Kyle_Ion
09-30-2007, 04:23 PM
There are two versions of the origin of Mjolnir.
According to Norse myth, Loki the trickster cuts off the hair of the goddess Sif as part of a cruel jest. Threatened with grave physical harm by Thor, Loki escapes his fate by promising to fetch replacement hair from the dwarf smiths. Loki commissions the hair from the sons of Ivaldi and the obliging dwarves also make a magic ship and spear as gifts for the gods. Loki is convinced that no one can match their workmanship, and challenges a dwarf named Eitri to make finer treasures. Eitri first makes a golden ring; then a golden boar and finally begins work on a hammer. Loki begins to panic at the sight of the treasures, and fearful that he would lose the wager, transforms himself into a mayfly and stings Eitri's assistant on the brow as he is working the bellows for the forge. The assistant stops for a moment to wipe away the blood, and the bellows fall flat - the end result being that the hammer is shorter in the handle than Eitri had originally intended.
Despite this, the Norse gods consider Eitri to have forged the greater treasures, and in retaliation the sons of Ivaldi sew Loki's lips shut. Odin uses the hammer - called Mjolnir by Eitri - and eventually passes the hammer to his son Thor, who must first prove he is worthy to wield the weapon.
Another version claims Odin orders the dwarven blacksmiths Eitri, Brok, and Buri to forge Mjolnir, using the core of a star and an enchanted forge. The forging of the hammer is apparently so intense it destroys the star and nearly Earth itself (possibly causing the extinction of Earth's dinosaurs, although this has not been proven). When Thor and Loki were still infants, Odin used the hammer in battle to slay Loki's father, Laufey.
Mjolnir's Enchantments
1. No living being can lift the hammer from the ground unless he or she is deemed worthy by Odin. However, the hammer can be lifted by machines or robots who do not possess sentience.
2. The hammer returns to the exact spot from which it is thrown after striking its target. The hammer will also return to Thor's hand when summoned.
3. Its wielder may summon the elements of storm (wind, rain, thunder, and lightning) by stamping its handle twice on the ground.
4. Mjolnir is able to open interdimensional portals, allowing its wielder to travel to other dimensions, such as from Earth to Asgard. The hammer can also be used to create portals to travel great distances within the same dimension.[
5. The hammer enables Thor to transform into the guise of a mortal, physician Donald Blake, by stamping the hammer's head to the ground once. A provision of this enchantment requires that the hammer can not be out of physical contact of Thor for more than one minute without his spontaneous reversion to his mortal self. Fortunately, the hammer is small enough to carry in Thor's belt, and thus in physical contact with his body, when he wants both his hands free. When Thor transforms into Blake, his hammer takes the appearance of a wooden walking stick. When disguised, the hammer's enchantments limiting those who could lift it are not in effect. This enchantment was later transferred to Stormbreaker, the hammer of Beta Ray Bill. Note that when Thor adopted the mortal persona of Jake Olson the stick was removed and Thor simply stamped his fist into the ground to effect a change.
6. Previously, Mjolnir could be swung in such a way as to generate chronal displacement inertia enabling its wielder to travel through time. This property, separate from the hammer's dimension-spanning ability, was removed by Immortus, with Thor's consent. Thor, however, has since been shown to be able to stop time with Mjolnir.
I had a little help with this post thanks to the help of Wiki. I know it may not be exactly accurate but I thought this might be useful to people who want to know a little about Mjolnir.
According to Norse myth, Loki the trickster cuts off the hair of the goddess Sif as part of a cruel jest. Threatened with grave physical harm by Thor, Loki escapes his fate by promising to fetch replacement hair from the dwarf smiths. Loki commissions the hair from the sons of Ivaldi and the obliging dwarves also make a magic ship and spear as gifts for the gods. Loki is convinced that no one can match their workmanship, and challenges a dwarf named Eitri to make finer treasures. Eitri first makes a golden ring; then a golden boar and finally begins work on a hammer. Loki begins to panic at the sight of the treasures, and fearful that he would lose the wager, transforms himself into a mayfly and stings Eitri's assistant on the brow as he is working the bellows for the forge. The assistant stops for a moment to wipe away the blood, and the bellows fall flat - the end result being that the hammer is shorter in the handle than Eitri had originally intended.
Despite this, the Norse gods consider Eitri to have forged the greater treasures, and in retaliation the sons of Ivaldi sew Loki's lips shut. Odin uses the hammer - called Mjolnir by Eitri - and eventually passes the hammer to his son Thor, who must first prove he is worthy to wield the weapon.
Another version claims Odin orders the dwarven blacksmiths Eitri, Brok, and Buri to forge Mjolnir, using the core of a star and an enchanted forge. The forging of the hammer is apparently so intense it destroys the star and nearly Earth itself (possibly causing the extinction of Earth's dinosaurs, although this has not been proven). When Thor and Loki were still infants, Odin used the hammer in battle to slay Loki's father, Laufey.
Mjolnir's Enchantments
1. No living being can lift the hammer from the ground unless he or she is deemed worthy by Odin. However, the hammer can be lifted by machines or robots who do not possess sentience.
2. The hammer returns to the exact spot from which it is thrown after striking its target. The hammer will also return to Thor's hand when summoned.
3. Its wielder may summon the elements of storm (wind, rain, thunder, and lightning) by stamping its handle twice on the ground.
4. Mjolnir is able to open interdimensional portals, allowing its wielder to travel to other dimensions, such as from Earth to Asgard. The hammer can also be used to create portals to travel great distances within the same dimension.[
5. The hammer enables Thor to transform into the guise of a mortal, physician Donald Blake, by stamping the hammer's head to the ground once. A provision of this enchantment requires that the hammer can not be out of physical contact of Thor for more than one minute without his spontaneous reversion to his mortal self. Fortunately, the hammer is small enough to carry in Thor's belt, and thus in physical contact with his body, when he wants both his hands free. When Thor transforms into Blake, his hammer takes the appearance of a wooden walking stick. When disguised, the hammer's enchantments limiting those who could lift it are not in effect. This enchantment was later transferred to Stormbreaker, the hammer of Beta Ray Bill. Note that when Thor adopted the mortal persona of Jake Olson the stick was removed and Thor simply stamped his fist into the ground to effect a change.
6. Previously, Mjolnir could be swung in such a way as to generate chronal displacement inertia enabling its wielder to travel through time. This property, separate from the hammer's dimension-spanning ability, was removed by Immortus, with Thor's consent. Thor, however, has since been shown to be able to stop time with Mjolnir.
I had a little help with this post thanks to the help of Wiki. I know it may not be exactly accurate but I thought this might be useful to people who want to know a little about Mjolnir.