Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Iceland has an extensive history with the Norse gods to the point where one is credited with leading the first settlers to there. Thor (Þórr) seems to have had an unusually prominent place in Viking Age Iceland that is not matched by any other country. The god was present in their history, daily life, placenames, and even the names of the people themselves. But why was this the case? What about Thor prompted such prominence in Iceland specifically? We will answer these questions. We’ll also look at a few Viking Age artifacts, skaldic poetry, and history to get a proper examination of the God of Iceland.
Sources:
Brink, Stefan. “How Uniform Was the Old Norse Religion?” In Learning and Understanding in the Old Norse World: Essays in Honour of Margaret Clunies Ross, edited by Judy Quinn, Kate Heslop, and Tarrin Wills, 105–36. Medieval Texts and Cultures of Northern Europe 18. Turnhout: Brepols, 2007.
Eyrbyggja Saga. Translated by Hermann Pálsson and Paul Edwards. London: Penguin Books, 1989.
Gunnell, Terry. “How High Was the High One? The Roles of Oðinn and Þórr in Pre-Christian Icelandic Society.” In Theorizing Old Norse Myth, edited by Stefan Brink and Lisa Collinson, 105–29. Turnhout: Brepols, 2018. doi.org/10.1484/M.AS-EB.5.109622.
Gunnell, Terry. “Pantheon? What Pantheon? Concepts of a Family of Gods in Pre-Christian Scandinavian Religions.” Scripta Islandica 66 (2015): 55–76.
Landnámabók. In Íslendingabók. Landnámabók, edited by Jakob Benediktsson. Íslenzk fornrit 1. Reykjavík: Hið íslenzka fornritafélag, 1968.
Perkins, Richard M. Thor the Wind-Raiser and the Eyrarland Image. Viking Society for Northern Research Text Series 15. London: Viking Society for Northern Research, University College London, 2001.
Turville-Petre, E. O. G. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964.
Sveinsson, Einar Ólafur, ed. Brennu-Njáls saga. Íslenzk fornrit 12. Reykjavík: Hið íslenzka fornritafélag, 1954.
Iceland has an extensive history with the Norse gods to the point where one is credited with leading the first settlers to there. Thor (Þórr) seems to have had an unusually prominent place in Viking Age Iceland that is not matched by any other country. The god was present in their history, daily life, placenames, and even the names of the people themselves. But why was this the case? What about Thor prompted such prominence in Iceland specifically? We will answer these questions. We’ll also look at a few Viking Age artifacts, skaldic poetry, and history to get a proper examination of the God of Iceland.
Sources:
Brink, Stefan. “How Uniform Was the Old Norse Religion?” In Learning and Understanding in the Old Norse World: Essays in Honour of Margaret Clunies Ross, edited by Judy Quinn, Kate Heslop, and Tarrin Wills, 105–36. Medieval Texts and Cultures of Northern Europe 18. Turnhout: Brepols, 2007.
Eyrbyggja Saga. Translated by Hermann Pálsson and Paul Edwards. London: Penguin Books, 1989.
Gunnell, Terry. “How High Was the High One? The Roles of Oðinn and Þórr in Pre-Christian Icelandic Society.” In Theorizing Old Norse Myth, edited by Stefan Brink and Lisa Collinson, 105–29. Turnhout: Brepols, 2018. doi.org/10.1484/M.AS-EB.5.109622.
Gunnell, Terry. “Pantheon? What Pantheon? Concepts of a Family of Gods in Pre-Christian Scandinavian Religions.” Scripta Islandica 66 (2015): 55–76.
Landnámabók. In Íslendingabók. Landnámabók, edited by Jakob Benediktsson. Íslenzk fornrit 1. Reykjavík: Hið íslenzka fornritafélag, 1968.
Perkins, Richard M. Thor the Wind-Raiser and the Eyrarland Image. Viking Society for Northern Research Text Series 15. London: Viking Society for Northern Research, University College London, 2001.
Turville-Petre, E. O. G. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964.
Sveinsson, Einar Ólafur, ed. Brennu-Njáls saga. Íslenzk fornrit 12. Reykjavík: Hið íslenzka fornritafélag, 1954.
