor: the Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok and in the Avengers films.
In the museum
Find the story in one of the trees in The Whispering Wood.
Oral tradition Norse Mythology
Collected by Snorri Sturluson in the Prose Edda c1220