What I love about this is how the Mjolnir has a specific feeling and promise attached to it. Protection, and we have a clear story showing its power while wielded by Thor himself. What a fantastic way to symbolize Heathenry.
there is another more modern story in my region - that the prisoners in institutions started wearing Thor's hammers in support of rights for all of wearing 'symbols of faith' - I live in an area were there are alot of issues with fairness to aboriginal peoples - and i interviewed many men in prison for a book for the Ministry of Education up here - and this one one of the things i came across in the stories of faiths in groups. - yes, i also wear one. my mothers family is Cree, my fathers Norse
Heathen is a derogatory term used by Christians when talking about pagans, you wouldn't call black people n....., stop calling pagans heathens, the fact you do proves your knowledge of the subject is lacking, why do you Americans continue to butcher everything you come across due to your own ignorance
I got asked once by a customer why I was wearing my Mjolnir necklace. I told him that Thor is the protector of humanity and I worked a customer service job; I could use all the help I could get 😂
I just got a Mjolnir amulet to wear this past weekend while working. As a traveling carnival worker who's also a heathen, I feel the need for protection.
As I have recently gotten into heathenry I'm starting to realize the reaction that my body has when talking about this, hearing people talk about Mjolnir, the Gods, the Jotun. It sends a chill up my spine unlike anything in Christianity or other Abrahamic religions. It feels like home to talk about this, it feels right, natural even; meanwhile when I followed Christ, I felt no connection to him. Odin, Thor, Tyr, Loki, they all seem like people to me, they make mistakes, they have emotions, I understand their trials and tribulations. I see their imperfections and their personalities. I never saw that in Christianity. Perhaps I'm over reacting, but, this does make me feel something that nothing ever did. I'm glad I found your channel, you have brought a lot out of me and helped me grow as a person. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Your experience and explanation is exactly mine I feel deeply connected to the Norse gods after discovering them far more than I ever did with Christ religion.
You just nailed my exact feelings. It doesn't feel like this series of rules that must be abided by, it's a set of stories about, like you said, Gods who seem to be fallible and humanlike. I think that is what makes it powerful, it touches the spot of human experience that gives us the ability for us to envision ourselves as the best version of ourselves. Through those trials, we come out on the other side, just like our pagan gods. Very best!
I complimented a Subway worker on his beautiful gold Thor Hammer. He was stunned that a customer knew what it was. You never know who follows the old ways.
I understand his reaction, to a lot of people 'heathen' is seen as witchcraft and not a religion, he was probably surprised you saw it as one(I'm on the side of it being a religion though weather I follow it, that's somthing I'm not sure on though given a choice I would. My friend follows an old Greek godess, but my parents would think I'm mad(not literally) so whalst my friends would see it as normal my parents on the other hand..... Oh and I'm probably younger than most other viewers that's why I'm on about my parents)
Aw that's nice! reminded me of a completely different situation way back. A guy (17 years old) in my class wasn't allowed to wear his mjölner/Tors hammare, the teachers said it could offend people. The guy told them it was a symbol that had to do with his religion but nope... typical Sweden.
Had the same happen to me at a restaurant. I noticed my server was wearing one and stated that i liked his necklace. He said, "oh you're a fan of Thor's hammer?" To which i replied, "Yea i I like Mjolnir, and the stories of how it came to be a lot." The face he made when i pronounced it correctly made me laugh on the inside. He ended up becoming much more talkative immediately and we talked about Norse mythology every time he would come back to our table. I really enjoyed how our common interest totally changed his attitude toward us and seemed to brighten his day.
I still remember, as a child, my mom telling me that "It's just Thor throwing his hammer to protect us." during thunderstorms when they frightened me. It gave me great comfort, I remember. As an adult I wear a Thor's Hammer in remembrance of that and for protection from evil, giving me the strength to fight with his awesome power.
I just realised that Thor's myth may very well have started to confort scared children during thunderstorms If that were the case, the fact that it became such an empowering faith and way of life is amazing and magical
My uncle used to say it was Odin riding; from then on we used to yell "Odin!!!!!!" at the top of our lungs every time thunder struck. As an adult, I think your Mom's explanation would've fit the bill a lot better. As a Heathen, I think to myself, "Wouldn't Odin riding be better suited to a winter storm (which we don't have in Mexico) than to a rainstorm?"
I was loosely raised catholic and thunderstorms in my house were explained with "God is mad at the angels and is yelling at them". I like your mom's interpretation a lot more. Not a god of wrath and short temper, but a protector (arguably still with a short temper). I noticed so many differences between christianity and paganism after I converted, and all of them boil down to this: our gods are "human", they are relatable and still benevolent and worthy of our respect. The abrahamic god demands respect, is vengeful and often spiteful. I just feel so comfortable in my faith now. (Apologies for the confusing rant, I started out wanting to write a couple lines and I kinda lost my thread halfway through. I blame it on my adhd)
When I chose to follow the Old Gods, I chose to wear a Fenrir amulet, to remind me of the nature of humans and the cycle of life, and that rage can be as much of a weapon as a source of devastation. I was very impressed by some interpretations of the Ragnarok myth, notably one where Fenrir is seen as a bringer of new life. A symbol for a reset, which does not deny the past, but erases the present, so that a new way path be paved. I took liking to that idea and Fenrir became my symbol of renewal and balance, which I proudly wear.
i have a tattoo of fenrir on my right arm. i wanted walt Disney wolf but got fenrir. i also have tattoo s of tyre that i got in viet nam. my patron saint. didnt know about him then. it was years later that i realized the significants of a tyre arrow tattoo. i was marked before i knew what it meant> i got two!.
Fascinating. When I got into Asatru, though I held Odin to be my patron, I felt this incredibly strong connection with the Fenris Wolf. Ironic, since Fenrir is said to be the one who would devour Odin at the Ragnarok. I identified with Fenrir for, like him, I also had been pretty strongly bound in my life. I set out to understand the meaning of the rope Gleipnir. If I could understand how that rope's magick was able to bind the Wolf, I might gain a clue to the things that had bound me for most of my life. It took a long time but I was slowly able to unlock the meaning of the six strands. And it was indeed the secret I needed to know.
Regarding wearing Mjolnir, I wear mine openly in hopes a heathen that is in the broom closet may have the courage to strike a conversation up. To know they are not alone.
Vampire Masquerade clan pin. Gangrel are not only identify by their wolf head pin the size of a thumb nail, but they also lightly pant like a dog with shifting eyes and subtle shifts in their body stance. Nearly most of all the WW/Wod Larpers I met that are gangrel or garou are pagans.
I wear mine openly and was at the dog park with my dog and was approached by another dog owner. We did not even speak spiritually, just enjoyed some bro time talking about our dogs. He told me as we were leaving he knew he could approach me and not have a weird conversation because he saw me wearing my Mjolnir. He also told me he was an atheist and his wife was Wiccan so he recognized Thors Hammer, I told him nobody can be perfect not even the Gods...He laughed and enjoyed my humor.
Probably my favourite myth. Thor: Loki, Ymir has mnoljir and he wants Freya for it. Loki: Cool, dress like Freya and I will help. Thor: But you are a shapeshifter, shouldn't you be Freya? Loki: Nah, this is perfect you got this.
My favorite is the myth of Utgard-Loki and his challenges for Thor, Loki and the human children Thjalfi and Roskva. Or the story of Tyr and Thor adventuring to find a brewing-tub big enough for all of the gods.
I am a firefighter and I wear my mjolnir as not only as a devotional piece to Thor but also as an inspiration to emulate his courage, strength, and protective nature.
The hammer's resemblance to an anchor literally anchors me to my ancestors, and also reminds me that many of our ancestors associated the ocean with death and the afterlife. I also wear it as a commitment to the well-being of heathens everywhere, regardless of who their ancestors were.
I've been wearing a mjolnir now for a little over a year or so now, and out and proud at my job daily. It's gotten questions at work but, as I told my boss, I'm a polytheist who believes in their gods, and wear this to honor Thor, and as a symbol of protection. If that's a problem, we can discuss the proselytizing one of my coworkers had been doing for some time at that point. It's nice being out of the broom closet to be honest. Even if I get the occasional jab about the gods. The cool thing is, we had a construction worker come in a few times last month, saw mine, nodded down to his own around his neck. It was nice having another acknowledge it positively.
I got mine from my Grandma. Its made of Amber. She got it for me when she went back to Denmark (where she's from). I wear it to show pride in my beliefs and to feel closer to the gods and my ancestors
I don't wear a hammer but I have a ring with Odin's Ravens. I explain to people who ask that it's a symbol of my religion. I personally wear the ravens because I'm more interested in the gaining of wisdom then the strength often connected to the religion
my family is a long line of Odin's followers we even used to have his symbol branded on our chests before the more modern day of Christian influence. we never moved to the Christian faith just didn't publicize around the crusades'
I think that's a beautiful reason to wear the Ravens. Personally I wear a tree that (for me) symbolises Yggdrasil, since I find importance in the connectivity of the material and immaterial realm and the role we play (and don't play) in the path our lives take. I do like both Mjolnir and the Ravens, but maybe because I feel more connected to the Vanir Yggdrasil resonates more with me. The downside it has is that if I get any comments on it, it's often something new age/yoga related and people connecting it to the 'tree of life' that is seen in a lot of new age spirituality. Which I can understand, but it does get a tad annoying.
for me, i have an iron jormungandr. i am less called to the aesir or vanir, but rather the rokkr. there are always two sides to every story, and those who are villainized are often those who fight against oppression, the losing side of a war, the victims of self-righteous egos, and so on... fenrir was guilty of nothing more than being massive (and all the destruction that comes with being cliffordr the big red wolf), until the aesir tormented him, and tyr, the only person who cared about him, betrayed his trust. jormungandr bothered nobody until thor tried fishing him out of the sea- he even restrains himself by holding his own tail, so that his movements keep the waters calm, his fury unleashed only when his patience can endure no more. nidhoggr is an unsung hero, who strips the honor, afterlife, and memory from the souls who murder, lie, and rape. loki, who will tell you you're an idiot or an asshole or a hypocrite to your face, because your own ego or self-righteousness is getting in the way of recognizing your own faults... and so on... ...the good guys are quick to tell you how vile the bad guys are... that's only because the bad guys will point out that the good guys aren't as good as they make themselves out to be. ...and i have found myself to be made out to be "the bad guy", because "the good guys" kept throwing me under the bus to make themselves look innocent... from where i stand, it's easy to see life from fenris' point of view. jormungandr is the embodiment of self-control, but also the wisdom of when to say "enough is enough".
Yes, I’d say exactly that: The Mjolnir became popular after the encounter with Christianity. Both the cross and the Mjolnir are signs of the Father-God’s favored son. Just as Thor is the god of the common man, unlike Odin who is a god mainly for kings and warlords, Jesus is also the god for the commoners.
@@prussiankingdom1693 This is an area of personal interest and study for me. Jesus is not a “protector of man.” In the Christian Bible, the Holy Ghost was called the “comforter.” That’s about as close as it gets. Otherwise, you’re digging into the OT, where YHWH was called “shield,” “high tower,” “deliverer.” Jesus does not meet this description. He invites his Apostles to die with him, to be persecuted for his name’s sake. And if I remember correctly, only John was not martyred. The early Christians understood that martyrdom was the path to salvation. From the Wotanist perspective, Jesus can be seen as Loki, who is a terrific deceiver. From this standpoint, Loki brings about the fall of the Roman Empire through trickery of its citizens to subvert the government for what they think is a greater cause. Another interpretation to lend is that Jesus is a manifestation of Odin himself, who is also a trickster, and also known to wear disguises. This interpretation is in line with the myth where Odin hangs himself on the World Tree and bleeds to death in order to obtain wisdom. He makes a sacrifice of himself unto himself, and becomes powerful and wise in doing so. Just like Jesus, Odin dies on the tree and goes to the underworld for a short time. In the underworld, Jesus obtains the souls of the patriarchs, Odin obtains the water of wisdom. I rarely engage in syncretism, but it is possible to identify the Trinity with Odin. Odin is the Father who disguises himself as a Son of the Father. In the mythology, Odin often ventures in Midgard with a disguise.
I can say that the Christian understanding is that all archetypes and symbols are united in Christ, so the idea that He can be seen in comparison, to some degree and in some fashion, to most any god or hero is expected by Christians who pay attention to the more mystical elements of the faith. He is comparable to a "protector of Humanity" in the sense of His being "the Saviour". The Orthodox understanding of Christ in this regard(also in other traditions, but there's a strong emphasis of this in Orthodoxy) is that Christ is the Hero of heroes because He, for all, defeated that great enemy which previously held dominion over us all...death itself. Not dissimilar to Agent K in Men in Black, He let Himself be swallowed by the beast/dragon in order to retrieve that, of value, which was swallowed by it, only to unleash His power, there in the very depths of the abyss, to explode it from within. Saving all from death, but what degree of "life" one possesses afterwards is dependent on their consciences and relation to Truth. This conquering of death itself is why you find the emphasis on sharing in Christ's suffering and death and how it is viewed, by serious believers, with joy. To share in the story of the great Hero, is to partake in His power and glory, for death is doomed, and we have but to endure until the story finds its full resolution and all is revealed.
