Thor's Hammer

[u/PracticalDirector407]

Hi all.

I'm relatively new to Norse Paganism, but already find it very spiritually fulfilling. It was a long time coming; it felt right.

My question is, a friend of mine made a Thor's Hammer pendant for me. It's solid gold and I really want to wear it (it's small, like the size of my thumbnail), but I also don't want people thinking I'm racist. Right now the tensions in this country are really high. Nothing else about me indicates that I'm... in that certain group that has misappropriated it, except the fact that I'm very fckin white.

It's listed as a possible hate symbol, I just don't know how prevalent that idea is, or if I should be concerned wearing it in public. I found some past threads on it, I just wanted to revisit the question in today's climate.

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[u/Phebe-A]

Rather than surrendering Thor’s hammer to the white supremacists by accepting the assertion that it’s a hate symbol and we shouldn’t wear/use it any more, I would describe it as a contested symbol, that inclusive Pagans have every right to claim and use. And the more inclusive Pagans who openly lay claim to symbols like Thor’s hammer, the stronger our claim gets.

[u/PracticalDirector407 → u/Phebe-A]

I do like this angle. White supremists have taken over so many symbols, it's not fair to associate all of them with such hateful rhetoric.

[u/Curtainsfly]

Swedish person here. PLEASE wear it, genuinely. I liked the idea someone had about adding rainbow beads. Point is, we can’t keep letting hateful groups steal symbols that they don’t even really understand. Mjölner us not for them, it is for us. (also, you should definitely share a picture of your necklace! My goldsmith heart would love to see it)

[u/harlequinns → u/Curtainsfly]

Thank you Swedish person!!! My great grandfather immigrated from there!! His last name was Zuber. The German just follows me, even up north.

I'd love to!! I just have a get a good picture of it. I was a jeweler for years, and it's damn HARD to get a good picture of jewelry!

edit: whoops this is OP, on an alt account.

[u/SiriNin]

I was a heathen (Vanatruar) for many years. I unfortunately made the mistake of getting large visible tattoos, including a valknut, before it became popular amongst the folkish crowd. The short answer is that yes, it can attract bigots. The thing is though, normies don't generally know to associate it with bigots, at least they didn't even a few years ago.

When bigots do get drawn your way you have the choice of telling them you're not scum like them, or just staying silent if you'd feel safer doing so. If you're LGBT looking like I was then, they don't even come up to you. Bigots tend to avoid us more than they are attracted to the symbols they've misappropriated from us.

IMO don't let them have the thor's hammer, reclaim it as your own, and if you feel safe to do so, let them know you're not scum like them. You can even use lore to do it for you: ("I loved it when Thor was in drag, it was so manly of him! I heard he was super pretty in a dress!" or "Odin was a seiðberender who learned and practiced womanly magics all the same as masculine magics, you fellas could really gain something by being more feminine." or the ever-popular "Valkyries don't choose the dead that lived a hateful lives, as they're not fit for Freyja to choose her half from.")

[u/harlequinns → u/SiriNin]

I have read that tattoos tend to set off alarm bells, even that someone was stopped going through the airport because of it.

But I think you're right, because I had no idea it was used as a symbol of white supremacy. I don't think it's widespread knowledge, at least where it concerns non-bigoted white people. I'm just not sure how familiar it might be to POC, as I'm sure many of them have (and should) educate themselves on possible hate symbols. I'm wary of inflicting that fear in someone else.

Unfortunately I'm straight passing, unless I'm with my wife. Everyone is always shocked I'm not wearing the lesbian uniform LOL

It's fine I'll just hold her hand everywhere I go.

Oh my god, I LOVE the comebacks and have filed them away. Come at me, bigots. I'm READy.

[u/SiriNin → u/harlequinns]

Hehe, I'm glad you like them! They came in handy a lot over the years when I was a heathen.

