The fifth day of the week was named after him. He was a red-head. He
was hot-tempered. His name was Thor and his magic hammer was
Mjollnir, which some say once meant lightning. Norwegian family names
like Thorsten pay homage to him. It was nothing for this giant of a
being to eat a whole ox at one sitting. I’m lucky if I can finish a
couple of lamb chops.
But this is not about Thor. nor his appetite. nor the goats named
Tooth-grinder and Tooth-gnasher that drew his chariot across the sky.
This is about Mjollnir, his magical hammer, which was at one time
made into a wooden charm which might have been worn about the neck of
what was then surely a deserving warrior-wannabe.
As Christianity began its inexorable movement north the cross and the
hammer often melded together signifying creativity and destructive
power and fertility and renewal of good fortune. Now some of you may
well ask yourselves how a weapon belonging to the formidable Thunder
God could be combined with equanimity to form a religious symbol to
the extent that a talented carver would one day sit cross-legged on a
dirt floor–this is how I see him-- laboriously carving out such an
iconic piece of jewelry as you are all soon about to see.
There is surely an answer to this conundrum. and would if I could
tell you what it was I would. Short of that… perhaps someone out
there could enlighten me with the answer. for I know there are many
of you out there… well. perhaps some of you. or at least one or two
of you … if any. who know.
The creators of the original hammer were two dwarves named Sindri and
Brokkr. They imbued the hammer with great magical powers. I know not
the name of the artisan who carved out the wooden charm. But I do
know the name of a chap–rather amenable in nature --with the ability
and probable penchant to create said hammer in gold or silver. and
who. if asked nicely. without any shades of skepticism or irony.
could be cajoled into saturating said charm with one or two magical
properties of your choice. all with the express waiver of
responsibility that if the magic does not work–then it is not the
fault of the creator but rather that of the faithless wearer–for it
is a well known fact that non-believers tend to disperse powers
originally ensconced in charms… thereby evanescing them into fast
evaporating puffs of invisible vapor.
Ya buy the charm. ya takes yer chances. But it’s a win win situation.
The believers will have the magic for they will believe in it. The
non believers will have the charm… a thing of beauty and a joy for
as long as you want it to be a joy. As to the name of the fellow who
could make this for you. oh how I blush once again to even mention
his name. is Benjamin Mark. Who woulda thunk it?
And so now here we are. where we often are wont to be … at the end.
It is time to look. So go. You know where. www.tyler-adam.com. Scroll
down. Left side. Tidbits. Click. And enjoy.
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks.
Catch you all next week.
Benjamin Mark