@@terrencemedders1867 I’ll just ignore the Men in Black reference. The reason Thor is not comparable to Jesus is that Thor protects man by killing Jotunn. The Jotunn, or giants, are almost certainly a reference to Neanderthals, who were about twice the body mass of early humans. Other ancient sources throughout the world refer to “giants” with red hair and disproportionately large hands. Wotanism is an extremely old religion, so it stands to reason the Neanderthals would make an appearance in the mythology. And yes, they appear in the Bible too, as I’m sure you know. No matter which source you look at, giants are considered a serious problem for humans, even a threat to our existence. Today, there are still races of the Middle East with high concentrations of Neanderthal DNA, still a threat to our civilizations, and still claiming to be God’s chosen people. Thor is the god responsible for saving man from the worst of them. Erosion of Neanderthal DNA has been an ongoing process for millennia. We are almost totally rid of it. The only sense in which you could say Jesus is like Thor is if you argue that Jesus’ purpose was to destroy the Temple and the Old Law. Not only did he explicitly refute this, but the outcome of the crucifixion was not seriously detrimental to the Jews. In the literature, it is said that Loki is a Jotunn. This is why Jesus can be seen as a manifestation of Loki. Jesus is known to be of their bloodline while he walked the earth. Yet given that the purpose of the Christ-god is to transform the world toward holiness, it more suits to consider Jesus a manifestation of Odin. This is not because Odin loves righteousness and holiness, but because Odin wished to gain more wisdom, and power over the Jotunn by an act of self-sacrifice. This is pretty well aligned with the myths. The prophesy of Ragnarok describes Thor killing the Serpent with his hammer, only to be fatally poisoned by it at the same instant in an act of self-sacrifice to protect man. Unfortunately, this event occurs in the context of a great world war, and coincides with the total annihilation of man and all the old gods as well. This prophesy describes an extinction event, absolutely inevitable, from which a new species is born. This story doesn’t actually resemble the events of the Crucifixion, except in ancillary ways. The implication is that destroying the god of evil also destroys man and most of the Aesir. This story also has the fire Jotunn Surtr as the victor of the battle, as he uses his flaming sword to devour the whole earth before departing. Yet the best interpretation of all is to keep the religions separate. Any similarities between their respective mythologies is just as likely to be due to corruption of the texts by Christian missionaries as that both stories originate from a common, prior source concerning a god of compassion who dies for his people.
I wear mine mostly because of the feeling of strength that I get from it. And I mean that in the metaphorical sense in that I have the strength to do the right things, make the right choices, and so forth. I 100% agree with your ending in that when we wear it, we should embody what it means and carry that in our everyday lives.
While reading the book” Laughing as I Die “I discovered that the Gods never complained. Even though they know the outcome of Ragnorok they go about their business making preparations for that day to come without complaining. So I wear mine to remind myself to take what comes my way without complaining and that I am self sufficient to handle any situation.
I own no mjolnir but I am making one, which is funny because I reached the closing line as I typed that. So it was: Me: I own no mjolnir Ocean: Find a way, or make one Me: But I AM
Only reason I know someone I work under at my job is a heathen is because I commented on their mjolnir tattoo among other norse pagan tattoos all up and down their arm. They have a mjolnir on their fist and I commented on how fitting that was considering we work in the security industry and how many times they have used their hands to protect the people around them. It sparked a great conversation. I have also witnessed this individual interact with another individual having one of the worst breakdowns in their whole lives while we were working. My colleague is one of the toughest, roughest people I know, but simultaneously one of the most compassionate, tolerant, and sacrificing in terms of personal time and comfort to serve those they see around them in more need of it than themself. Truly fitting that they carry the symbol of mjolnir and truly appreciative of the opportunity to work under them and have the chance to learn from them on the job. Very glad this symbol connected us and opened a line of communication with them that I'm not sure I otherwise would have had.
Every morning I wake up and grab my mjolnir pendant, and before I put it on I hold it in my hand, and I always get the same chill down my spine. I tell myself I am strong, that I am protected, and that my heart and body was forged by iron and steel, and there is no greater feeling.
I originally wore a Mjolnir while I was Catholic due to it being a gift from my older brother. I wore it more often when I identified myself as a heathen after about five years of being agnostic. For my deployment I wore it on my identification tags under my shirt due to regulation and after about 8 months the connection point on it broke due to hitting my body armor. I still have it on my altar due to it being a representation of the bond between not only myself and Thor, but the bond between myself and my older brother.
When I started wearing my hammer, I was still a Christian. It was a gift from my parents (who are still Christian and didn’t know the meaning of the hammer). I wore it out of respect for those of the faith and for those who could not wear it. Now I wear it as a symbol of my newfound faith in the gods. When I originally received my hammer I was scared to wear it, out of fear of disrespecting the Christian God, but I got over that fear and wore it for the reason I had stated above. It wasn’t until late last year that I heard and felt the call of the gods and left my church to start following the Norse gods.
Your historical research is brilliant. I'm a Christian yet I love how passionate you are about this. At the end of the day, we are all human and what matters is our decency to each other. I'd pay to hear you speak brother.
I love that even some Christian’s are willing to hear about our faith and belief’s, I was born into a heavily Christian family to the point where they actually named me Christian, I was disowned around 6 months after I decided to sit down and tell them I wouldn’t be attending church anymore and told them that I am a Norse pagan and that I just want them to respect my beliefs and let me connect to my own gods and I’ve always felt since that I need to hide my faith… but people like you make me want to talk about our views more, thank you❤️
Same here and I am a Christian of faith but my ancestors both Saxon, swedish, Norwegian, and Danish and I have been for a while trying to understand them and I am faithful to my faith and I am fascinated by Norse mythology and I would like to know more if you have books that cover norse mythology sagas and tales I would like to know if it aunt a bother and I also like to say that Christian or Norse religion we both have a protector of us all that being either Thor the thunder god or Michael the archangel at least we have that in common with some others and also hail to the Norse gods for my pagan ancestors and praise be to god and his angeles for me and to all.
@@thunderhornmitchell7532 your history is fascinating. I'm actually African and my family history is steeped in the esoteric. My great grandfather was a chief that allowed his children to convert if they wished. My grandads nickname can be translated to Fire Warrior because he was an ardent of the thunder God named Sango. I studied history & I'm writing a book on the comparative qualities of the Aesir, Vanir and the pantheon of my people. E.g, the horned ram is sacred to Thor as the horned ram is sacred to Sango. They both wield a double headed Axe, can command thunder and lightning at will and are masters of war. Continents apart and the similarities blow me away.
Ever since I started wearing my Mjolnir, I have met pagans in my small town that I never knew existed or people that recognize the spiritual significance of it. Some recognize the symbol or the name, and I've even had conversations at work about the Mjolnir with friendly customers. Just last week on Thor's Day when I enlisted into the Army, someone on my bus had his own Mjolnir. We truly are a strong community, and I'm so amazed to be in it.
For myself as a Scandinavian, I see all kinds of people walk around with these symbols as tattoos and jewelry. Sure I have had some confrontations about these symbols just because some people here associate them with neo nazis and with the far right movement. But I personally have vegvisir and some other symbols tattooed on me and some jewelry, but I see it as a reminder of where I come from and that I feel respect towards them as to say: you are not forgotten. I also wear them as symbols of protection and so on but for the most part I feel a connection to my heritage and my culture, they are a part of who I am. I have asked some friends that wear them and they say the same thing: it’s my culture and I respect it.
As a Scandinavian who stumbled upon this video, I am the same as you. Mjølnir, Yggdrasil, Ægishjelmir etc. doesn't have much religious meaning. I see these symbols every day, and have Ægishjelmir tattoed visibly on my arm. If I see someone wearing Mjølnir my logical conclusion isn't that this person is associated with Åsatru in any way, it's that they are either a metalhead or that they appreciate our cultural history and just want to show off their heritage, it is who we are after all. But Scandinavia is very different from many other places where your faith is a very private matter and you don't throw it out there, and if you try to start a conversation about religion, people will walk away from you very fast.
Scandinavian history should never be forgotten like any history. It has so much culture to it and tells the story of how people survived in such a tough place. The worse things Scandinavians ever did is pillage as Vikings lol. Other than that they have done nothing close to as bad as the Nazis, and even then people need to look at Americas history with more scrutiny before harshly criticizing other places in the world. I think most people can agree that Scandinavians have one of the coolest histories as well, even if popular belief is probably much more fantasized than what Vikings actually looked like. It's still a cool idea to think of these farmers with axes, incredible boats, and a plan to take from far away lands. What people endured on the sea before modern day boats is just astonishing in itself.
Dane here, I am much the same, to hell with those who would deny the symbols of our ancestry because some nazi scum have a norse fetish, that is not our problem or a reason to not take pride in our history.
It’s funny, I grew up a christian and never wore a cross. I have been a Norse Pagan for about 6 months and I feel called to wear a Mjolnir. I am going to order one from Etsy this month!
Might I suggest a more reputable store? I've ordered numerous items from etsy and most of them were not sturdy, way off from what was advertised and not really of the best quality.
@ Dirty Bird , @ Shane Curtis. I'd recommend Grimm Frost and I even got mine off Amazon and the leather chord and the hammer are still intact since I got them.
I live in the deep south and I wear one and have had only positive comments. I decided to wear it as sort of an act of gratitude, awareness, acknowledgement of Thor. To draw his attention to any of my deeds he might be amused by or proud of and to draw my attention to his protection of me and to have gratitude for that. I'm aware Odin is considered the highest of the gods but to me, he's not to be messed with except with extreme caution. His main job is mankind's survival of Ragnarok and my ends may or may not align with that. But Thor feels different, like he cares about us little people. It just felt right.
I started wearing Mjolnir when I was about 14, my auntie had brought back a replica of it as a key chain from her trip to Scandinavia (it's actually the example: d that you showed in the video) and almost instantly I removed it from the key chain and put it on a chain necklace. The funny thing is that I don't think I even knew about people wearing it as a pendant back then, it was just this instinctual thing I wanted to do. I still wear it now at 21 and I've studied much more into paganism since. Love this video!
I wear my triskele for many of the reasons y'all wear your mjolnir(s). It reminds me of who I am and who I am working towards being. It grounds me in the now but gives me wistful smiles of the past. It tells me there are many paths to walk, and as long as they are peaceful we should acknowledge them and let them be what they will. I think you hit the nail on the head with this one Ocean.
I personally wear both a mjölnir and a triskele that is an essential oil locket. This is the chain that my mjölnir is on. ancientreasures.com/products/handmade-geri-freki It is an awesome chain. I got it as a birthday gift about 4 years ago. I have since changed the mjölnir to one that has thor's face on top of it and bear heads on the bottom. My youngest daughter claimed the original mjölnir that came with the chain. So i had to get a new one lol. This is the triskele that i wear. I love that it allows me to use the power of essential oils. www.ebay.com/itm/254299061576
I don't know if this is going to sound bad or not, but I started wearing one after watching my first video of yours that I found. It was when I was just starting my interest in Norse paganism, and you made a mention to your necklace in the video, so I did some research and got one of my own. I really appreciate this in-depth breakdown of it. Makes me feel even more justified in my reasoning behind wearing a Mjolnir. Thank you for being such an inspiring influencer for those interested in this faith and it's history.
I wear my Mjölnir as a symbol to remind myself to be a protector of others and to be a thunderbolt against darkness. Thor sets the example and is a champion of Midgard, and I try to follow that example as best as I can, whether it is training for fighting or training to respond to emergencies. I find it useful to have a physical reminder of the ideals I strive for.
A Christian (admittedly quite a crazy one) at my workplace once saw my mjölnir pendant and complained that the Nazis were into “pagan symbols like that”. I had to agree, but immediately pointed out that the Nazi love for the cross far outweighed their use of pagan imagery. He hasn’t talked to me since.
I'm persian,I got mjolnir cause I love mythology i decided to get one when I was struggling with some challenges and wasn't into Christianity much, I saw it as a symbol of strength, resistance and striking problems down as the character of thor is, I still wear it sometimes and sometimes my cross, just a reminder of my faith (the cross)and the character I want to be like a warrior in life's struggles(mjolnir), I believe it doesn't matter what you wear all that matters is what you have in your heart ,you love yourself and love others respect yourself and respect others, give a meaning and purpose to your life and hopefully live a legacy behind (a true noble life)
If you’re Persian, you may have a unique opportunity to explore Zoroastrianism as well. They normally do not allow conversion of those outside of the faith, but I believe exceptions exist for those of Persian ancestry in addition to others of similar groups like Kurds and Armenians.
i've been to parsi temples of indian parsi people they're very welcoming and they told me as i am aryan by blood there's no limit for conversion and Zarathustra already has spoken to me though i prefer my faith to jesus as he is messenger and god of love still my heritage is what i bring to kingdom of lord, god spoken twice to Zoroastrians before as magis folloow the star i'll follow the star @@TheKalihiMan
I just tell people it’s basically for the exact same reason Christians wear cross necklaces; it’s an expression of our faith. Plus Thor is the protector of mankind and he was more widely worshipped than Odin by common people in pre-Christian Scandinavia. That definitely sounds like a deity whose symbol I’d want to wear.
i have been studying with an archeologist for about 6 years now , and in fact there was much more evidence of 'a following' of Thor and earlier than for Odin. Odin's - 'popularity ' grew when there were areas resistant to accepting Christianity - and Odin was easy to 'put in to ' the Father God position - but originally he was not - as we know he was 'Frenzy ' and inspiration. not a 'sky daddy'
@@converse201996 you bow to a ‘god’ whose stories have no relevance to you? Whose cities and seas you have no physical knowledge of? Whose people are not your ancestors? This faith is OF my people BY my people FOR my people……it is not a foreign faith.
I started wearing one when I first started learning about paganism. I always wear it to work, under the shirt. My Christian coworkers wear their crosses on the outside. I know it would be a problem if I wore it out. Just don’t want to be asked about it. I already get enough weird looks for knowing the moon cycles and weird info about plants.
I wore mine on the outside of my shirt to church and my theology teacher from my school asked what it was and when I told him he was like “so I see we are wearing pagan symbols to a Christian church now” and I said “yep” and went about my day 😂
My dad passed away a year and a half ago due to too many shots. He was on number 5. I really miss him. My mom gave me all his only jewelry, a mix if silver and gold rings and a thick anchor chain. I took all the rings and pendants and mixed them together to make a 2 oz Mjolnir. When you mix silver and gold its called Electrum. It looks awesome. I carved what i wanted out of wax and used some of that casting sand. I bought the high detail sand stuff. It worked awesome. A few days ago i bought 10oz of silver to mix with the leftover Electrum. I only used about 1/4 of it. I'm going to make a bunch of them.