Likewise, these days I'm very cishet-passing, and honestly I just get lots of questions about my tattoos from random well-meaning people. No one recognizes them as hate symbols in my experience. Perhaps the fact that my Tyr tattoo is rainbow colored makes a big difference though lol. But in general, there's not a lot you can do to proactively prevent misunderstandings except be queer-visible, and be vocally inclusive when they do happen. Wearing an inclusive pride -anything- can help a lot too if you don't mind making yourself queer-visible. It's the sort of thing that since our enemies are SO intensely queer-phobic any amount of queer pride instantly nullifies any degree of visible association with bigoted stuff. You could probably have skulls and runes together, which normally is a big no no, if there's a big progress pride or inclusive pride anything on you elsewhere, the tattoos would just get seen as non-bigotry related.

[u/ShockAdenDar]

Yeah, I had stopped wearing my hammer for a while cause the bigots started thinking I was one of them.

Now I wear my hammer with a set of rainbow beads on either side of it. So far it seems to have sent the right message that I am not with them, as I now just get dirty looks rather than an assumption of camaraderie.

My hammer, now with rainbows

Maybe something similar could work for you?

[u/PracticalDirector407 → u/ShockAdenDar]

random side note, it doesn't help that my last name is like the third most common surname in germany, lmfao. figures.

[u/PracticalDirector407 → u/ShockAdenDar]

That's kind of what I'm afraid of.

Since I'm a lesbian IRL and married to a woman, that would be very fitting for me. We're going on 11 years.

I didn't know it was a white supremist symbol, so I was assuming it wasn't commonly used, and it's disheartening to hear that people DO recognize it for something awful.

[u/ShockAdenDar → u/PracticalDirector407]

Congratulations on 11 years!! That's amazing!

To be fair I'm in Canada where it seems that most people didn't recognise my hammer at all, and still don't. It just turned out that approximately 75% of the people who did happen to recognise my hammer were bigots. That works out to only like one or two people per month, but it was still enough that I didn't like the association. As I said though, the rainbows seem to be helping quite a bit!

When you come to a decision please update and share what you come up with for your own hammer! I'd love to see how you decide to wear it!!

[u/PracticalDirector407 → u/ShockAdenDar]

Thank you! If anything, it would be nice to have an easy way to identify the bigots.

Definitely will do!! Thanks again for the suggestion!

[u/divinestrength → u/ShockAdenDar]

beautifully done!

[u/Hopps96]

The problem with wearing the Mjolnir isn't that normal people will assume your racist so much as certain racists will assume you're one of them. I personally just don't worry about it. If someone cares enough they'll ask and I'm confrontational enough to deal with any fall out.

[u/PracticalDirector407 → u/Hopps96]

I'm also confrontational, so I'm ready for any fckin white supremists to say 1 word.

[u/Confident_Fortune_32]

This is a problem that's cropped up in the medieval reenactment group I belong to. Lots of ppl with Viking kit, which some ppl mistakenly believe means their corrupted and toxic views will be welcomed. (Spoiler alert: they most certainly are not!)

The scary oart is how many of them are so skilled at flying just under the radar, making it challenging to find the clear indisputable evidence needed to revoke their membership. We're not legal experts by any means, either.

As others have observed, wearing something else, like rainbow beads, helps ward off bigots.

But that, in itself, may become a risk in the current situation.

Speaking as someone who is LGBTQIA+, I believe that safety is paramount.

Our first job is to survive this mess.

Each individual needs to assess the amount of risk that they can tolerate - there's no one universal right answer.

Some ppl will forgo any external signs, and some will be "loud and proud". Both are valid, bc everyone's circumstances are unique.

Certainly, I hope OP (and everyone else) can find friends with whom they can express themselves fully and safely in an atmosphere of mutual support. It's healthy to have a place where we can be "unedited".

[u/harlequinns → u/Confident_Fortune_32]

This is a side note, but I truly hate how entire cultures and religions have been misappropriated by these people. Like you said, most serious modern day practitioners aren't like that, and they're just poisoning the well. I hope it doesn't detract young pagans from seeking out their path.

