Þórr

Authors: Youla Azkarrula

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Þórr, painting by Jessica Gullberg for Stellarium.

Þórr, Thor, is a Norse constellation mentioned in the Rímtǫl glosses, which dates back to the 11th century CE and is an Old Norse calendar of 52 weeks (364 days).

Concordance, Etymology, History

Origin of Constellation

Þórr (Thor) was, alongside Odin, a central deity in Norse mythology. The two objects associated with him in the Edda are his hammer Mjöllnir and his belt, which doubles his strength (Sturluson 2017 p. 35). The constellation Orion was well known in the Middle Ages, and in various cultures figures holding objects were interpreted within it. The three bright belt stars are particularly prominent and could represent Thor’s belt of strength. Objects interpreted elsewhere as a shepherd’s staff (Babylonian) or a piece of leather (Greek) could here symbolize Thor’s hammer.

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

nothing known

Rökstenen, rune stone near Ödeshög in south Sweden (CC BY Bengt Olof ÅRADSSON)

Weblinks

• Norse Constellations by Digitalis Solutions
• Valkyria.com Norse Calendar

All HIP Stars within this constellation

Convex Hull for the stars inside Þórr (CC BY Jakob Eyermann).

References

• References (general)