I only wear mine on the days I know my patience is going to be tested so I can fight well and with appropriate force if I have to. The rest of the time I'm putting together a "treasure necklace" kind of thing. Runic pendants, beads, etc. to help with finding the joy where I can (Wunjo), maintaining focus and reinforcing my boundaries (Isa), a cremation pendant with remains of a specific friend we lost too soon. I even have a Fenrir in bronze since I work with abused, dangerous dogs. What frosts my buns is when xtians claim Mjolnir is "the same as a cross". Well, no, because while it is a symbol of My faith, it's also a much longer-standing symbol of a faith yours actively tried to snuff out, so maintaining boundaries comes into play there, and not unlike Thor, my temper sometimes gets away from me. Still working on that... Good vid. Let's go get hammered. :D
Christians are big on religious imperialism. In my experience they treat world religions very much like a game of top trumps. 'My God trumps your God' kind of thing. If you buy into their game they'll probably end up driving you crazy. In my view, though, their God simply doesn't exist. They might just as well pursue me proclaiming the Sherlock Holmes is a real historical figure and a God to boot.
For me, the better choice of necklace/symbol is a tree pendant, to symbolize Yggdrasil. It's always felt more appropriate for my particular path, which focused for many years on seidhr work and the animistic aspect of heathenry.
You know, I watched this again, and really thought about it. And I considered the very last bit. That the hammer should be a symbol of protection, and one we should live up to. And it reminded me of the Sikh. If you see a Sikh, and you are in trouble, you can immediately go to them and they will bend the heavens and the earth to make sure you are safe. And I think that's something that we as Heathens should strive toward, and make that Mjolnir mean something in a modern age.
I studied Sikh tradition briefly and academically in college, but only recently learned about the protection and helpfulness aspect. The idea that mjolnir could represent something like their traditions filled me with a pride I don't think I can say I've ever felt. This is something that should be spread around
I like the sound of that. We should seek (yeah, I said it) to be that kind of welcoming and generous. They take hospitality to what I believe were the intended Norse levels as well. "Come to our holt, eat, talk with us, share. We won't try to convert you, but we can't let neighbors go hungry."
Decided about 3 or 4 days ago I wanted to explore Norse and paganism and honestly using your video to start my journey. And actually just bought my mjolnir necklace to wear proudly
I've been struggling back and forth for a few months deciding whether I want a Mjolnir or Yggdrasil and bow. A Mjolnir is more common and recognizable, but not really a great fit for me personally with my practice being what it is. After watching this I've decided on a Yggdrasil because it feels more right to me, though I also got a wolf's tooth charm recently instead of a bow because I saw it and just knew that it was the exact pendant I had been searching for to remind me of Skadi~
I personally wear mine for a few reasons. Defiance being a major one. My mother is a hardcore Christian. She wears a cross every day. She's one of the most bitter, angry and soulless people on the planet. I wear the hammer every day because it reminds me that even through that fire I was raised in was exhausting, after I left it I was forged into something better. I wear it in pride and for strength. Skál 🍻
@@davewolf8869 if you think about it Jesus said to keep his father's commandments, which references the old testament which condones some forms of abuse and can be seen as on par with religious extremism on anyone not of the Christian faith. Kinda confused me growing up and when I asked questions I basically got told to shut up and worship God while throwing money into a collection bag as it went through the pews on Sunday mornings. When I learned about Norse mythology and found it more inviting and inclusive so I'm at home here.
@Hair of the Dog Man, I feel this comment on a very personal level. I ordered my Mjolnir within the last hour and felt the same things all my life. Skål!
I wear mine as a declaration. I view it as part of who I am, whether others know it or not. Some have questioned it, and due to my blunt nature, I freely acknowledge my belief in Heathenry.
The symbolism around Mjolnir and Thor has always been striking to me. The general shapes used to represent it always look more like an axe for some reason, but it's also a similar profile to an aircraft. The association with thunder and lightning, along with being a weapon of War that allows Thor to fly just makes me think of a F16. I know that sounds weird.
I wear a Mjolnir every day. I wear it for protection as well as a reminder of my own strength. It helps me keep going even though some days I really just want to give up.
My wife got me a mjolnir that was a piece of blackened iron, hand forged by a guy in Finland, that has three futhark runes carved into it. I wear it everyday not just as a symbol of faith but my mindset. I've only ever been questioned pointedly once by my grandmother, and I explained what it was and moved on. Many people recognize it, and will ask me questions about the Norse Myths. Which is interesting in North Alabama.
I never ever leave the house without my Mjolnir. I will, in a very formal or business setting, tuck it into my shirt/undershirt but I will never not wear it. To me it's a symbol of my faith but also a way for me to feel Thor's protection and presence. I've only had a few people negatively comment on it, saying the usual bs about it being a white supremacists symbol. Most were willing to listen to me explain that it was not and never has been a symbol for hate, only one or two refused to listen. I more than agree with and support the idea that it's a symbol we should try and live up to.
@@abigailsaoirsefinnegan Yeah I agree. Unfortunately the small %15 or so of heathens that are either folkists or part of white supremacist groups are louder than we are so the press covers them and attributes our symbols as one's of hate even when they stand in complete opposition to hate. "Where you see evil speak out against it and give your enemies no peace"
I've worn one for years, honestly as a symbol of my spirituality. I also always wear a belt buckle related to my past triumphs. It's evolved as more people ask me about it. My best explanation anymore is this: The hammer is a tool. It can be used to destroy, it can be used to create. I used to be a soldier. Now I'm a craftsman. It's a symbol of my megin, my strength, the power I have to impose my will on the physical world to destroy and create. A power I share with my ancestors and the world around me. When I have no tools to work, I have my mjolnir, and I will carry on. Side note: correct me if I'm wrong, but in old Norse, "Hamr" (pronounced like hammer) represents your physical self. Your skin, how others see you. I always kept that in mind.
I've worn mine under my shirts for about 6 months now. Every day. I've only started my Heathen journey about a year ago and when I started wearing it, I felt I always had a reminder of my path and an added strength in myself from it. I dont go out of my way to hide it anymore.
I never really had a calling to the Mjolnir when I was starting to come out of the broom closet in middle school since I was looking more at the Celtic end or the more Wicca style. Then in high school I had a dream of the World Tree during the time of Ragnarok without really knowing much of anything until I did some research. It was all strange but thanks to my mom who does genealogy work we know that we had Nordic ancestry during the Viking Age so I felt more attached to the Norse Gods in that way than I have with any other known god elsewhere. I have tried the Christianity path of life but it felt more like it was being forced on me and rejecting whatever belief I had before then was heartbreaking and felt extremely wrong.
Wearing Mjolnir to me is a sign of my values. It represents spiritual strength and fortitude, reminding me that discipline and willpower is key above all else.
I am originally from Sweden. All around Sweden and especially around where I am from a lot of archeological findings show evidence, people, not only wearing Mjölner throughout and before the Viking age but also it has bee found plenty of them that was crafted in such a way that they could be turned upside down to represent a cross. If you didn't already know, it took near 200 years for Sweden to be Christianized so for 2 centuries there were lots of people who had to change and change back if they went to different areas of the lands. I have one close to the C-version in this clip. And I wear it for different reasons. - When I first got it about 29 years ago I did it as a commitment to our Gods and religion. I found the version I wanted, in some kind of molded steel. Then I went to a jeweler and he made a mold out of it and molded 1 version in Silver and 1 version in solid 18K gold (we used 18K more commonly in Sweden unlike the US using 14K). For an 18 year old, I remember it was a lot of money. I think I paid about equal to US$2000 only in gold value back then. It was a massive amount for an 18-year-old boy but it was also a massive and heavy piece of commitment around my neck. - I wear it for commitment and proudness, we are proud of our belonging, we set our family high, no matter it is our Norse brothers or sister or our immediate family. - I wear it as a symbol of protection not only of Tor but also all of our Gods. - I wear it to show my belonging, as a warning to others who might be thinking of doing harm. It works pretty well.
I'm an American with norse and Icelandic (some finnish) ancestors and I've taken to wearing a Valknut. As someone from Sweden would that seem appropriate to you? I chose a valknut to symbolize Odin as that's who i have been drawn to.
@@nostoplosses9568 I feel that it is absolutly appropriate to wear if Oden is who calls you. In Scandinavian languages it is common to add words together to create a new word, kind of like Railroad is a word formed by the 2 words rail and road. Valknut is made of the 2 words Val and Knut. Val is in new form, it used to be Valr which means warrior. Knut simply means a knot. Note that many English and Americans pronounce Knut wrongly, it is not K-nuut, you should make a kn-sound and end it with uut. Kn-uut. Anyway, Valknut symbols has mostly been found on Swedens largest island Gotland, in the baltic sea, but also in other places. Among other names than Valknut it has also been called Odins knot. It is definatly a symbol of the high one.
Thank you for the reply brother. I ordered a silver one from grimfrost and I mainly asked because it seems thors hammer is the common choice for an amulet but I feel specifically called to the All-Father not necessarily all the gods just yet. He is who I have Frith with
As someone who is new to faith, spirituality in any form, i'm talking days. I was so compelled by what i felt from a vision during meditation that it only felt natural that I wear the Mjolnir as a sign of protection, budding relationship with the gods and particularly Thor as well as my start to devotion.
I don't wear a mjolner, I still realise the protective nature of Thor and his being, right now I wear a chain that carries the weapon of Odin, the spear head of gungnir, for I look for wisdom needed to endure life's challenges rather than protection from them. I would like to have a mjolner one day though
I told my hyper-Christian fire-and-brimstone “God’s-way-or-the-highway-to-Hell” step grandpa my Mjolnir necklace was a fancy anchor that I got in Oregon that summer when he asked me about it. He bought it lol. And I know he did because if he didn’t I never would have heard the end of it and I’m not sure he would have even wanted me in his house.
Fellow desert heathen here. Sometimes we have to withhold information if we want to keep good relationships in our families. Of course, that depends on whether they deserve our love and respect, or not. An anchor, what a great idea! In Christian symbolism isn't that hope? 😁
An anchor is the thing I most often have mine mistaken as. I generally just let people believe it. Much simpler that way…and I get to laugh a bit at the misunderstanding they have
@@housekilla457 - you mean it's not a perfect relationship. Many of us have good relationships with family, only because we know each other's boundaries.
@@benjalucian1515 No, I mean that it is not a good relationship. It is not respecting boundaries for you to be pressured into lying to someone about something that doesn’t affect them in anyway in order for them to not mistreat you. That is toxic as hell.
I wore mjölnir before, I acutally made two myself. It always feels great but I sometimes feel bad because we know so little of heathenry and I feel like I will never know enough to be a true heathen. I recently bought one and I wear it day and night, it feels amazing. For me personally it stands for protection as some may wear a pentagramm, but stronger. Its litterally the strongest weapon of the strongest god who protects humanity. I try to learn as much as possible and be a betzer person every day.
I'm currently going through a bunch of antler and scrap peaces of antlers, rain deer and white tail I use for the Nordic and Scandinavia style knives I make, in a attempt to make one to start wearing. I've become more accustomed to making things as a pose to buying them.
I had the privilege of watching you at work since I was in the storeroom unboxing and taging items. I couldn't really chat though. I havea unique pendent that ties into my UPG. I had an experience best left off the Internet which I highly value, and so I paid to get a pendent custom made, two hammers, one a smiths hammer, the other a sledge hammer (creation and destruction) with a rainbow behind them. There are also two runes, one on each pendent, one is Gebo from the elder futhark, and the other is an Anglo Saxon rune that means "eel" (or maybe beaver), each having a significance to me for reasons also best left off a UA-cam comments section. I wear the iten for ritual. I work it for Zoom meeting Solstice just last week. This is not meant for use outside ritual or outside specifically pagan environments. I'd wear it at Mystic South or a pagan pride event for example. I might wear it on UA-cam for a video regarding Heathenry as a way of showing a membership in the group that is Heathens and honoring Thor specifically. I collect Mjolnir pendants actually. I love the look of the Danish hammers, but the Icelandic "Is that an inverted cross?!" hammer is the greatest thing ever! I have even pulled the picking it up wrong way around saying, "It's a cross." to avoid being possibly being preached at. STILL WORKS! :) Yes, it does still work. The Icelanders were super clever. I would not wear a hammer to work for two reasons. First, no matter how religiously diverse my work environment is (and it is), I'm closeted. Why? I won't take the risk because I just don't have many options outside of what I'm doing now due to several disabilities and other health conditions. I'm very lucky to have a job. Second, outside of specific conversations among coworkers who have developed a rapport, I just think religion should be left out of the workplace. Otherwise, things just get weird. There is one exception. A coworker of mine started hinting that she worshipped Thor. We were alone in the breakroom for a few minutes, so I took the bait and said, "Hail Thor!", not shouting it like we tend to do at blots, but still, I said it, and asked her point plank is she was a Heathen. "No shit?! You're a Heathen?!" So she and I talked. I invited her to a pagan group. Her beliefs are unusual and differ from probably most Heathens, but that is OK. My paganism is getting absurdly messy of late anyway, so I don't judge. I've been a Christo-pagan for something like 5 years before I gave up the Christo, but I still have respect for flavors of Christianity because I know what it is like to be a Christian mystic. I might wear a Mjolnir under my shirt if I felt I needed protection or a reminder of the gods, a bit of encouragement. Generally though, I would not display it outside of a specifically religious setting.
As a heathen I started wearing my Mjolnir as a reminder of my faith and as a symbol of protection and strength. When I kept losing them I just had it tattooed onto me. Thor is the protector of the gods and humanity and disserves his place in the pantheon.
