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Originally posted by Alfheim
http://thorshof.org/thunder14.htm

So Can Thor Be Considered As A Patron Of Spiritual Enlightenment?

1. Freya is said to have taught the gods of the Aesir the magical arts when she arrived in Asgard. This would include Thor.

2. There are references in both the sagas and the surviving runic monuments that Thor was asked to perform magic by his worshippers.

3. The sagas claim that Thor can influence dreams, strong evidence of shamanic ability.

4. Thor can appear instantly where he is needed, such as in the tale of Building of Asgard's wall. Either his goats can run very fast or he can magically move from one place to another.

5. There has been much academic debate on possible hidden meanings in the Tale of Geirrod, in which Thor trades his hammer for a witchwoman's staff and is forced to cross a river of giantess's urine. Suggestions vary from a journey of shamanic initiation to a creation myth. It is also interesting to note that the staff was the mark of office of the female magic working in the north.

6. Several myths refer to Thor calling on a reserve of magical power to increase his strength (The Lay of Hymir, The Tale of Geirrod). This allows him to increase in size until he stands 'as high as heaven'. If this isn't magical power I don't know what is.

7. Thor fools Hymir by arriving in the form of a young boy, this is an example of shapeshifting, a talent of the god often overlooked.

8. When compared to the classical pantheon, Thor is compared to Jove, thus Jovis Dais is our Thursday. Thor shares many of Jove's attributes including an interest in law and order and his role as benevolent protector. Jove does not suffer from accusations of stupidity and occupies a position of unquestioned supremacy among the Roman gods.

9. Thor is frequently invoked (more so apparently than any other Norse deity) for the consecration and hallowing of religious artefacts and ceremonies. Thus Thor must be considered to be in tune with spirituality.

10. Thor's hammer has no spiritual characteristics and is clearly not the source of Thor's consecrating power. (Its attributes are listed in the Edda, it cannot be broken, cannot miss its mark, can change in size and always returns to Thor's hand when thrown. Although magical these qualities do not explain the symbol was used to hallow.) This strongly suggests that the hammer is used in this context because it is Thor's personal symbol.

11. It is not Thor's hammer that gives him control over the weather and thunder. This power appears to be part of his very being. Again this is a magical ability.

12. Thor is shown on many of the surviving hammer amulets in the form of a bird, probably an eagle. As this symbolism is not explained in the myths and sagas it appears to be a shamanic form of the god which has not been recorded. This would tie in with thunder bird beliefs from across the globe.

13. In the Eddic tale of Balder's funeral celebrations it is Thor who among all the gods acts as a priest and blesses the pyre.

14. Thor has the power to raise the dead (Myth of Utgardaloki)

15. Thor decrees the fate of Starkard in King Gautrek's Saga. This shows he has the ability to manipulate future events.

16. Thor is the companion of Loki, probably the most daring user of magical power among all the gods and goddesses, some of Loki's knowledge must have been passed on.

17. Thor is depicted in later artwork as having a halo of fire and or stars, and is well known for having a fiery gaze. Of all the gods and goddesses described in the myths he is the least 'human' in appearance. This would suggest that it was recognised that Thor is closer to the elemental forces he represents and controls than the other deities, and therefore very much part of the spiritual life force. Before anyone claims that Thor only represents the element of fire, remember he is very close to all four elements.

18. Thor is more associated with star constellations than any other Norse deity. He is also credited with placing the stars Aurvandil (story of Hrungnir) and Thiassi's eyes (version given in the Lay of Harbard) in the heavens. These are aspects of creation.

19. According to Berlams Saga, Thor is the father of nine of the Norns.

20. One of Thor's quests in the myths is the search for a cauldron, cauldrons often represent spiritual knowledge such as the cauldrons of mead won by Odin.

21. Thor's bizarre tactics in Egil and Asmund's Saga (the story of Eaglebeak) suggests a knowledge of the future. As Thor is the brother of the goddess Frigg (who knows the future but doesn't speak of it) and wife of Sif, who Snorri names as a seeress and father of nine Norns this is far from improbable.

22. Again in Eaglebeak Thor blesses the farm so it has an improbable yeild, another aspect of magical ability.

23. Some of the most complex Norse poetry was written in Thor's honour, the obvious examples being the poetic versions of the tales of Geirrod and Hrungnir preseved in Snorri's Edda. Such elaborate work would not have been dedicated to Thor if he was not considered a connoisseur of the poetic arts. His interest in poetic kennings revealed in his intellectual contest with Alvis also suggests this is the case.

24. The heathen Icelandic legal oath named an 'almighty god' alongside Frey and Njord, this is most certainly Thor the patron of the Althing. 'Almighty' suggests that Thor was considered to be well qualified in all aspects of godhood, and not just good at wacking things.

25. If Thor is not able to provide for his followers spiritual needs, why was he so popular in the past and why is he so popular now?

I will let the evidence speak for itself. If Mike wants an end to the bickering about the term Odinism, it will cease when he and others of his ilk stop trying to apply it to folk who do not include the god in their worship and have little interest the battlegod at all. It is a nonsensical term equivalent to calling all monotheists (i.e. Jews and Muslims) Christians, and no one would be surprised if some of them got very miffed. It may be that Odin is better known to the general public than many other deities, but that is no excuse to insult heathens by using an inappropriate blanket term.

As a follower of Thor I would say that Thor is almost certainly now better known and understood by the general public than Odin. Thanks to the complimentary (if laughable) portrayals of the god as a prominent superhero by Marvel Comics Inc and as an intergalactic peacekeeper by the producers of the Stargate television series. So I am first a friend of Thor, second a heathen but never, never, never an Odinist.

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Originally posted by llagrok
This Thor is a lot stronger I believe, that his original incarnation