Seiðr Loom

object

Megingjörð and Járngreipr

Megingjörð

Thor's belt of strength, which doubles his power when he buckles it on, and the iron gloves he needs to wield his hammer.

Snorri lists three treasures of Thor: the hammer Mjölnir, a "girdle of might" and a pair of iron gloves. Of the belt he says that it is "best of all": "when he clasps it about him, then the godlike strength within him is increased by half". Thor "cannot do without" the gloves when he holds the hammer's handle Gylfaginning 21. The Eddic poems mention neither.

The belt appears at work when Thor meets the giant Skrýmir in the forest: "He girded himself with his belt of strength, and his divine power waxed" Gylfaginning 45. Among Thor's kennings is "Wielder and Possessor of Mjöllnir and of the Girdle of Strength" Skáldskaparmál 4.

In the journey to Geirröðr, Loki has sworn to bring Thor without hammer or girdle, so Thor borrows a second set from the giantess Gríðr: a girdle of might, iron gloves and her staff Skáldskaparmál 18. With her girdle he wades the swollen river while Loki clings to it from behind. With her gloves he catches the red-hot iron bar Geirröðr throws at him. Snorri does not explain why a giantess owns the same equipment as Thor.

In the sources

Quoted from the hosted translations; each line is checked against the text when the site is built. Select a reference to read it in context.

the girdle of might; and when he clasps it about him, then the godlike strength within him is increased by half
Gylfaginning 21 Snorri calls the belt the best of Thor's three treasures.
his iron gloves; he cannot do without them when he uses his hammer-shaft
Gylfaginning 21 The gloves are the third treasure.
Thor caught it with his iron gloves and raised the bar in the air
Skáldskaparmál 18 Borrowed iron gloves let Thor catch Geirröðr's red-hot bar.

Where the sources disagree or fall silent

  • The Old Norse names Megingjörð and Járngreipr are not used in Brodeur's translation, which renders both items in English.

Myths with Megingjörð and Járngreipr

Thor in the hall of Geirröðr To save his own life Loki promises to bring Thor, unarmed, to the giant Geirröðr. A friendly giantess lends Thor a belt, gloves and staff; he survives a flooding river, a rising chair and a red-hot iron bar, and kills Geirröðr and his daughters. Thor's journey to Útgarða-Loki Thor travels east with Loki, Þjálfi and Röskva, sleeps in a giant's glove, and loses every contest in the hall of Útgarða-Loki: to fire, to thought, to the sea, to the World Serpent and to old age. Only at parting does he learn he was tricked.

Related

Thor Þórr The thunder god, strongest of the Æsir: son of Odin and Earth, husband of Sif, and with his hammer Mjöllnir the gods' defender against the giants, until he dies killing the World Serpent. Mjölnir Mjöllnir Thor's short-handled hammer, forged by the dwarf brothers Brokkr and Sindri: it never misses, always returns to his hand, kills giants, and hallows brides, pyres and the dead goats it brings back to life. Gríðr A giantess, mother of Odin's son Víðarr, who helped Thor on his way to the giant Geirröðr by lending him a girdle of might, iron gloves and her staff. Gríðarvölr The staff the giantess Gríðr lends Thor for his journey to Geirröðr: he braces against it in the flooding river Vimur and uses it to break the backs of Geirröðr's daughters. Geirröðr A crafty giant who traps Loki and makes him lure Thor to his hall without hammer or belt. Thor, armed with gear borrowed from the giantess Gríðr, breaks his daughters' backs and kills him with a red-hot iron bar. Útgarða-Loki The giant king of Útgarðr who beats Thor and his companions in a series of contests by illusion, then admits the truth: they nearly destroyed him.