As an Norwegian i normally stay away from Americans talking about vikings, but you were spot on and had a good perspective on things, so i salute you, or as we say SKÅL!
Sent svar, men ironisk nok er enkelte amerikanske youtubere som Keltoi og Jackson Crawford enda sikrere kilder enn den vanlige norske mannen i gata når det kommer til norrøn religion. Er en del misinfo der ute folk bare blindt stoler på som fakta
I only just started wearing a Mjolnir today. Mostly because I have only just finished carving one out of wood myself. Im not entirely sure why I decided to make one myself, I guess I just felt it was what I needed to do. As for why I wear it, a big part of it is as a representation of my faith, but also because I want to become, like Thor, a protector to my family. Wearing Mjolnir is a reminder of what I want to be.
I wear my mjolnir as a representation of my path. Much like a cross I wear it as to be identified as a heathen and also to show respect and honor to the Gods.
I love your channel. I am Greek Hellenist, if you ever plan to travel to Scandinavia I would love to show you around. Keep doing what you are doing. Greetings from Sweden.
I've been playing a game that doesn't require much thought or concentration and listening to your stuff for hours. I decided to dig my Mjolnir amulets out (as well as a bracelet) and clean them after listening to this, a couple years of a patina had built up on them. I haven't been a practicing Heathen for a long time after exploring many other paths but listening to your videos is inspiring me to get interested again. Super informative and fun, so thank you
i wear a mjolnir, for a couple of reasons. it’s a way to show myself to other norse polytheists subtly, and can be a great conversation starter! it also reminds me of my faith, and brings comfort when i’m surrounded by christians/others who assume i follow their same path. it reassures me of my own choices, and brings comfort with the knowledge i can honor my gods in this subtle way, every day.
I didn't wear one for many years after declaring myself Asatru to my friends and family. I think, for a time, I didn't even realize it was something to wear. But then I found a steampunk one on sale and figured it was time. I wore it for a long time before lamenting that I didn't have a "real one," one that looks like those pictures you showed. A friend took note, and a few years ago on my birthday, he gave me the one I wear today: black and heavy, with an intricate design on one side and a more plain design on the other. I don't know if I've ever truly pondered why I wear it, other than to represent my faith and my devotion to Thor and the other gods. I suppose, more recently, I will wear it for other reasons, like when I feel weak, in body or in mind. Or as a way to feel closer to others who also wear one, though I may not ever know or meet them. I don't wear it every day, but do try to wear it at least once a week, usually on Thursdays (for obvious reasons). But even if I'm not wearing it, it's always with me, in a small pocket on my cargo shorts. I will sometimes just hold it in my hand, feel its weight, and think about what it represents. And in those times in life when I am struggling, in one way or another, I just listen for Thor's hammer, hearing it strike an iron anvil at a steady pace. It centers me, calms me, sets me on the right path. That is what Mjolnir means to me.
My Mjolnir is on a bracelet my pagan friend got me. I'm still in the broom closet with my family and wearing it reminds me that I've got friends at my back.
I have a mjolnir that I rarely wear visibly. Lately I started wearing it again, but tucked into my tops. I went on a small roadtrip and brought it along. Just felt fitting. Been wearing it daily since. I wear Jormungandr daily and sometimes also my ankh. I didn't get it with any affinity to Thor himself but I thought it was the only way to identify visibly as one who works with that pantheon. I work with Odin actually and Jormungand. Also Bastet from the Egyptian pantheon. It's a lovely Mjolnir though from a workshop in Ukraine made of Seraphinite and with two ravens atop it where the handle would be. I do work woth corvids in my practice as well, but yeah, it was never about him oddly lol.
Ok so you covered the Mjolnir as a sign of protection and a sign of the contract, so to speak, between a Heathen and his/her deity. You also covered the idea of wearing it as an identifying symbol between one Heathen practitioner and another. There's one you left out. The identification with believers of the past - a sign of one's spiritual family tree. As a Christian, that's part of why I wear a cross (when I chose to wear one). It's what the Book of Common Prayer refers to as the "blessed company of all faithful people" - our partners in faith of the past, the present, and the future. We recognize ourselves as part of the history of our faith, and the cross symbolizes that. I figure there's much the same sentiment among Heathens, in particular, because unlike many modern Pagans, they can point to a very specific time, place, and belief system as being the one they claim.
I don’t wear mine as a religious symbol, I think I fall into the “it’s a symbol of Thor and I think it’s neat” crowd. While I am a Christian, I like the story of Thor and the fact he’s the protector. I kinda identify with that, being a father of 7 daughters I am the protector and “holder of the hammer” if you will in my household. So I just kinda vibe with it and like the style of it! It also is that reminder to live up to my responsibilities as a protector for my family.
"It's a symbol of Thor, and you think that's neat!" I love that! I had a necklace I wore in worship to Odin, but I always hid it because people where I live are very sensitive to heathen symbols (I live in Sweden). I have a number of tattoos planned, such as yggdrasil which is one of the most important symbols in my life and faith. Also a vegvisir and a raven. There are so many symbols which are important to me and my faith, but my close ones worry that I am becoming a neo-nazi or something of the sorts, and I'm also afraid that strangers will get offended or maybe even aggressive towards me because of the tattoos. I'm proud of my heritage and religion, and I want to show that pride. I think there's just a huge stigma and lack of understanding when it comes to heathen/pagan symbols today for obvious reasons. So it's time we take these symbols back in a positive way, and turn them into something which get positive reactions.
Would be interested to hear how you find people's reactions to a pendant vs tattoos, even where both depict similar pagan motifs! Do people react more strongly to something that is (more or less) permanent, vs something that is only worn...? Is there an added stigma due to getting ANY kind of tattoo, often still seen as an antisocial act in many locations? That last one always seemed to me like it might be a byproduct of colonial cultural imperialism, given how many pre-colonial cultures round the world had/have tattooing as part of their traditional practices...? But modern European people with tattoos have also inherited some of that ingrained prejudice against their choices. Suspect there's a strong element of economic snobbery in there too as tats have also historically been associated with sailors, navvies, and the working class rather than with rich people?
I’m German and I’m so confused as to why Hitler had to ruin these symbols. Like - the central Germanics practiced this [Norse Paganism] too. Like, oh my god Hitler was stupid. 🤦🏼♀️ Now you have me scared to wear them. 😭
@@Veronica-pz4gw Unfortunately he did it because he took information in, but then interpreted it to fit his crazy ideals. Since everyone in my surrounding call me the "norse myth guy", I've managed to teach them the meanings behind some of the symbols which have otherwise negative connotations. It's good, because it makes them react positively rather than negatively when they see the symbol being used in a positive and proper way.
I saw this video once before and revisited. I ended up throughout my growth in Norse Paganism attributing different days, different situations and different feelings to different amulets. Mjolnir, manifestation of strength and protection, Gungir, manifestation of wisdom and accuracy, the wild boar pendant I own manifest the call and will of the hunt for gain, prosperity and achievement. I will say wearing the appropriate pendants corresponding to the different days I experienced has been fulfilling, as I have been able to handle each day to the fullest of my ability.
I've been wearing the Mjølnir now for the last 25-30 years, it's become part of who I am, as a norwegian who is passionate about history and mythology in general. To me it's got more to do with heritage, history and mythology rather than actual religion.
My Mjölnir is most related to the depiction of hammer "b" however my reasoning to wear it is unsurprisingly or not; to pay homage to my great ancestors, much so to keep the memory of their existence alive.
I like to wear my Mjolnir because it shows that i have chosen my path spiritually and i feel having it on me at all times is comforting. I enjoy getting asked about it at work i mostly just answer with this is Mjolnir thors hammer. Most people who ask have no idea so i just give them a short description. I've met quite a few people who wear one as well or comment on mine i just have a simple one but thats honestly all i need to feel like i am protected or will do protecting of someone if the need arises. Also want to add love your videos they are very clear and easy to follow when i came out to my mom about setting down the cross and becoming a heathen i had her watch your videos.
In my family me and dad are the only heathens, and we used to have a tribe we practiced with but they lost touch. In our tribe the members decided when one was worthy of a Mjölnir, last night my dad decided I was worthy and I'm getting it on Sunday and I'm so excited. Thank you for your time
It's been about 25 years since I put down the cross, but for many years thereafter I was "unaffiliated." About 10-12 years ago I began seeing Molnir, almost every time I turned around, so someone was trying to get my attention...I wear it as acknowledgement, even though Thor hasn't been the main deity I've focused on.
I started wearing Mjolnir when I decided to pursue transition. I knew that there would be challenges ahead, and even though I felt called to serve Odin, I knew that I would occasionally need some additional strength. It also serves as a reminder that I need to dive deeper into my faith and heed the call in a more meaningful way.
I started wearing Mjolnir in January of this year. I converted to Heathenry from Christianity because I just had so much trouble believing in a religion that so often contradicts itself and is so conditional. Not to mention so many people use it as a crutch only when it suits their needs. For me, Mjolnir symbolized strength of spirit, hammered through all the trials to become stronger and stronger, and can be wielded in order to protect those around you but also to build people up from the bottom. Heathenry to me gives me the freedom to express myself openly without needing to feel like I have to meet some outlandish conditions to follow the religion. I'd rather use my time alive focusing on living the best life I can as opposed to worrying about where I'll end up should I do something frowned upon by a god that provides extreme conditional "love". Heathenry allows me to do so without any hesitation.
My Mjolnir was a gift from my wife after I learned of my Scandinavian heritage that was previously unknown. My grandmother was a devout Catholic and out of all of her children and grandchildren I was the only one not baptized. Through my entire life I claimed to be agnostic but was always open. I can't claim to be a Heathen since there is still a lot for me to learn and don't believe in "learn as you go" but I do feel a pull that I am unfamiliar with.
New to the Heathen thing here. Have a friend guiding me right now, starting me off with this practice right here. Glad I found your video about it, looking around all over certainly has been an interesting experience!
What I love about this is how the Mjolnir has a specific feeling and promise attached to it. Protection, and we have a clear story showing its power while wielded by Thor himself. What a fantastic way to symbolize Heathenry.
there is another more modern story in my region - that the prisoners in institutions started wearing Thor's hammers in support of rights for all of wearing 'symbols of faith' - I live in an area were there are alot of issues with fairness to aboriginal peoples - and i interviewed many men in prison for a book for the Ministry of Education up here - and this one one of the things i came across in the stories of faiths in groups. - yes, i also wear one. my mothers family is Cree, my fathers Norse
I believe that it doesn't just symbolize heathenry, but the profession of the protector overall.
I don't wear necklaces or rings, but I've been looking for a tattoo that fits a more authentic version of mjolnir for some time
Tyr!!!
Heathen is a derogatory term used by Christians when talking about pagans, you wouldn't call black people n....., stop calling pagans heathens, the fact you do proves your knowledge of the subject is lacking, why do you Americans continue to butcher everything you come across due to your own ignorance
I got asked once by a customer why I was wearing my Mjolnir necklace. I told him that Thor is the protector of humanity and I worked a customer service job; I could use all the help I could get 😂
I just got a Mjolnir amulet to wear this past weekend while working. As a traveling carnival worker who's also a heathen, I feel the need for protection.
As I have recently gotten into heathenry I'm starting to realize the reaction that my body has when talking about this, hearing people talk about Mjolnir, the Gods, the Jotun. It sends a chill up my spine unlike anything in Christianity or other Abrahamic religions. It feels like home to talk about this, it feels right, natural even; meanwhile when I followed Christ, I felt no connection to him. Odin, Thor, Tyr, Loki, they all seem like people to me, they make mistakes, they have emotions, I understand their trials and tribulations. I see their imperfections and their personalities. I never saw that in Christianity. Perhaps I'm over reacting, but, this does make me feel something that nothing ever did. I'm glad I found your channel, you have brought a lot out of me and helped me grow as a person. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
I know the feeling.
@@dojle74 I'm glad to see others feel this its a feeling a energy if you will that radiates from the bottom of my spine up and branches out
Your experience and explanation is exactly mine I feel deeply connected to the Norse gods after discovering them far more than I ever did with Christ religion.
You just nailed my exact feelings. It doesn't feel like this series of rules that must be abided by, it's a set of stories about, like you said, Gods who seem to be fallible and humanlike. I think that is what makes it powerful, it touches the spot of human experience that gives us the ability for us to envision ourselves as the best version of ourselves. Through those trials, we come out on the other side, just like our pagan gods. Very best!
I often wonder how my own country, Germany, would look if it was never Christianized. All the culture and knowledge that was lost. It's sad really.
I complimented a Subway worker on his beautiful gold Thor Hammer. He was stunned that a customer knew what it was.
You never know who follows the old ways.
I understand his reaction, to a lot of people 'heathen' is seen as witchcraft and not a religion, he was probably surprised you saw it as one(I'm on the side of it being a religion though weather I follow it, that's somthing I'm not sure on though given a choice I would. My friend follows an old Greek godess, but my parents would think I'm mad(not literally) so whalst my friends would see it as normal my parents on the other hand.....
Oh and I'm probably younger than most other viewers that's why I'm on about my parents)
I noticed one a person was wearing and did the same, then he seen my troll crossing tattoo and we nodded in recognition of eachother.
Aw that's nice! reminded me of a completely different situation way back. A guy (17 years old) in my class wasn't allowed to wear his mjölner/Tors hammare, the teachers said it could offend people. The guy told them it was a symbol that had to do with his religion but nope... typical Sweden.
