In Norse mythology, the megingjörð ( non, megingjǫrð , meaning "power-belt"Orchard (1997:110)) is a

belt Belt may refer to: Apparel * Belt (clothing), a leather or fabric band worn around the waist * Championship belt, a type of trophy used primarily in combat sports * Colored belts, such as a black belt or red belt, worn by martial arts practit ...

worn by the god

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...

. The Old Norse name megin means power or strength, and gjörð means belt. According to the ''

Prose Edda The ''Prose Edda'', also known as the ''Younger Edda'', ''Snorri's Edda'' ( is, Snorra Edda) or, historically, simply as ''Edda'', is an Old Norse textbook written in Iceland during the early 13th century. The work is often assumed to have been t ...

'', the belt is one of Thor's

three 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...

main possessions, along with the hammer

Mjölnir Mjölnir (from Old Norse Mjǫllnir) is the hammer of the thunder god Thor in Norse mythology, used both as a devastating weapon and as a divine instrument to provide blessings. The hammer is attested in numerous sources, including the 11th cen ...

and the iron gloves

Járngreipr In Norse mythology, Járngreipr (Old Norse: , "iron grippers") or Járnglófar (, "iron gauntlets"Simek (2007:178).) are the iron gloves of the god Thor. According to the ''Prose Edda'', along with the hammer Mjölnir and the belt Megingjörð, J ...

. When worn, the belt is described as doubling Thor's already prodigious strength. In verse 7 of the skaldic poem Þórsdrápa (Thorsdrapa, Lay of Thor) written by the 10th-century poet Eilífr Goðrúnarson, in the service of Jarl Hákon Sigurðarson, refers to Thor's power-belt.

Harðvaxnar sér herðir halllands of sik falla (gatat maðr) njótr (hin neytri) njarð- (ráð fyrir sér) gjarðar. Þverrir lætr nema þyrri Þorns barna sér Mǫrnar snerriblóð til svíra salþaks megin vaxa.

The line "njótr njarðgjarðar" literally means "he who benefits from the mighty belt", referring to Thor's magical belt/girdle of strength/power, Megingjörð. In

Gylfaginning ''Gylfaginning'' (Old Norse: 'The Beguiling of Gylfi' or 'The Deluding of Gylfi'; c. 20,000 words; 13th century Old Norse pronunciation ) is the first part of the 13th century ''Prose Edda'' after the Prologue. The ''Gylfaginning'' deals with t ...

, which is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's

, after

Prologue A prologue or prolog (from Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "word") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ...

, verse 45 refers to Thor's power-belt.

En er kom at dagan, þá gekk Þórr út ok sér mann, hvar lá skammt frá honum í skóginum, ok var sá eigi lítill. Hann svaf ok hraut sterkliga. Þá þóttist Þórr skilja, hvat látum verit hafði of nóttina. Hann spennir sik megingjörðum, ok óx honum ásmegin. Ok í því bili vaknar sá maðr ok stóð skjótt upp, en þá er sagt, at Þór varð bilt einu sinni at slá hann með hamrinum ok spurði hann at nafni.

The line "Hann spennir sik megingjörðum, ok óx honum ásmegin" means "He girded himself with his belt of strength, and his divine strength grew" ("He" being Thor).

Notes

References

* Orchard, Andy (1997). ''Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend''. Cassell. Artifacts in Norse mythology Thor Belts (clothing) {{Norse-myth-stub