_A legend showing what the Norsemen thought about thunder and
lightning._
Thor was the son of Odin, and was one of the strongest men that
ever lived. He had a hammer that always returned to him no
matter how far or how hard he threw it. Every time he threw the
hammer it glowed brighter than the sun. Once upon a time he and
Loki, a mischievous friend, set out to fight the giants that
lived in Jotunheim. They traveled all day and at night came to a
countryman’s home. There was nothing to eat, so Thor killed two
goats that drew his chariot, and cooked them for supper.
He said to the countryman’s family:
“Do not, on any account, eat or crack any of the bones of these
goats.” But the countryman broke one of the bones and ate the
marrow. The next morning Thor took his hammer and held it over the
skins of the two goats. He spoke some words, and struck the skins
lightly, when lo! the skins jumped up, two live goats, just as if
they had not been eaten the night before.
But one of the goats limped because there was no bone in his hind
leg. Thor was very angry, and the countryman confessed to having
cracked a bone and eaten the marrow. To punish him, Thor made him
join the party on the way to the land of the giants.
One evening they came to a big hall with a wide open door. They
all went in and found it empty, but they lay down and slept very
comfortably. Late in the night they heard noises and groanings like
thunder near by. They wondered what these fearful sounds could be.
The next morning Thor found in the forest an enormous giant fast
asleep and snoring like thunder and earthquakes. The giant woke up
and Thor said:
“You make too much noise. You disturbed my sleep.” The giant said:
“You are Thor, and what have you done with my glove?” And then Thor
found that he and his friends had been sleeping in the thumb of the
giant’s glove. Thor said:
“I have come to kill such giants as you,” and threw his hammer at
his head. “Oh, did a leaf touch my head?” said the giant. Again
Thor threw his hammer at the giant’s chest.
“Oh, my! an acorn must have fallen on me,” said the giant. Thor
then threw the hammer with all his might and hit the giant between
the eyes.
“Why, some bird has dropped a feather in my face,” said the giant.
Thor was so enraged at his failure to hurt the giant that he turned
to go. The giant called after him: “I am a little giant compared to
others whom you will see!” But Thor and his friends went on to find
other adventures.