Had the same happen to me at a restaurant. I noticed my server was wearing one and stated that i liked his necklace. He said, "oh you're a fan of Thor's hammer?" To which i replied, "Yea i I like Mjolnir, and the stories of how it came to be a lot." The face he made when i pronounced it correctly made me laugh on the inside. He ended up becoming much more talkative immediately and we talked about Norse mythology every time he would come back to our table. I really enjoyed how our common interest totally changed his attitude toward us and seemed to brighten his day.
isn't it called Forn Sidr
I still remember, as a child, my mom telling me that "It's just Thor throwing his hammer to protect us." during thunderstorms when they frightened me. It gave me great comfort, I remember. As an adult I wear a Thor's Hammer in remembrance of that and for protection from evil, giving me the strength to fight with his awesome power.
I just realised that Thor's myth may very well have started to confort scared children during thunderstorms
If that were the case, the fact that it became such an empowering faith and way of life is amazing and magical
My uncle used to say it was Odin riding; from then on we used to yell "Odin!!!!!!" at the top of our lungs every time thunder struck. As an adult, I think your Mom's explanation would've fit the bill a lot better. As a Heathen, I think to myself, "Wouldn't Odin riding be better suited to a winter storm (which we don't have in Mexico) than to a rainstorm?"
I was loosely raised catholic and thunderstorms in my house were explained with "God is mad at the angels and is yelling at them".
I like your mom's interpretation a lot more. Not a god of wrath and short temper, but a protector (arguably still with a short temper).
I noticed so many differences between christianity and paganism after I converted, and all of them boil down to this: our gods are "human", they are relatable and still benevolent and worthy of our respect. The abrahamic god demands respect, is vengeful and often spiteful. I just feel so comfortable in my faith now.
(Apologies for the confusing rant, I started out wanting to write a couple lines and I kinda lost my thread halfway through. I blame it on my adhd)
Yes, the first time I heard of Tor was my mother telling me about "Tor with the hammer" protecting us.
When I chose to follow the Old Gods, I chose to wear a Fenrir amulet, to remind me of the nature of humans and the cycle of life, and that rage can be as much of a weapon as a source of devastation. I was very impressed by some interpretations of the Ragnarok myth, notably one where Fenrir is seen as a bringer of new life. A symbol for a reset, which does not deny the past, but erases the present, so that a new way path be paved. I took liking to that idea and Fenrir became my symbol of renewal and balance, which I proudly wear.
Better to believe in something than in nothing at all.
i have a tattoo of fenrir on my right arm. i wanted walt Disney wolf but got fenrir. i also have tattoo s of tyre that i got in viet nam. my patron saint. didnt know about him then. it was years later that i realized the significants of a tyre arrow tattoo. i was marked before i knew what it meant> i got two!.
That's beautifull man...
Fascinating. When I got into Asatru, though I held Odin to be my patron, I felt this incredibly strong connection with the Fenris Wolf. Ironic, since Fenrir is said to be the one who would devour Odin at the Ragnarok. I identified with Fenrir for, like him, I also had been pretty strongly bound in my life. I set out to understand the meaning of the rope Gleipnir. If I could understand how that rope's magick was able to bind the Wolf, I might gain a clue to the things that had bound me for most of my life. It took a long time but I was slowly able to unlock the meaning of the six strands. And it was indeed the secret I needed to know.
Regarding wearing Mjolnir, I wear mine openly in hopes a heathen that is in the broom closet may have the courage to strike a conversation up. To know they are not alone.
Damn fine of you
Vampire Masquerade clan pin.
Gangrel are not only identify by their wolf head pin the size of a thumb nail, but they also lightly pant like a dog with shifting eyes and subtle shifts in their body stance.
Nearly most of all the WW/Wod Larpers I met that are gangrel or garou are pagans.
Happens to me all the time and I’m in Northern Utah, you would be surprised how many there are.
Same dude if I’m not at work it’s outside my shirt.
I wear mine openly and was at the dog park with my dog and was approached by another dog owner. We did not even speak spiritually, just enjoyed some bro time talking about our dogs. He told me as we were leaving he knew he could approach me and not have a weird conversation because he saw me wearing my Mjolnir. He also told me he was an atheist and his wife was Wiccan so he recognized Thors Hammer, I told him nobody can be perfect not even the Gods...He laughed and enjoyed my humor.
Probably my favourite myth.
Thor: Loki, Ymir has mnoljir and he wants Freya for it.
Loki: Cool, dress like Freya and I will help.
Thor: But you are a shapeshifter, shouldn't you be Freya?
Loki: Nah, this is perfect you got this.
I'm pretty sure it was Thrym not Ymir.
It was Thrym, Ymir is the Jotun whose body became the Earth
ymir is the earth around us
My favorite is the myth of Utgard-Loki and his challenges for Thor, Loki and the human children Thjalfi and Roskva.
Or the story of Tyr and Thor adventuring to find a brewing-tub big enough for all of the gods.
Ymir is the giant whose corpse makes the earth around us, you're thinking of Thrym.
I am a firefighter and I wear my mjolnir as not only as a devotional piece to Thor but also as an inspiration to emulate his courage, strength, and protective nature.
🔥🔥
Stay safe man
As a police officer I do the same.
Stay safe brother.
First responders stuck together
Good, I’m sick of all the St. Michael ones.
May Tor protect you.
The hammer's resemblance to an anchor literally anchors me to my ancestors, and also reminds me that many of our ancestors associated the ocean with death and the afterlife.
I also wear it as a commitment to the well-being of heathens everywhere, regardless of who their ancestors were.
Interesting analogy
I've been wearing a mjolnir now for a little over a year or so now, and out and proud at my job daily. It's gotten questions at work but, as I told my boss, I'm a polytheist who believes in their gods, and wear this to honor Thor, and as a symbol of protection. If that's a problem, we can discuss the proselytizing one of my coworkers had been doing for some time at that point.
It's nice being out of the broom closet to be honest. Even if I get the occasional jab about the gods.
The cool thing is, we had a construction worker come in a few times last month, saw mine, nodded down to his own around his neck. It was nice having another acknowledge it positively.
I got mine from my Grandma. Its made of Amber. She got it for me when she went back to Denmark (where she's from). I wear it to show pride in my beliefs and to feel closer to the gods and my ancestors
That's awesome!
Wow! So we ladies can wear it too?
@@Danica_K.H.H. absolutely. There is no gender requirement.
Wow an amber mjolnir!! I didn’t even know that was a thing
Wow! So cool. Amber can be quite powerful.
I don't wear a hammer but I have a ring with Odin's Ravens. I explain to people who ask that it's a symbol of my religion.
I personally wear the ravens because I'm more interested in the gaining of wisdom then the strength often connected to the religion
Your a Viking ?
my family is a long line of Odin's followers we even used to have his symbol branded on our chests before the more modern day of Christian influence. we never moved to the Christian faith just didn't publicize around the crusades'
I wear both. I like to be balanced in all things. Strength and wisdom being among them.
I think that's a beautiful reason to wear the Ravens. Personally I wear a tree that (for me) symbolises Yggdrasil, since I find importance in the connectivity of the material and immaterial realm and the role we play (and don't play) in the path our lives take. I do like both Mjolnir and the Ravens, but maybe because I feel more connected to the Vanir Yggdrasil resonates more with me.
The downside it has is that if I get any comments on it, it's often something new age/yoga related and people connecting it to the 'tree of life' that is seen in a lot of new age spirituality. Which I can understand, but it does get a tad annoying.
for me, i have an iron jormungandr. i am less called to the aesir or vanir, but rather the rokkr. there are always two sides to every story, and those who are villainized are often those who fight against oppression, the losing side of a war, the victims of self-righteous egos, and so on... fenrir was guilty of nothing more than being massive (and all the destruction that comes with being cliffordr the big red wolf), until the aesir tormented him, and tyr, the only person who cared about him, betrayed his trust. jormungandr bothered nobody until thor tried fishing him out of the sea- he even restrains himself by holding his own tail, so that his movements keep the waters calm, his fury unleashed only when his patience can endure no more. nidhoggr is an unsung hero, who strips the honor, afterlife, and memory from the souls who murder, lie, and rape. loki, who will tell you you're an idiot or an asshole or a hypocrite to your face, because your own ego or self-righteousness is getting in the way of recognizing your own faults... and so on...
...the good guys are quick to tell you how vile the bad guys are... that's only because the bad guys will point out that the good guys aren't as good as they make themselves out to be.
...and i have found myself to be made out to be "the bad guy", because "the good guys" kept throwing me under the bus to make themselves look innocent... from where i stand, it's easy to see life from fenris' point of view.
jormungandr is the embodiment of self-control, but also the wisdom of when to say "enough is enough".
Yes, I’d say exactly that: The Mjolnir became popular after the encounter with Christianity. Both the cross and the Mjolnir are signs of the Father-God’s favored son. Just as Thor is the god of the common man, unlike Odin who is a god mainly for kings and warlords, Jesus is also the god for the commoners.
They're also both protectors of man
@@prussiankingdom1693 This is an area of personal interest and study for me. Jesus is not a “protector of man.” In the Christian Bible, the Holy Ghost was called the “comforter.” That’s about as close as it gets. Otherwise, you’re digging into the OT, where YHWH was called “shield,” “high tower,” “deliverer.” Jesus does not meet this description. He invites his Apostles to die with him, to be persecuted for his name’s sake. And if I remember correctly, only John was not martyred. The early Christians understood that martyrdom was the path to salvation.
From the Wotanist perspective, Jesus can be seen as Loki, who is a terrific deceiver. From this standpoint, Loki brings about the fall of the Roman Empire through trickery of its citizens to subvert the government for what they think is a greater cause.
Another interpretation to lend is that Jesus is a manifestation of Odin himself, who is also a trickster, and also known to wear disguises. This interpretation is in line with the myth where Odin hangs himself on the World Tree and bleeds to death in order to obtain wisdom. He makes a sacrifice of himself unto himself, and becomes powerful and wise in doing so. Just like Jesus, Odin dies on the tree and goes to the underworld for a short time. In the underworld, Jesus obtains the souls of the patriarchs, Odin obtains the water of wisdom.
I rarely engage in syncretism, but it is possible to identify the Trinity with Odin. Odin is the Father who disguises himself as a Son of the Father. In the mythology, Odin often ventures in Midgard with a disguise.
Yes.
I can say that the Christian understanding is that all archetypes and symbols are united in Christ, so the idea that He can be seen in comparison, to some degree and in some fashion, to most any god or hero is expected by Christians who pay attention to the more mystical elements of the faith.
He is comparable to a "protector of Humanity" in the sense of His being "the Saviour". The Orthodox understanding of Christ in this regard(also in other traditions, but there's a strong emphasis of this in Orthodoxy) is that Christ is the Hero of heroes because He, for all, defeated that great enemy which previously held dominion over us all...death itself. Not dissimilar to Agent K in Men in Black, He let Himself be swallowed by the beast/dragon in order to retrieve that, of value, which was swallowed by it, only to unleash His power, there in the very depths of the abyss, to explode it from within. Saving all from death, but what degree of "life" one possesses afterwards is dependent on their consciences and relation to Truth. This conquering of death itself is why you find the emphasis on sharing in Christ's suffering and death and how it is viewed, by serious believers, with joy. To share in the story of the great Hero, is to partake in His power and glory, for death is doomed, and we have but to endure until the story finds its full resolution and all is revealed.
@@terrencemedders1867 I’ll just ignore the Men in Black reference.
The reason Thor is not comparable to Jesus is that Thor protects man by killing Jotunn. The Jotunn, or giants, are almost certainly a reference to Neanderthals, who were about twice the body mass of early humans. Other ancient sources throughout the world refer to “giants” with red hair and disproportionately large hands. Wotanism is an extremely old religion, so it stands to reason the Neanderthals would make an appearance in the mythology. And yes, they appear in the Bible too, as I’m sure you know. No matter which source you look at, giants are considered a serious problem for humans, even a threat to our existence. Today, there are still races of the Middle East with high concentrations of Neanderthal DNA, still a threat to our civilizations, and still claiming to be God’s chosen people. Thor is the god responsible for saving man from the worst of them. Erosion of Neanderthal DNA has been an ongoing process for millennia. We are almost totally rid of it. The only sense in which you could say Jesus is like Thor is if you argue that Jesus’ purpose was to destroy the Temple and the Old Law. Not only did he explicitly refute this, but the outcome of the crucifixion was not seriously detrimental to the Jews.
In the literature, it is said that Loki is a Jotunn. This is why Jesus can be seen as a manifestation of Loki. Jesus is known to be of their bloodline while he walked the earth.
Yet given that the purpose of the Christ-god is to transform the world toward holiness, it more suits to consider Jesus a manifestation of Odin. This is not because Odin loves righteousness and holiness, but because Odin wished to gain more wisdom, and power over the Jotunn by an act of self-sacrifice. This is pretty well aligned with the myths.
The prophesy of Ragnarok describes Thor killing the Serpent with his hammer, only to be fatally poisoned by it at the same instant in an act of self-sacrifice to protect man. Unfortunately, this event occurs in the context of a great world war, and coincides with the total annihilation of man and all the old gods as well. This prophesy describes an extinction event, absolutely inevitable, from which a new species is born. This story doesn’t actually resemble the events of the Crucifixion, except in ancillary ways. The implication is that destroying the god of evil also destroys man and most of the Aesir. This story also has the fire Jotunn Surtr as the victor of the battle, as he uses his flaming sword to devour the whole earth before departing.
Yet the best interpretation of all is to keep the religions separate. Any similarities between their respective mythologies is just as likely to be due to corruption of the texts by Christian missionaries as that both stories originate from a common, prior source concerning a god of compassion who dies for his people.
First video I've seen here. "Loki's fluidity is as old as Loki himself. Get over it" just won an immediate subscribe 😂👊🏽
I wear mine mostly because of the feeling of strength that I get from it. And I mean that in the metaphorical sense in that I have the strength to do the right things, make the right choices, and so forth. I 100% agree with your ending in that when we wear it, we should embody what it means and carry that in our everyday lives.
Hel yeah man. Glad to hear that resonated with you. Its the landing point for me as well.
