“Be thou silent, coward,
My Thrudhamar (mighty hammer) Mjollnir[[238]]
Shall take thy talk from thee.”
But that the svastica was emblematic of the sign of Thor, and had been adopted as such by the people of the North, is only an hypothesis, for it is also found in Greece and other countries; there is nothing in the Sagas to prove the assertion.
“Asbjörn Reyrketilsson and his brother Steinfinn took up land above Krossá, and east of Fljot. Steinfinn lived at Steinfinnstadir, and no man has descended from him. Asbjörn consecrated his land to Thor, and called it Thorsmörk” (Landnama v., 2 ch.).
The hammer as an ornament is not uncommon, and may have been used as an amulet, as is seen on several runic stones (see p. [352]).
Even Christians called upon Thor for help in sea voyages and difficulties.
“Eyvind, from Sweden, went on expeditions westward, and in Ireland married Raförta, daughter of the Irish king Kjarval. She bore him a son, Helgi, and they sent him to the Hebrides to be fostered. Two winters later they came back to the Hebrides, and did not recognise him, as he had been starved. They therefore called him Helgi the Lean, and took him away. He was after this fostered in Ireland, and when grown up became a highly honoured man, and was married to Thórun Hyrna, daughter of Ketil Flatnose. They had many children; Hrólf and Ingjald were their sons. Helgi the Lean went to Iceland with his wife and children. He had a very mixed creed; he believed in Christ, but nevertheless invoked Thor for help in sea voyages and in difficulties. When he saw Iceland, he inquired from Thor where he should take up land. The answer told him to go to the north coast of Iceland” (Landnama iii., 12).[[239]]
Worship of Njörd.—Njörd[[240]] was also worshipped, though we have no account of sacrifices made to him; but the formulary of the oath, “So help me Frey, Njörd, and the Almighty As (Odin)!” shows the existence of his worship. Egil calls upon him and the two other gods to drive Eirik Blood-axe from the land.[[241]]
