The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-19
kansas City Times.(

+ When you hear the thunder crash
in the heavens and see the forked
flash of lightning. do you really
know what causes it? Perhaps you
think you do and have m learned
and scientific explanation at your
tongues end. but the chances are
you never guessed the real reason.
which is that the Morse god, Thor.
is driving his chariot OF bronze
through the clouds. The chariot is
drawn by two great goats and Thor
streaming in the wind. his head
bright with a crown of flame as he
drives.
None of the old Morse gods is
more interesting to read about than
Thor. and V today his name is not
wholly forgotten-Thursday is only a
contraction of Thor's day. Like all
gods who dwelt in Asgard. the Morse
Olympus, Thor. was a war god. His
weapon was a short-handled ham
mer. which had the marvellous prop
erty of returning to the hand of its
owner no matter how far he hurled
it. Here is a description Of Thor in
verse from "Valhalla," by j.. c. Jones:
First. Thor with the bent brow,
In red beard muttering low.
Darling fierce l%ightnings from eye
balls that glow.
Comes while each chariot wheel
Echoes in thunder peal.
AS his dread hammer shock
Makes earth and heaven rock.
Clouds rifting above while earth
quakes below.
The huge hammer Of Thor was
generally hot. and upon his right
hand the god wore an iron gauntlet
to enable him to hold it. This ham,
mer was considered so sacred by the
ancient peoples of the north that they
used to make the sign Of the ham,
mer Just as in later days men made
the sign of the cross to ward off the
powers of evil.
The wife of Thor was Sif, whose
golden hair hung in a shimmery veil
below her knees. Full proud was
she Of this golden veil, and so, in
deed. was Thor, and great was his
rage n morning when he awoke
and found that il had been shipped
off close to her head. At M Thor
suspected Loki. arch plotter and god
of evil. to whom the gods had I'M
wisely allowed a place in Asgard.
So Thor overlook Loki. who con-
fessed the theft, but promised to
bring a finer head of hair back for
sif if the Thunderer would spare his
life. Thor agreed and Loki de.
into the home Of the dwarfs, where
he got a wonderful new head of hair
for Thor's wife, which grew to her
head as soon as it touched and made
her more beautiful than she had ever
been before.
Not long after this Thor. who was
n kindly god and ever watchful OF
the needs of mankind, became en-
ra ged because the giants who dwell
at Jotun-heim were continually send
ing out blasts Of cold air which
nipped the tender buds and laid
waste the crops. So Thor started for
Jotun-heim accompanied by the
crafty Loki.
After riding for a whole day they
reached the hut of a peasant as the
sun was about to set, and there they
made ready to spend the night. But
there was little in this poor mans
house to eat, and therefore Thor slew
the two great goats that drew his
chariot. and them he broiled over
the open fire. bidding the peasant
and his family to eat freely. but be
careful not to crack any Of the bones,
But the peasant had a young son who
loved to suck the marrow from bones,
and he, when no one was looking,
cracked a bone and did eat. The
others obeyed Thor and cast the
bones into the skins which Thor had
spread upon the floor. In the morn
ing when the gods were ready TO de-
part Thor smote the skins and the
goats sprang up alive again; but one
OF them was lame. At first Thor was
very angry and would have slain the
boy who had d~isobeyed him: howbeit.
at the fathers request, spared him.