HEY I never thought I can find my favorite reaction channel comment in a random video recommend to me!
While reading the book” Laughing as I Die “I discovered that the Gods never complained. Even though they know the outcome of Ragnorok they go about their business making preparations for that day to come without complaining. So I wear mine to remind myself to take what comes my way without complaining and that I am self sufficient to handle any situation.
Mike are you danish?
I own no mjolnir but I am making one, which is funny because I reached the closing line as I typed that. So it was:
Me: I own no mjolnir
Ocean: Find a way, or make one
Me: But I AM
Only reason I know someone I work under at my job is a heathen is because I commented on their mjolnir tattoo among other norse pagan tattoos all up and down their arm. They have a mjolnir on their fist and I commented on how fitting that was considering we work in the security industry and how many times they have used their hands to protect the people around them. It sparked a great conversation. I have also witnessed this individual interact with another individual having one of the worst breakdowns in their whole lives while we were working. My colleague is one of the toughest, roughest people I know, but simultaneously one of the most compassionate, tolerant, and sacrificing in terms of personal time and comfort to serve those they see around them in more need of it than themself. Truly fitting that they carry the symbol of mjolnir and truly appreciative of the opportunity to work under them and have the chance to learn from them on the job. Very glad this symbol connected us and opened a line of communication with them that I'm not sure I otherwise would have had.
Every morning I wake up and grab my mjolnir pendant, and before I put it on I hold it in my hand, and I always get the same chill down my spine. I tell myself I am strong, that I am protected, and that my heart and body was forged by iron and steel, and there is no greater feeling.
I originally wore a Mjolnir while I was Catholic due to it being a gift from my older brother. I wore it more often when I identified myself as a heathen after about five years of being agnostic. For my deployment I wore it on my identification tags under my shirt due to regulation and after about 8 months the connection point on it broke due to hitting my body armor. I still have it on my altar due to it being a representation of the bond between not only myself and Thor, but the bond between myself and my older brother.
Watching this while a massive thunderstorm rages over my area, kinda sets the mood
Great video as always
As an Awesome band said: "Hold the Heathen Hammer High!"
Tyr is really good live. Seen them a couple times.
Been blasting that song lately haha gets stuck in my head so easily!
Truly an awesome band!
What band was that?
@@olafviklund3149 Tyr
When I started wearing my hammer, I was still a Christian. It was a gift from my parents (who are still Christian and didn’t know the meaning of the hammer). I wore it out of respect for those of the faith and for those who could not wear it. Now I wear it as a symbol of my newfound faith in the gods.
When I originally received my hammer I was scared to wear it, out of fear of disrespecting the Christian God, but I got over that fear and wore it for the reason I had stated above. It wasn’t until late last year that I heard and felt the call of the gods and left my church to start following the Norse gods.
The Word of God is as a hammer that breaks the hardness of the hearts of Man, it is Mightier than the hammer of Thor
@@anthonycushman2990homie let’s be respectful to everyone and not try and convert people in the comments of a youtube video
freedom
Your historical research is brilliant. I'm a Christian yet I love how passionate you are about this. At the end of the day, we are all human and what matters is our decency to each other. I'd pay to hear you speak brother.
I agree
I love that even some Christian’s are willing to hear about our faith and belief’s, I was born into a heavily Christian family to the point where they actually named me Christian, I was disowned around 6 months after I decided to sit down and tell them I wouldn’t be attending church anymore and told them that I am a Norse pagan and that I just want them to respect my beliefs and let me connect to my own gods and I’ve always felt since that I need to hide my faith… but people like you make me want to talk about our views more, thank you❤️
Same here and I am a Christian of faith but my ancestors both Saxon, swedish, Norwegian, and Danish and I have been for a while trying to understand them and I am faithful to my faith and I am fascinated by Norse mythology and I would like to know more if you have books that cover norse mythology sagas and tales I would like to know if it aunt a bother and I also like to say that Christian or Norse religion we both have a protector of us all that being either Thor the thunder god or Michael the archangel at least we have that in common with some others and also hail to the Norse gods for my pagan ancestors and praise be to god and his angeles for me and to all.
And also do you wear anything else that represents like Odin fryer freya or any others
@@thunderhornmitchell7532 your history is fascinating. I'm actually African and my family history is steeped in the esoteric. My great grandfather was a chief that allowed his children to convert if they wished. My grandads nickname can be translated to Fire Warrior because he was an ardent of the thunder God named Sango. I studied history & I'm writing a book on the comparative qualities of the Aesir, Vanir and the pantheon of my people. E.g, the horned ram is sacred to Thor as the horned ram is sacred to Sango. They both wield a double headed Axe, can command thunder and lightning at will and are masters of war. Continents apart and the similarities blow me away.
Ever since I started wearing my Mjolnir, I have met pagans in my small town that I never knew existed or people that recognize the spiritual significance of it. Some recognize the symbol or the name, and I've even had conversations at work about the Mjolnir with friendly customers. Just last week on Thor's Day when I enlisted into the Army, someone on my bus had his own Mjolnir. We truly are a strong community, and I'm so amazed to be in it.
For myself as a Scandinavian, I see all kinds of people walk around with these symbols as tattoos and jewelry. Sure I have had some confrontations about these symbols just because some people here associate them with neo nazis and with the far right movement. But I personally have vegvisir and some other symbols tattooed on me and some jewelry, but I see it as a reminder of where I come from and that I feel respect towards them as to say: you are not forgotten. I also wear them as symbols of protection and so on but for the most part I feel a connection to my heritage and my culture, they are a part of who I am. I have asked some friends that wear them and they say the same thing: it’s my culture and I respect it.
As a Scandinavian who stumbled upon this video, I am the same as you. Mjølnir, Yggdrasil, Ægishjelmir etc. doesn't have much religious meaning. I see these symbols every day, and have Ægishjelmir tattoed visibly on my arm. If I see someone wearing Mjølnir my logical conclusion isn't that this person is associated with Åsatru in any way, it's that they are either a metalhead or that they appreciate our cultural history and just want to show off their heritage, it is who we are after all. But Scandinavia is very different from many other places where your faith is a very private matter and you don't throw it out there, and if you try to start a conversation about religion, people will walk away from you very fast.
Scandinavian history should never be forgotten like any history. It has so much culture to it and tells the story of how people survived in such a tough place. The worse things Scandinavians ever did is pillage as Vikings lol. Other than that they have done nothing close to as bad as the Nazis, and even then people need to look at Americas history with more scrutiny before harshly criticizing other places in the world.
I think most people can agree that Scandinavians have one of the coolest histories as well, even if popular belief is probably much more fantasized than what Vikings actually looked like. It's still a cool idea to think of these farmers with axes, incredible boats, and a plan to take from far away lands. What people endured on the sea before modern day boats is just astonishing in itself.
Fast vägvisaren är en kristen mystisism-symbol från engelska medeltiden .
Who would be stupid enough to associate this culture with any political extremism?
Dane here, I am much the same, to hell with those who would deny the symbols of our ancestry because some nazi scum have a norse fetish, that is not our problem or a reason to not take pride in our history.
It’s funny, I grew up a christian and never wore a cross. I have been a Norse Pagan for about 6 months and I feel called to wear a Mjolnir. I am going to order one from Etsy this month!
Same boat my friend I never wore a cross , I sleep eat and shower with my mjolnir on lol. Hope you get a sick one brother.
Might I suggest a more reputable store? I've ordered numerous items from etsy and most of them were not sturdy, way off from what was advertised and not really of the best quality.
@ Dirty Bird , @ Shane Curtis. I'd recommend Grimm Frost and I even got mine off Amazon and the leather chord and the hammer are still intact since I got them.
Let’s hope mine is sturdy, I got a really basic hand crafted on from steel. What store did you have in mind just in case?
@Shane Curtis Norse Spirit has some awesome Mjolnir necklaces.
I live in the deep south and I wear one and have had only positive comments. I decided to wear it as sort of an act of gratitude, awareness, acknowledgement of Thor. To draw his attention to any of my deeds he might be amused by or proud of and to draw my attention to his protection of me and to have gratitude for that.
I'm aware Odin is considered the highest of the gods but to me, he's not to be messed with except with extreme caution. His main job is mankind's survival of Ragnarok and my ends may or may not align with that. But Thor feels different, like he cares about us little people. It just felt right.
I started wearing Mjolnir when I was about 14, my auntie had brought back a replica of it as a key chain from her trip to Scandinavia (it's actually the example: d that you showed in the video) and almost instantly I removed it from the key chain and put it on a chain necklace.
The funny thing is that I don't think I even knew about people wearing it as a pendant back then, it was just this instinctual thing I wanted to do. I still wear it now at 21 and I've studied much more into paganism since. Love this video!
I wear my triskele for many of the reasons y'all wear your mjolnir(s). It reminds me of who I am and who I am working towards being. It grounds me in the now but gives me wistful smiles of the past. It tells me there are many paths to walk, and as long as they are peaceful we should acknowledge them and let them be what they will. I think you hit the nail on the head with this one Ocean.
How did you get the Mjölnir pendant emoji?
@@jakelawson6180 join Ocean's patreon. He is worth supporting if you can. He does a lot for the heathen and pagan community in general.
Jokes on you, you've accidentally been wearing a triple-Mjolnir in disguise this whole time!
@@hartwarg3051 DAMMIT lol
I personally wear both a mjölnir and a triskele that is an essential oil locket. This is the chain that my mjölnir is on.
ancientreasures.com/products/handmade-geri-freki
It is an awesome chain. I got it as a birthday gift about 4 years ago. I have since changed the mjölnir to one that has thor's face on top of it and bear heads on the bottom. My youngest daughter claimed the original mjölnir that came with the chain. So i had to get a new one lol.
This is the triskele that i wear. I love that it allows me to use the power of essential oils.
www.ebay.com/itm/254299061576
I don't know if this is going to sound bad or not, but I started wearing one after watching my first video of yours that I found. It was when I was just starting my interest in Norse paganism, and you made a mention to your necklace in the video, so I did some research and got one of my own. I really appreciate this in-depth breakdown of it. Makes me feel even more justified in my reasoning behind wearing a Mjolnir. Thank you for being such an inspiring influencer for those interested in this faith and it's history.
I wear my Mjölnir as a symbol to remind myself to be a protector of others and to be a thunderbolt against darkness. Thor sets the example and is a champion of Midgard, and I try to follow that example as best as I can, whether it is training for fighting or training to respond to emergencies. I find it useful to have a physical reminder of the ideals I strive for.
A Christian (admittedly quite a crazy one) at my workplace once saw my mjölnir pendant and complained that the Nazis were into “pagan symbols like that”. I had to agree, but immediately pointed out that the Nazi love for the cross far outweighed their use of pagan imagery. He hasn’t talked to me since.
Just tell him that Hitler was a devoted vegetarian - which should incriminate all vegetarians........?
Right?
I'm persian,I got mjolnir cause I love mythology i decided to get one when I was struggling with some challenges and wasn't into Christianity much, I saw it as a symbol of strength, resistance and striking problems down as the character of thor is, I still wear it sometimes and sometimes my cross, just a reminder of my faith (the cross)and the character I want to be like a warrior in life's struggles(mjolnir), I believe it doesn't matter what you wear all that matters is what you have in your heart ,you love yourself and love others respect yourself and respect others, give a meaning and purpose to your life and hopefully live a legacy behind (a true noble life)
Persians are Indo-Europeans just like us. In pre-christian times, we were once one people.
@@Tiisiphone very based!
If you’re Persian, you may have a unique opportunity to explore Zoroastrianism as well. They normally do not allow conversion of those outside of the faith, but I believe exceptions exist for those of Persian ancestry in addition to others of similar groups like Kurds and Armenians.
i've been to parsi temples of indian parsi people they're very welcoming and they told me as i am aryan by blood there's no limit for conversion and Zarathustra already has spoken to me though i prefer my faith to jesus as he is messenger and god of love still my heritage is what i bring to kingdom of lord, god spoken twice to Zoroastrians before as magis folloow the star i'll follow the star @@TheKalihiMan
I just tell people it’s basically for the exact same reason Christians wear cross necklaces; it’s an expression of our faith. Plus Thor is the protector of mankind and he was more widely worshipped than Odin by common people in pre-Christian Scandinavia. That definitely sounds like a deity whose symbol I’d want to wear.
i have been studying with an archeologist for about 6 years now , and in fact there was much more evidence of 'a following' of Thor and earlier than for Odin. Odin's - 'popularity ' grew when there were areas resistant to accepting Christianity - and Odin was easy to 'put in to ' the Father God position - but originally he was not - as we know he was 'Frenzy ' and inspiration. not a 'sky daddy'
Guys i love nordic culture but do you really worship thor and odin lol?
@@converse201996 yeah. You've got a problem with that bible Thumper?
@@converse201996 you bow to a ‘god’ whose stories have no relevance to you? Whose cities and seas you have no physical knowledge of? Whose people are not your ancestors? This faith is OF my people BY my people FOR my people……it is not a foreign faith.
@Freki Bodgaedir Thor has earlier links to fertility and family. He wasn't just the warrior Thor we see in Marvel films nowadays.
Do you think the joke "Your god is nailed to a cross, mine is wielding a hammer" is as old as the two religions meeting?
100 percent
I can guarantee you something along those lines was probably said at points.
Lmao 🤣 , I gotta remember that
@Trinity M lol Hermes is awesome 🤘, it's Elysium, or Olympus . Norse is Valhalla, and hel
His son was nailed to the cross👀 lol
I started wearing one when I first started learning about paganism. I always wear it to work, under the shirt. My Christian coworkers wear their crosses on the outside. I know it would be a problem if I wore it out. Just don’t want to be asked about it. I already get enough weird looks for knowing the moon cycles and weird info about plants.