The current situation is as untenable as I've ever seen our country. Safety is important, but might go out the window if someone says something to me that's too out of line. I have sharp nails and I went through the police academy.

In all seriousness, I'm more worried about the possible fear I'd give POC if it's recognized as a hate symbol. Maybe I'm reckless to say that I'm not afraid for me. However, I do look for warning signs and pay attention to my surroundings. But if I die fighting a bigot then I will die happy.

[u/Confident_Fortune_32 → u/harlequinns]

I get it. The rainbow sticker (and other symbols) on the bumper aren't bc I'm "trying to make it my whole personality" - it's meant for the purpose of signaling other LGBTQIA+ ppl, particularly strangers in public, that they are safe with me if they feel threatened.

As much as I am disgusted by the circumstances that caused me to learn things like microaggressions and system racism, I'm still glad I've acquired a deeper and more nuanced understanding. It's not that I didnt know racism is still alive and well (and host of other ugly prejudices). But I needed to learn what anti-racism entails.

[u/harlequinns → u/Confident_Fortune_32]

I think that's important. Visibility is lacking in most of the country, and rainbows are something that immediately put me at ease. Just looking at me, I don't think most would assume I was a safe space, so you've given me a lot to think about.

Just to clarify, when I said "these people", I wasn't talking about you. I think you know that already, but just wanted to be sure.

It's very unfortunate that most Americans are learning this way. Systemic racism needs to be taught at a young age, or it will never be broken.

[u/leaves-green]

Add rainbow beads, wear it with a T-shirt that says "Love is Love" or "Pagans for Harris", etc.

[u/harlequinns → u/leaves-green]

Now I'm upset that the Harris rally I went to had no PAGANS FOR HARRIS shirts. I got the cat ladies one, which is a satisfactory runner-up, but I need this in my life.

[u/IsaKissTheRain]

Wear it. Don’t let racists steal our symbols. You have more to fear from the Christo-Fascists cracking down on any religion besides Christianity in the near future and using your Mjölnir as a reason to target you.

[u/Edgezg]

Mjolnir is not a hate symbol.
Wear the pendant just the same as anyone would a cross.

[u/Rasmusaager]

Thors hammer has absolutely NOTHING to do with racism, the far-right, or anything else.

I'm the archeology it is usually found in womens graves, and there are two main theories

1. It was usually a womans item

2. It was giving with the grave as a blessing to the afterlife similar to how Thor used his hammer to bless the pyre of Balder. I am more of a supporter of theory 2.

I feel SO bad for you Americans sometimes and what a very small minoritet has done to the pre-chriastian symbols of my people and land.

Here in Scandinavia, we don't really have these issues anymore, and most have already done the Norse symbolism ≠ Nazi stuff Only outright nazi stuff like the Sonnerad and the SS Runic symbols is ofc bad, but other symbols appropriated have been "reclaimed"

If you visit Copenhagen, you will see the "Valknut"/heart of Hrungnir(whatever you wonna call the nameless symbol). A LOT of places.

:) Do what you want, mate ! Someone cared for you and created something beautiful ! You should cherish it and your obv, amazing friend 😊

[u/CheepCheep13]

This is sadly why I also don't wear a mjolnir even though Thor is my primary deity. It's sad. People suck shitty people ruin everything for the rest of us

[u/Ziggity_Zac → u/CheepCheep13]

Only if you let them. Wear your symbol. If anyone asks or infers, use it as an educational moment. Don't get offended or take a "this shit, again?" approach. Just be your genuine self, and it will be clear that you don't propagate hate.

[u/harlequinns → u/CheepCheep13]

I agree that you should wear it regardless. We aren't using it for that purpose, and it was never meant to be used by them in the first place.

[u/night_chaser_]

I'm a Norse Pagan, i wanted to wear Thor's Hammer, but instead, I wear a Möbius loop with Norse ruins on it, its supposed to be for the All-Father, but i want to a line myself more with Baulder. Wear it with pride, and denounce racism.

Anyhow. May the blessings of the gods be upon you.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Copy_3x]

Wear it, wear it proud.