Mjolnir Lifters: Who Could Lift Mjolnir Thor's Hammer in Norse Myth
Thor is the only figure that can lift the Mjolnir hammer and use it according to the modern versions of God Thor. But did the same thing happen in Norse mythology? Was Thor the only one that could lift the Mjolnir hammer in Norse mythology? Quick answer: No, he wasn't. There were some other characters that could lift the Mjolnir hammer. But the difference between them was that Thor could use Mjolnir hammer while most of the other Mjolnir lifters could not.
Thor was not the only one in Norse mythology that could lift the Mjolnir hammer
WHO COULD LIFT MJOLNIR HAMMER IN NORSE MYTHOLOGY
Long answer: The characters that could lift the Mjolnir hammer of Thor came from many tribes in the Nine Worlds. The list includes Brokkr and Eitri the dwarves, Loki (in dispute), Thrym the frost giant, Magni and Modi (Thor's sons).
Brokkr and Eitri the creators of Mjolnir and Loki
This happened before Thor possessed the Mjolnir hammer. Specifically, Thor had not been in possession of his hammer. Because it was during the creation of Mjolnir hammer and the dwarves Brokkr and Eitri were the creators of the Mjolnir hammer.
Thor threatened to break the neck of Loki if he could not compensate for his trick of cutting off Sif's hair (Sif was Thor's wife).
Then Loki came to the land of Svartalfheim to ask the dwarves to create the hair for Sif. On his arrival in Svartalfheim, Loki persuaded the dwarves the most talented craftsmen in the cosmos to produce many treasures. Among them was the Mjolnir hammer. And Brokkr and Eitri were responsible for producing this powerful weapon which became the symbol of the strongest Norse gods.
Because they created the Mjolnir hammer, of course, they were the first to lift the Mjolnir hammer.
Brokkr and Eitri the creators of Mjolnir hammer were among those who could lift the Mjolnir hammer
Whether Loki lifted the Mjolnir hammer is still in dispute. Because Loki was the one that gift Mjolnir hammer and other treasures to the gods, he was likely to lift Mjolnir hammer. He must have brought the hammer to Asgard and given it to Thor. However, this part was described quite vaguely in Norse mythology.
Thrym the Frost giant: the Mjolnir stealer
The tale of this was depicted in the Thrymskida one of the famous tales of Poetic Edda. The reason why we know Thrym the giant could lift the Mjolnir hammer was because he was the stealer of the Mjolnir hammer.
Thrym was the giant of the frost living in the frost fort. By some ways, he stole the Mjolnir hammer of Thor. He promised to give back the Mjolnir hammer to Thor if Freya became his bride. But even the sky fell immediately, Freya never agreed to marry such a giant.
As the Mjolnir hammer was the powerful weapon defending the gods, they were determined to retrieve the Mjolnir hammer back. The only idea that everyone agreed was to dress Thor like Freya the Bride. And this false bride would approach Thrym to take back the Mjolnir hammer.
And they started making up with Thor and dressing him in the wedding dress. Loki was the bridesmaid and the pair went to the land of Thrym.
Thor as the bride and Loki as the bridesmaid
Thrym was so happy because "Freya" appeared in the wedding. The moment his "Freya" joined the table, "she" ate two oxen's heads and finished the banquet easily. The giant was so shocked and Loki explained that it was because the bride was so excited about the wedding that she could barely eat anything. Then the giant lifted the veil of the bride only to see the red eyes like fire. Loki explained that it was because she was so happy for the wedding that she cried for days.
When the exchanging gift part took place, Thrym placed in the lap of his bride the Mjolnir hammer. The moment Thor touched his hammer, he could resist no longer and wielded the hammer to smash all giants in the party into pieces.
After retrieving the Mjolnir hammer back, Thor immediately wielded the hammer to smash the skull of Thrym the giant
Magni and Modi: Sons of Thor
Thor and the giantess Jarnsaxa produced two sons: Magni and Modi. Their names meant "Mighty" and "Brave" respectively.
Magni was the strongest god in Norse mythology. He was even stronger than his father, Thor. In the event of Ragnarok, Magni and Modi were among few gods that survived the doom. They joined the new era and inherited the Mjolnir hammer as the prophecy.
Magni and Modi were the sons of Thor. Their names meant "Mighty" and "Brave" respectively
In the Poetic Edda of Vafþrúðnismál, the lines about Magni and Modi were:
Modi and Magn
Shall Mjollnir have
When Vingnir falls in the fight.
When Thor fell in the battle, Magni and Modi became the heirs of his father's powerful weapon. Many accounts claim that only Magni inherited the hammer and there is no mention about Modi.