I wore mine on the outside of my shirt to church and my theology teacher from my school asked what it was and when I told him he was like “so I see we are wearing pagan symbols to a Christian church now” and I said “yep” and went about my day 😂
@@GmThangor please don't forget the commies hate white cultural heritage symbols as specified in the ADL
@@connorjeffers5622 That is so stereotypical of Christian thinking they are the deciding what you can wear to church.
Indeed... agree!
I’m a Christian I’m not gonna judge you for simple expressing your faith
My dad passed away a year and a half ago due to too many shots. He was on number 5. I really miss him. My mom gave me all his only jewelry, a mix if silver and gold rings and a thick anchor chain. I took all the rings and pendants and mixed them together to make a 2 oz Mjolnir. When you mix silver and gold its called Electrum. It looks awesome. I carved what i wanted out of wax and used some of that casting sand. I bought the high detail sand stuff. It worked awesome. A few days ago i bought 10oz of silver to mix with the leftover Electrum. I only used about 1/4 of it. I'm going to make a bunch of them.
I like the way you talk, explaining history, and of course-the beard. Very easy to listen and to follow along with
I only wear mine on the days I know my patience is going to be tested so I can fight well and with appropriate force if I have to. The rest of the time I'm putting together a "treasure necklace" kind of thing. Runic pendants, beads, etc. to help with finding the joy where I can (Wunjo), maintaining focus and reinforcing my boundaries (Isa), a cremation pendant with remains of a specific friend we lost too soon. I even have a Fenrir in bronze since I work with abused, dangerous dogs.
What frosts my buns is when xtians claim Mjolnir is "the same as a cross". Well, no, because while it is a symbol of My faith, it's also a much longer-standing symbol of a faith yours actively tried to snuff out, so maintaining boundaries comes into play there, and not unlike Thor, my temper sometimes gets away from me. Still working on that...
Good vid. Let's go get hammered. :D
"Your god was nailed to a cross. Mine has a hammer." ;)
@@kevincrady2831 I'm gonna use that now, XD.
Christians are big on religious imperialism. In my experience they treat world religions very much like a game of top trumps. 'My God trumps your God' kind of thing.
If you buy into their game they'll probably end up driving you crazy. In my view, though, their God simply doesn't exist. They might just as well pursue me proclaiming the Sherlock Holmes is a real historical figure and a God to boot.
@@kevincrady2831 your God is owned by Disney.
@@calluml.9098 Touche' But yours is owned by the Roman Catholic Church. :)
For me, the better choice of necklace/symbol is a tree pendant, to symbolize Yggdrasil. It's always felt more appropriate for my particular path, which focused for many years on seidhr work and the animistic aspect of heathenry.
I wear a raven for the same reason
I wear a bronze Jormungandr
I feel this way, also, because of the associations of Ygdrassil with our energy body and some recent teachings along those lines.
You know, I watched this again, and really thought about it. And I considered the very last bit. That the hammer should be a symbol of protection, and one we should live up to.
And it reminded me of the Sikh.
If you see a Sikh, and you are in trouble, you can immediately go to them and they will bend the heavens and the earth to make sure you are safe.
And I think that's something that we as Heathens should strive toward, and make that Mjolnir mean something in a modern age.
That's awesome man, like a Jedi guardian haha. Love it
This!!
I studied Sikh tradition briefly and academically in college, but only recently learned about the protection and helpfulness aspect.
The idea that mjolnir could represent something like their traditions filled me with a pride I don't think I can say I've ever felt.
This is something that should be spread around
I like the sound of that. We should seek (yeah, I said it) to be that kind of welcoming and generous. They take hospitality to what I believe were the intended Norse levels as well. "Come to our holt, eat, talk with us, share. We won't try to convert you, but we can't let neighbors go hungry."
@@rebeccahahn6172 I agree. Here's to hoping we can make this seen and heard. I look forward to finding ways to foster this in my own life.
Skal!
Decided about 3 or 4 days ago I wanted to explore Norse and paganism and honestly using your video to start my journey. And actually just bought my mjolnir necklace to wear proudly
I've been struggling back and forth for a few months deciding whether I want a Mjolnir or Yggdrasil and bow. A Mjolnir is more common and recognizable, but not really a great fit for me personally with my practice being what it is. After watching this I've decided on a Yggdrasil because it feels more right to me, though I also got a wolf's tooth charm recently instead of a bow because I saw it and just knew that it was the exact pendant I had been searching for to remind me of Skadi~
I resonate with both!! And try and find both to wear at times
I personally wear mine for a few reasons. Defiance being a major one. My mother is a hardcore Christian. She wears a cross every day. She's one of the most bitter, angry and soulless people on the planet. I wear the hammer every day because it reminds me that even through that fire I was raised in was exhausting, after I left it I was forged into something better. I wear it in pride and for strength. Skál 🍻
Both my Christian parents abused me in ways that aren't done to children. Remember, Jesus came for the sick
@@davewolf8869 if you think about it Jesus said to keep his father's commandments, which references the old testament which condones some forms of abuse and can be seen as on par with religious extremism on anyone not of the Christian faith. Kinda confused me growing up and when I asked questions I basically got told to shut up and worship God while throwing money into a collection bag as it went through the pews on Sunday mornings. When I learned about Norse mythology and found it more inviting and inclusive so I'm at home here.
@Hair of the Dog Man, I feel this comment on a very personal level. I ordered my Mjolnir within the last hour and felt the same things all my life. Skål!
@fredreich groypson Some comments just don't need to be posted. Like the stupid one you posted, for example. Find a fucking hobby.
Mommy issues - the comment
I wear mine as a declaration. I view it as part of who I am, whether others know it or not. Some have questioned it, and due to my blunt nature, I freely acknowledge my belief in Heathenry.
I wear a version of the Mjölner together with Odens spear and Frejs sickle. It's based on the "Uppsala ring" found in Sweden! I heckin love it
@@kyram2118 Google 'Uppsala Amulet Ring Pendant' and it should be an Etsy link to it!
The symbolism around Mjolnir and Thor has always been striking to me. The general shapes used to represent it always look more like an axe for some reason, but it's also a similar profile to an aircraft. The association with thunder and lightning, along with being a weapon of War that allows Thor to fly just makes me think of a F16. I know that sounds weird.
I wear a Mjolnir every day. I wear it for protection as well as a reminder of my own strength. It helps me keep going even though some days I really just want to give up.
"People in the comments will be Thor about it"
Me:" you mudda lova 😑"
Laughed way harder at than then I should have
"I'm Thor"
"You're Thor?"
"Well, it hurths"
ya hammered this one home
Wonderful video thank you for this
My wife got me a mjolnir that was a piece of blackened iron, hand forged by a guy in Finland, that has three futhark runes carved into it. I wear it everyday not just as a symbol of faith but my mindset. I've only ever been questioned pointedly once by my grandmother, and I explained what it was and moved on. Many people recognize it, and will ask me questions about the Norse Myths. Which is interesting in North Alabama.
I never ever leave the house without my Mjolnir. I will, in a very formal or business setting, tuck it into my shirt/undershirt but I will never not wear it. To me it's a symbol of my faith but also a way for me to feel Thor's protection and presence. I've only had a few people negatively comment on it, saying the usual bs about it being a white supremacists symbol. Most were willing to listen to me explain that it was not and never has been a symbol for hate, only one or two refused to listen. I more than agree with and support the idea that it's a symbol we should try and live up to.
The whole white supremacist thing is literally the dumbest accusation I've ever heard.
@@abigailsaoirsefinnegan Yeah I agree. Unfortunately the small %15 or so of heathens that are either folkists or part of white supremacist groups are louder than we are so the press covers them and attributes our symbols as one's of hate even when they stand in complete opposition to hate. "Where you see evil speak out against it and give your enemies no peace"
I've worn one for years, honestly as a symbol of my spirituality. I also always wear a belt buckle related to my past triumphs.
It's evolved as more people ask me about it. My best explanation anymore is this:
The hammer is a tool. It can be used to destroy, it can be used to create. I used to be a soldier. Now I'm a craftsman. It's a symbol of my megin, my strength, the power I have to impose my will on the physical world to destroy and create. A power I share with my ancestors and the world around me. When I have no tools to work, I have my mjolnir, and I will carry on.
Side note: correct me if I'm wrong, but in old Norse, "Hamr" (pronounced like hammer) represents your physical self. Your skin, how others see you. I always kept that in mind.
I was just watching one of your old debates and this pops up. More content to binge!
I have just found your channel. Thank you for these videos.
I've worn mine under my shirts for about 6 months now. Every day. I've only started my Heathen journey about a year ago and when I started wearing it, I felt I always had a reminder of my path and an added strength in myself from it. I dont go out of my way to hide it anymore.
I never really had a calling to the Mjolnir when I was starting to come out of the broom closet in middle school since I was looking more at the Celtic end or the more Wicca style. Then in high school I had a dream of the World Tree during the time of Ragnarok without really knowing much of anything until I did some research. It was all strange but thanks to my mom who does genealogy work we know that we had Nordic ancestry during the Viking Age so I felt more attached to the Norse Gods in that way than I have with any other known god elsewhere. I have tried the Christianity path of life but it felt more like it was being forced on me and rejecting whatever belief I had before then was heartbreaking and felt extremely wrong.
Wearing Mjolnir to me is a sign of my values. It represents spiritual strength and fortitude, reminding me that discipline and willpower is key above all else.
How did you get the Mjölnir emoji
@@jakelawson6180 By becoming a channel member!
I am originally from Sweden.
All around Sweden and especially around where I am from a lot of archeological findings show evidence, people, not only wearing Mjölner throughout and before the Viking age but also it has bee found plenty of them that was crafted in such a way that they could be turned upside down to represent a cross. If you didn't already know, it took near 200 years for Sweden to be Christianized so for 2 centuries there were lots of people who had to change and change back if they went to different areas of the lands.
I have one close to the C-version in this clip. And I wear it for different reasons.
- When I first got it about 29 years ago I did it as a commitment to our Gods and religion. I found the version I wanted, in some kind of molded steel. Then I went to a jeweler and he made a mold out of it and molded 1 version in Silver and 1 version in solid 18K gold (we used 18K more commonly in Sweden unlike the US using 14K). For an 18 year old, I remember it was a lot of money. I think I paid about equal to US$2000 only in gold value back then. It was a massive amount for an 18-year-old boy but it was also a massive and heavy piece of commitment around my neck.
- I wear it for commitment and proudness, we are proud of our belonging, we set our family high, no matter it is our Norse brothers or sister or our immediate family.
- I wear it as a symbol of protection not only of Tor but also all of our Gods.
- I wear it to show my belonging, as a warning to others who might be thinking of doing harm. It works pretty well.
18 åring här, bär min varje dag älskar allt med våran kultur att göra som tyvärr är glömd av många idag
I'm an American with norse and Icelandic (some finnish) ancestors and I've taken to wearing a Valknut. As someone from Sweden would that seem appropriate to you? I chose a valknut to symbolize Odin as that's who i have been drawn to.
@@nostoplosses9568 I feel that it is absolutly appropriate to wear if Oden is who calls you. In Scandinavian languages it is common to add words together to create a new word, kind of like Railroad is a word formed by the 2 words rail and road.
Valknut is made of the 2 words Val and Knut. Val is in new form, it used to be Valr which means warrior. Knut simply means a knot. Note that many English and Americans pronounce Knut wrongly, it is not K-nuut, you should make a kn-sound and end it with uut. Kn-uut.
Anyway, Valknut symbols has mostly been found on Swedens largest island Gotland, in the baltic sea, but also in other places.
Among other names than Valknut it has also been called Odins knot. It is definatly a symbol of the high one.
Thank you for the reply brother. I ordered a silver one from grimfrost and I mainly asked because it seems thors hammer is the common choice for an amulet but I feel specifically called to the All-Father not necessarily all the gods just yet. He is who I have Frith with
As someone who is new to faith, spirituality in any form, i'm talking days. I was so compelled by what i felt from a vision during meditation that it only felt natural that I wear the Mjolnir as a sign of protection, budding relationship with the gods and particularly Thor as well as my start to devotion.
I just started my own path into heathenry and stumbled across your videos i thank you for this sir. As well have not got one yet but want one
I don't wear a mjolner, I still realise the protective nature of Thor and his being, right now I wear a chain that carries the weapon of Odin, the spear head of gungnir, for I look for wisdom needed to endure life's challenges rather than protection from them. I would like to have a mjolner one day though
I told my hyper-Christian fire-and-brimstone “God’s-way-or-the-highway-to-Hell” step grandpa my Mjolnir necklace was a fancy anchor that I got in Oregon that summer when he asked me about it. He bought it lol. And I know he did because if he didn’t I never would have heard the end of it and I’m not sure he would have even wanted me in his house.
Fellow desert heathen here. Sometimes we have to withhold information if we want to keep good relationships in our families. Of course, that depends on whether they deserve our love and respect, or not. An anchor, what a great idea! In Christian symbolism isn't that hope? 😁
An anchor is the thing I most often have mine mistaken as. I generally just let people believe it. Much simpler that way…and I get to laugh a bit at the misunderstanding they have
@@susysnakegirl
It’s not a good relationship if you have to withhold an important part of who you are to maintain it.
@@housekilla457 - you mean it's not a perfect relationship. Many of us have good relationships with family, only because we know each other's boundaries.
@@benjalucian1515
No, I mean that it is not a good relationship.
It is not respecting boundaries for you to be pressured into lying to someone about something that doesn’t affect them in anyway in order for them to not mistreat you.
That is toxic as hell.
Epic thunderstorm outside as I watch this, love it.
I wore mjölnir before, I acutally made two myself. It always feels great but I sometimes feel bad because we know so little of heathenry and I feel like I will never know enough to be a true heathen. I recently bought one and I wear it day and night, it feels amazing. For me personally it stands for protection as some may wear a pentagramm, but stronger. Its litterally the strongest weapon of the strongest god who protects humanity. I try to learn as much as possible and be a betzer person every day.
