How Thor got his hammer - Scott A. Mellor | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Loki shaves off Sif's hair, prompting a competition between dwarves for the best gift to the gods.

Key Insights

• 🥺 Loki's mischievous act of shaving Sif's hair triggered a chain of events that led to a competition between the dwarves.
• 💀 The competition between the sons of Ivaldi and Brokk and Eitri showcased their masterful craftsmanship.
• 💝 The gifts created by the dwarves for the gods, including Mjolnir, had magical properties and symbolized different aspects of Norse mythology.
• 🥺 Loki's cunning nature ultimately led to the creation of valuable gifts for the gods and Thor receiving his iconic hammer.
• ❤️‍🩹 The competition between the dwarves ended in a surprising twist, with Loki escaping punishment in a clever manner.
• ❓ The story highlights the themes of deceit, competition, and craftsmanship prevalent in Norse mythology.
• 🤬 Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, became a symbol of power and protection due to its unique abilities crafted by Brokk and Eitri.

Transcript

Loki the mischief-maker, was writhing uncomfortably in Thor’s iron grip. The previous night, while the rest of the gods slept, he’d snuck up on Thor’s wife Sif and shorn off her beautiful hair. It’d seemed like a funny prank at the time, but now Thor was about to break every bone in his body. Loki had to think of some way to fix what he’d done. Ye... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What did Loki do to Sif that led to the competition between the dwarves?

Loki maliciously shaved off Sif's hair, leading to the competition between the dwarves to create gifts for the gods to fix the situation.

Q: How did Loki play the two dwarf families against each other?

Loki told each dwarf family that the other had declared themselves the best craftsmen, creating a rivalry and competition between the sons of Ivaldi and Brokk and Eitri.

Q: What were the gifts created by the sons of Ivaldi and Brokk and Eitri for the gods?

The sons of Ivaldi created golden hair for Sif, a spear for Odin, and a ship for Freyr. Brokk and Eitri forged a boar for Freyr, a ring for Odin, and the iconic hammer Mjolnir for Thor.

Q: How did the competition between the dwarves end?

The dwarves presented their gifts to the gods, and despite some mishaps, both sets of gifts were impressive. Loki escaped punishment due to a technicality, but Brokk silenced him by sewing his mouth shut.

Summary

Loki, after angering Thor by cutting off his wife Sif's hair, seeks the help of the dwarves to replace her hair. He tricks two families of dwarves into a competition, with the condition that if the rivals win, Loki will forfeit his head. The sons of Ivaldi fail to complete their final treasure, allowing Brokk and Eitri to present their gifts to the gods. Loki tries to escape, but Thor catches him. In the end, Loki's deceit brings the gods valuable treasures and Thor receives his famous hammer.

Questions & Answers

Q: What did Loki do to upset Thor?

Loki sneaked up on Thor's wife Sif and cut off her beautiful hair.

Q: Why did Loki seek the help of the dwarves?

Loki wanted to find a replacement for Sif's hair and believed that the legendary dwarves could create anything.

Q: How did Loki deceive the dwarves to get them to do his bidding?

Loki told the sons of Ivaldi that their rivals, Brokk and Eitri, had challenged them to a competition. Similarly, he told Brokk and Eitri that the sons of Ivaldi had issued the challenge.

Q: What condition did Brokk and Eitri set for participating in the competition?

Brokk and Eitri agreed to participate only if Loki put his own head on the line. If they won the competition, Loki would lose his head to them.

Q: How did Loki ensure that the sons of Ivaldi would lose the competition?

While working on their treasures, a fly continuously stung and distracted Brokk, causing their final treasure to be incomplete.

Q: What were the treasures created by the sons of Ivaldi?

The sons of Ivaldi created golden hair for Sif, a mighty spear for Odin, and a powerful ship for Freyr.

Q: What treasures did Brokk and Eitri present to the gods?

Brokk and Eitri presented a golden-bristled boar for Freyr, a golden arm ring for Odin, and a hammer called Mjolnir for Thor.

Q: What were the special abilities of Mjolnir?

Despite its short handle, Mjolnir would never shatter, always hit its mark, and return to Thor's hand when thrown.

Q: How did Loki try to escape his fate?

Loki attempted to flee, but Thor caught him before he could get away.

Q: How did the story end for Loki?

While Loki managed to avoid losing his head, Brokk sewed his mouth shut using an awl, permanently silencing his deceitful words.

Takeaways

This story showcases Loki's mischievous nature and cunning wit, as well as his ability to turn a misfortune into a valuable outcome for the gods. It also teaches us that sometimes the greatest gifts come from unexpected sources and that deceit can have unforeseen consequences.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Loki shaves off Sif's hair and seeks the dwarves' help to fix it.

• Loki pits two dwarf families against each other in a competition.

• The dwarves create gifts for the gods, including Thor's iconic hammer, Mjolnir.