Archaeologists Find Thousand Years Old of Thor’s Hammer Amulet

VIVA – Archaeologists have found an Amulet in the form of Thor's hammer in Sweden. It is known, this amulet has a thousand years old. Thor's hammer amulet is a form eternal popularity of the Ancient Norse God.

Thor's hammer became famous because of the Marvel movie where Thor was played by actor Chris Hemsworth. According to a Professor of Medieval European Literature at the University of Oxford, Carolyne Larington said that Thor has always been a popular figure because he cared about people.

"Of all of the Norse gods, Thor is the one who is most interested in the fate of humans. His main job is to patrol the east and keep the giants (Jotnar) away from the land of men and the gods with his hammer," Carolyne Larington remarked.

According to the Head of Archeology at the Museum of Cultural History, Per Wranning, in Halland Country, archaeologists discovered the amulet during the summer, near the southwestern town of Ysby. This region overlooks Denmark across the strait between the North and Baltic Seas, which for centuries was called the Kattegat or cat's pass because it was so shallow.

The investigations of archaeologists about site have been earmarked for new homes. It has also revealed several fire pits, pillar pits, and pieces of pottery and metal that may date back to before the end of the Viking Age in the mid-11th century.

Amulets resembling Thor's hammer have previously been found in Scandinavia. However, this one is the first to be found in Halland, Per Wranning remarked, as quoted from the Live Science website, Thursday, November 3, 2022.

This amulet is made from metal and has an intricately embossed design on the top and may have been plated (decorated with gold) or silver. But archaeologists are not sure until it's completely cleaned and preserved.

A hole in the shaft and the bottom of the hammer handle indicate that the amulet was hung on a ring or string to be worn around the neck or other jewelry.

"This discovery probably dates to the 900s or 1000s late Viking Age, and appears to be made of lead," Per Wranning wrote in a blog post.

Such amulets might have been worn during the religious transition in the region at the end of the Viking Age as a symbol of adhering to the old Norse gods, rather than the new religion of Christianity.

"One theory is that these large ornamented Thor's hammers were a clear marker for those who still worshiped the (Norse) gods when Christianity began to take root in Scandinavia," Wranning remarked.