Móði and Magni
Encyclopedia
In Norse mythology
, Móði (anglicized Módi or Mothi) and Magni are the sons of Thor
. Their names mean "Angry" and "Strong," respectively. Rudolf Simek states that, along with Thor's daughter Þrúðr ("Strength"), they embody their father's features.
Móði and Magni's descent from Thor is attested by the kenning
s "Móði's father" (faðir Móða, in Hymiskviða
, 34) and "Magni's father" (faðir Magna, in Þórsdrápa
and Hárbarðsljóð
, 53). Snorri Sturluson
confirms it (Gylfaginning
, 53, Skáldskaparmál
, 4). According to Skáldskaparmál (17) Magni is the son of Thor and the Jötunn Járnsaxa
. There is no mention of Móði's mother.
in the Poetic Edda
Vafþrúðnismál
:
, there is nothing we know about Móði but, in the Prose Edda book Skáldskaparmál, Magni plays a role in the myth of Thor's battle with the giant Hrungnir
:
John Lindow draws a parallel between Magni and Odin's son Váli
for they both have a giantess mother (Rindr
for Váli) and achieve a feat at a very young age (Váli is only one day old when he kills Höðr
, thus avenging Baldr's death).
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, Móði (anglicized Módi or Mothi) and Magni are the sons of Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
. Their names mean "Angry" and "Strong," respectively. Rudolf Simek states that, along with Thor's daughter Þrúðr ("Strength"), they embody their father's features.
Móði and Magni's descent from Thor is attested by the kenning
Kenning
A kenning is a type of literary trope, specifically circumlocution, in the form of a compound that employs figurative language in place of a more concrete single-word noun. Kennings are strongly associated with Old Norse and later Icelandic and Anglo-Saxon poetry...
s "Móði's father" (faðir Móða, in Hymiskviða
Hymiskviða
Hymiskviða is a poem collected in the Poetic Edda. Its contents are somewhat confusing but can be summarized more or less as follows....
, 34) and "Magni's father" (faðir Magna, in Þórsdrápa
Þórsdrápa
Þórsdrápa is a skaldic poem by Eilífr Goðrúnarson, a poet in the service of Jarl Hákon Sigurðarson. The poem is noted for its creative use of kennings and other metaphorical devices, as well as its labyrinthine complexity....
and Hárbarðsljóð
Hárbarðsljóð
Hárbarðsljóð is one of the poems of the Poetic Edda, found in the Codex Regius and AM 748 I 4to manuscripts. It is a flyting poem with figures from Norse mythology-Synopsis:...
, 53). Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
confirms it (Gylfaginning
Gylfaginning
Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi , is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda after Prologue. The Gylfaginning deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the Norse gods, and many other aspects of Norse mythology...
, 53, Skáldskaparmál
Skáldskaparmál
The second part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, Ægir and Bragi, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined...
, 4). According to Skáldskaparmál (17) Magni is the son of Thor and the Jötunn Járnsaxa
Jarnsaxa
In Norse mythology, Járnsaxa is a jötunn. According to Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, she was Thor's lover. By him she was the mother of Magni. According to the Poetic Edda poem Hyndluljóð, Járnsaxa is the name of one of the Nine Mothers of Heimdallr.-References:*Orchard, Andy . Dictionary of...
. There is no mention of Móði's mother.
Poetic Edda
The two brothers are mentioned among the survivors of RagnarökRagnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
in the Poetic Edda
Poetic Edda
The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. Along with Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda is the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends, and from the early 19th century...
Vafþrúðnismál
Vafþrúðnismál
In Norse mythology, Vafþrúðnismál is the third poem in the Poetic Edda. It is a conversation in verse form conducted initially between the Æsir Odin and Frigg, and subsequently between Odin and the giant Vafþrúðnir...
:
|
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Prose Edda
Apart from his role after RagnarökRagnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
, there is nothing we know about Móði but, in the Prose Edda book Skáldskaparmál, Magni plays a role in the myth of Thor's battle with the giant Hrungnir
Hrungnir
Hrungnir was a jötunn in Norse mythology, slain by the god Thor with his hammer Mjölnir. The account is documented in the Skáldskaparmál, in the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson....
:
- But the hammer Mjöllnir struck Hrungnir in the middle of the head, and smashed his skull into small crumbs, and he fell forward upon Thor, so that his foot lay over Thor's neck. Thjálfi struck at Mökkurkálfi, and he fell with little glory. Thereupon Thjálfi went over to Thor and would have lifted Hrungnir's foot off him, but could not find sufficient strength. Straightway all the ÆsirÆsirIn Old Norse, áss is the term denoting a member of the principal pantheon in Norse paganism. This pantheon includes Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr and Tyr. The second pantheon comprises the Vanir...
came up, when they, learned that Thor was fallen, and would have lifted the foot from off him, and could do nothing. Then Magni came up, son of Thor and Járnsaxa: he was then three nights old; he cast the foot of Hrungnir off Thor, and spake: 'See how ill it is, father, that I came so late: I had struck this giant dead with my fist, methinks, if I had met with him.' Thor arose and welcomed his son, saying that he should surely become great; 'And I will give thee, he said, the horse Gold-ManeGullfaxiGullfaxi is a horse in Norse mythology. Its name means Golden mane.It was originally owned by Hrungnir, and was later given to Magni by Thor as a reward for helping him in the fight against Hrungnir:...
, which Hrungnir possessed.' Then OdinOdinOdin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
spake and said that Thor did wrong to give the good horse to the son of a giantess, and not to his father.- —Skáldskaparmál (17), Brodeur's translation
John Lindow draws a parallel between Magni and Odin's son Váli
Váli (son of Odin)
In Norse mythology, Váli is a son of the god Odin and the giantess Rindr. He was birthed for the sole purpose of killing Höðr as revenge for Höðr's accidental murder of his half-brother, Baldr. He grew to full adulthood within one day of his birth, and slew Höðr...
for they both have a giantess mother (Rindr
Rindr
Rindr or Rinda is a female character in Old Norse mythology, alternatively described as a giantess, a goddess or a human princess from the east...
for Váli) and achieve a feat at a very young age (Váli is only one day old when he kills Höðr
Höðr
Höðr is the brother of Baldr in Norse mythology. Guided by Loki he shot the mistletoe missile which was to slay the otherwise invulnerable Baldr....
, thus avenging Baldr's death).