I'm currently going through a bunch of antler and scrap peaces of antlers, rain deer and white tail I use for the Nordic and Scandinavia style knives I make, in a attempt to make one to start wearing. I've become more accustomed to making things as a pose to buying them.
I had the privilege of watching you at work since I was in the storeroom unboxing and taging items. I couldn't really chat though.
I havea unique pendent that ties into my UPG. I had an experience best left off the Internet which I highly value, and so I paid to get a pendent custom made, two hammers, one a smiths hammer, the other a sledge hammer (creation and destruction) with a rainbow behind them. There are also two runes, one on each pendent, one is Gebo from the elder futhark, and the other is an Anglo Saxon rune that means "eel" (or maybe beaver), each having a significance to me for reasons also best left off a UA-cam comments section.
I wear the iten for ritual. I work it for Zoom meeting Solstice just last week. This is not meant for use outside ritual or outside specifically pagan environments. I'd wear it at Mystic South or a pagan pride event for example. I might wear it on UA-cam for a video regarding Heathenry as a way of showing a membership in the group that is Heathens and honoring Thor specifically.
I collect Mjolnir pendants actually. I love the look of the Danish hammers, but the Icelandic "Is that an inverted cross?!" hammer is the greatest thing ever! I have even pulled the picking it up wrong way around saying, "It's a cross." to avoid being possibly being preached at. STILL WORKS! :) Yes, it does still work. The Icelanders were super clever.
I would not wear a hammer to work for two reasons. First, no matter how religiously diverse my work environment is (and it is), I'm closeted. Why? I won't take the risk because I just don't have many options outside of what I'm doing now due to several disabilities and other health conditions. I'm very lucky to have a job. Second, outside of specific conversations among coworkers who have developed a rapport, I just think religion should be left out of the workplace. Otherwise, things just get weird. There is one exception. A coworker of mine started hinting that she worshipped Thor. We were alone in the breakroom for a few minutes, so I took the bait and said, "Hail Thor!", not shouting it like we tend to do at blots, but still, I said it, and asked her point plank is she was a Heathen. "No shit?! You're a Heathen?!" So she and I talked. I invited her to a pagan group. Her beliefs are unusual and differ from probably most Heathens, but that is OK. My paganism is getting absurdly messy of late anyway, so I don't judge. I've been a Christo-pagan for something like 5 years before I gave up the Christo, but I still have respect for flavors of Christianity because I know what it is like to be a Christian mystic.
I might wear a Mjolnir under my shirt if I felt I needed protection or a reminder of the gods, a bit of encouragement. Generally though, I would not display it outside of a specifically religious setting.
As a heathen I started wearing my Mjolnir as a reminder of my faith and as a symbol of protection and strength. When I kept losing them I just had it tattooed onto me. Thor is the protector of the gods and humanity and disserves his place in the pantheon.
As an Norwegian i normally stay away from Americans talking about vikings, but you were spot on and had a good perspective on things, so i salute you, or as we say SKÅL!
Sent svar, men ironisk nok er enkelte amerikanske youtubere som Keltoi og Jackson Crawford enda sikrere kilder enn den vanlige norske mannen i gata når det kommer til norrøn religion. Er en del misinfo der ute folk bare blindt stoler på som fakta
@@CarlErikSimonsen ja stemmer det. Føler ikke nordmenn i Norge interesser seg nok om sine røtter men det er de jo veldig gode på over dammen da
I’ve been looking for content just like this! Subbed
I only just started wearing a Mjolnir today. Mostly because I have only just finished carving one out of wood myself.
Im not entirely sure why I decided to make one myself, I guess I just felt it was what I needed to do. As for why I wear it, a big part of it is as a representation of my faith, but also because I want to become, like Thor, a protector to my family. Wearing Mjolnir is a reminder of what I want to be.
I wear my mjolnir as a representation of my path. Much like a cross I wear it as to be identified as a heathen and also to show respect and honor to the Gods.
I love your channel. I am Greek Hellenist, if you ever plan to travel to Scandinavia I would love to show you around. Keep doing what you are doing. Greetings from Sweden.
Talk about hive mind. I have been thinking about this alot lately and bought my first one last night.
wear it with pride and follow in the footsteps of your ancestors
I've been playing a game that doesn't require much thought or concentration and listening to your stuff for hours. I decided to dig my Mjolnir amulets out (as well as a bracelet) and clean them after listening to this, a couple years of a patina had built up on them. I haven't been a practicing Heathen for a long time after exploring many other paths but listening to your videos is inspiring me to get interested again. Super informative and fun, so thank you
i wear a mjolnir, for a couple of reasons. it’s a way to show myself to other norse polytheists subtly, and can be a great conversation starter! it also reminds me of my faith, and brings comfort when i’m surrounded by christians/others who assume i follow their same path. it reassures me of my own choices, and brings comfort with the knowledge i can honor my gods in this subtle way, every day.
Amazing video!! This still makes me want to get my own Mjolnir along with other symbols of my faith :D
I didn't wear one for many years after declaring myself Asatru to my friends and family. I think, for a time, I didn't even realize it was something to wear. But then I found a steampunk one on sale and figured it was time. I wore it for a long time before lamenting that I didn't have a "real one," one that looks like those pictures you showed. A friend took note, and a few years ago on my birthday, he gave me the one I wear today: black and heavy, with an intricate design on one side and a more plain design on the other. I don't know if I've ever truly pondered why I wear it, other than to represent my faith and my devotion to Thor and the other gods. I suppose, more recently, I will wear it for other reasons, like when I feel weak, in body or in mind. Or as a way to feel closer to others who also wear one, though I may not ever know or meet them. I don't wear it every day, but do try to wear it at least once a week, usually on Thursdays (for obvious reasons). But even if I'm not wearing it, it's always with me, in a small pocket on my cargo shorts. I will sometimes just hold it in my hand, feel its weight, and think about what it represents. And in those times in life when I am struggling, in one way or another, I just listen for Thor's hammer, hearing it strike an iron anvil at a steady pace. It centers me, calms me, sets me on the right path. That is what Mjolnir means to me.
My Mjolnir is on a bracelet my pagan friend got me. I'm still in the broom closet with my family and wearing it reminds me that I've got friends at my back.
I have a mjolnir that I rarely wear visibly. Lately I started wearing it again, but tucked into my tops.
I went on a small roadtrip and brought it along. Just felt fitting. Been wearing it daily since.
I wear Jormungandr daily and sometimes also my ankh.
I didn't get it with any affinity to Thor himself but I thought it was the only way to identify visibly as one who works with that pantheon.
I work with Odin actually and Jormungand. Also Bastet from the Egyptian pantheon.
It's a lovely Mjolnir though from a workshop in Ukraine made of Seraphinite and with two ravens atop it where the handle would be. I do work woth corvids in my practice as well, but yeah, it was never about him oddly lol.
"Find a way, or make one" - love that
Ok so you covered the Mjolnir as a sign of protection and a sign of the contract, so to speak, between a Heathen and his/her deity. You also covered the idea of wearing it as an identifying symbol between one Heathen practitioner and another. There's one you left out. The identification with believers of the past - a sign of one's spiritual family tree. As a Christian, that's part of why I wear a cross (when I chose to wear one). It's what the Book of Common Prayer refers to as the "blessed company of all faithful people" - our partners in faith of the past, the present, and the future. We recognize ourselves as part of the history of our faith, and the cross symbolizes that. I figure there's much the same sentiment among Heathens, in particular, because unlike many modern Pagans, they can point to a very specific time, place, and belief system as being the one they claim.
I don’t wear mine as a religious symbol, I think I fall into the “it’s a symbol of Thor and I think it’s neat” crowd.
While I am a Christian, I like the story of Thor and the fact he’s the protector. I kinda identify with that, being a father of 7 daughters I am the protector and “holder of the hammer” if you will in my household. So I just kinda vibe with it and like the style of it! It also is that reminder to live up to my responsibilities as a protector for my family.
"It's a symbol of Thor, and you think that's neat!" I love that!
I had a necklace I wore in worship to Odin, but I always hid it because people where I live are very sensitive to heathen symbols (I live in Sweden). I have a number of tattoos planned, such as yggdrasil which is one of the most important symbols in my life and faith. Also a vegvisir and a raven. There are so many symbols which are important to me and my faith, but my close ones worry that I am becoming a neo-nazi or something of the sorts, and I'm also afraid that strangers will get offended or maybe even aggressive towards me because of the tattoos. I'm proud of my heritage and religion, and I want to show that pride. I think there's just a huge stigma and lack of understanding when it comes to heathen/pagan symbols today for obvious reasons. So it's time we take these symbols back in a positive way, and turn them into something which get positive reactions.
@@MH-nu4ip thank you for that
Would be interested to hear how you find people's reactions to a pendant vs tattoos, even where both depict similar pagan motifs! Do people react more strongly to something that is (more or less) permanent, vs something that is only worn...? Is there an added stigma due to getting ANY kind of tattoo, often still seen as an antisocial act in many locations?
That last one always seemed to me like it might be a byproduct of colonial cultural imperialism, given how many pre-colonial cultures round the world had/have tattooing as part of their traditional practices...? But modern European people with tattoos have also inherited some of that ingrained prejudice against their choices. Suspect there's a strong element of economic snobbery in there too as tats have also historically been associated with sailors, navvies, and the working class rather than with rich people?
I’m German and I’m so confused as to why Hitler had to ruin these symbols. Like - the central Germanics practiced this [Norse Paganism] too. Like, oh my god Hitler was stupid. 🤦🏼♀️ Now you have me scared to wear them. 😭
@@Veronica-pz4gw Unfortunately he did it because he took information in, but then interpreted it to fit his crazy ideals. Since everyone in my surrounding call me the "norse myth guy", I've managed to teach them the meanings behind some of the symbols which have otherwise negative connotations. It's good, because it makes them react positively rather than negatively when they see the symbol being used in a positive and proper way.
I have just recently discovered my faith as a Heathen. I still have a lot to learn, and I do openly wear my Mjolnir.
I saw this video once before and revisited. I ended up throughout my growth in Norse Paganism attributing different days, different situations and different feelings to different amulets. Mjolnir, manifestation of strength and protection, Gungir, manifestation of wisdom and accuracy, the wild boar pendant I own manifest the call and will of the hunt for gain, prosperity and achievement. I will say wearing the appropriate pendants corresponding to the different days I experienced has been fulfilling, as I have been able to handle each day to the fullest of my ability.
I've been wearing the Mjølnir now for the last 25-30 years, it's become part of who I am, as a norwegian who is passionate about history and mythology in general. To me it's got more to do with heritage, history and mythology rather than actual religion.
My Mjölnir is most related to the depiction of hammer "b" however my reasoning to wear it is unsurprisingly or not; to pay homage to my great ancestors, much so to keep the memory of their existence alive.
You are toxic with your puns but I love you all the same Ocean
I wear it cause I like the reaction I get when I say it's my religious symbol
@@redhood48 I wear mine to feel closer to the gods especially in my dark periods
Spittin poison
Everyone is get over it
Puns are one of the great joys of life. Hate all you want.
I like to wear my Mjolnir because it shows that i have chosen my path spiritually and i feel having it on me at all times is comforting. I enjoy getting asked about it at work i mostly just answer with this is Mjolnir thors hammer. Most people who ask have no idea so i just give them a short description. I've met quite a few people who wear one as well or comment on mine i just have a simple one but thats honestly all i need to feel like i am protected or will do protecting of someone if the need arises. Also want to add love your videos they are very clear and easy to follow when i came out to my mom about setting down the cross and becoming a heathen i had her watch your videos.
In my family me and dad are the only heathens, and we used to have a tribe we practiced with but they lost touch. In our tribe the members decided when one was worthy of a Mjölnir, last night my dad decided I was worthy and I'm getting it on Sunday and I'm so excited.
Thank you for your time
that's amazing! hope it was all you were hoping it to be! I'm getting mine in just over 2 weeks! Im so excited.
@@tweedythe9131 Nice, congrats I hope it's everything you want
It's been about 25 years since I put down the cross, but for many years thereafter I was "unaffiliated." About 10-12 years ago I began seeing Molnir, almost every time I turned around, so someone was trying to get my attention...I wear it as acknowledgement, even though Thor hasn't been the main deity I've focused on.
I started wearing Mjolnir when I decided to pursue transition. I knew that there would be challenges ahead, and even though I felt called to serve Odin, I knew that I would occasionally need some additional strength.
It also serves as a reminder that I need to dive deeper into my faith and heed the call in a more meaningful way.
I started wearing Mjolnir in January of this year. I converted to Heathenry from Christianity because I just had so much trouble believing in a religion that so often contradicts itself and is so conditional. Not to mention so many people use it as a crutch only when it suits their needs. For me, Mjolnir symbolized strength of spirit, hammered through all the trials to become stronger and stronger, and can be wielded in order to protect those around you but also to build people up from the bottom. Heathenry to me gives me the freedom to express myself openly without needing to feel like I have to meet some outlandish conditions to follow the religion. I'd rather use my time alive focusing on living the best life I can as opposed to worrying about where I'll end up should I do something frowned upon by a god that provides extreme conditional "love". Heathenry allows me to do so without any hesitation.
My Mjolnir was a gift from my wife after I learned of my Scandinavian heritage that was previously unknown. My grandmother was a devout Catholic and out of all of her children and grandchildren I was the only one not baptized. Through my entire life I claimed to be agnostic but was always open. I can't claim to be a Heathen since there is still a lot for me to learn and don't believe in "learn as you go" but I do feel a pull that I am unfamiliar with.
New to the Heathen thing here. Have a friend guiding me right now, starting me off with this practice right here. Glad I found your video about it, looking around all over certainly has been an interesting experience!