73 pages • 2 hours read
Rick RiordanThe Hammer of Thor
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2016A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Weapons
Weapons are significant symbols throughout The Hammer of Thor that represent various aspects of each wielder’s identity or character arc. The titular weapon (Thor’s hammer) is the focus of the main plotline. It is a symbol of Thor’s godly power, and in myth, Thor used the hammer (known as Mjöllnir) both in battle and to bless things or people with his divinity. The Thor in Riordan’s story world wields the hammer as a powerful weapon, but he also uses the hammer to stream shows and frequently misplaces it, which is why the missing hammer doesn’t become a big deal until the second book in the series. The hammer is a double-edged symbol because Thor is a double-edged character; the weapon illustrates both Thor’s stature and his immaturity.
Alex’s weapon of choice, a garrote, is another symbol that communicates layers of meaning. Prior to her death, Alex spent much of her time at a pottery studio, and on one occasion, Loki visited and offered to teach her a spell that would make ordinary objects stronger. Wanting to mock him, Alex cast the spell on her clay-cutter, turning the simple wire into a divinely strong cable capable of beheading humans and creatures or even slicing boulders in half. Alex’s garrote is another example of how she claims Loki’s power as her own. Instead of rejecting the garrote because it was made strong by Loki’s spell, she uses it to her advantage as something she’s already familiar with. Like Thor’s hammer, Alex’s weaponry highlights some of her most central characteristics: her cunning and her independence.
Myth and Religion
Myth and religion are equally important motifs that illustrate multiple ideas in the narrative. These motifs are especially multifaceted because they pervade and even partly constitute the setting: Riordan’s story world is a modern-day Boston steeped in Norse legend, including its divinities. The myths of the Norse gods and other creatures manifest in Boston in Midgard, as well as throughout the Nine Worlds. Riordan puts a modern spin on the gods, such as Heimdall and his selfie horn/stick, and the author also inserts Boston locations into the other worlds, such as the bar that served as the model for Cheers in Jotunheim. Riordan creates a world where the Norse myths are intertwined with Boston landmarks.
Taken with the presence of Greek and Egyptian gods in Riordan’s story world, the strong roles of Norse myth and Islam offer an example of vastly different belief systems existing side by side without issue. Islam represents Sam’s and Amir’s character arcs and also offers a comparison to the ancient Norse myths. Sam has come to terms with the Norse world by finding ways to fit it into her Islamic beliefs, including thinking of the Norse gods as powerful entities, rather than deities—because Sam believes there is only one god, Allah. Sam is never shunned by the Norse world for her religious beliefs, which suggests that the Norse gods either know and don’t care about her affiliation or are simply unaware of it. The gods’ attitude either could mean they aren’t paying attention or could indicate that Sam’s faith in Allah protects her from vengeful gods. Islam is a monotheistic religion (believing in one god), and the Norse myths are polytheistic (believing in multiple gods), and this juxtaposition indirectly highlights how the characters must navigate and reconcile diverse perspectives.
Loki’s Symbol
Loki’s symbol or sign is another multilayered symbol in The Hammer of Thor. The sign resembles two intertwined snakes creating a circle and biting one another’s tails. In Chapter 37, Alex explains that Loki’s symbol doesn’t originate with the trickster god; it comes from the Urnes Stave Church in Luster, Norway, where the coiling snakes were depicted around a struggling lion to represent the war between good and evil. Some sources say the snake was not strictly associated with Loki, and others attribute snakes becoming Loki’s symbol to Loki fathering Jormungandr (the Midgard Serpent).
In The Hammer of Thor, Alex reappropriates Loki’s symbol as part of her journey toward breaking free of his influence. Alex never states what the symbol means to her, but given its history of duality (such as the struggle between good and evil), its ever-coiling snakes aptly represent Alex’s dual nature and fluid gender. Loki’s symbol also appears on a photograph of Randolph in Magnus’s room at Valhalla after Randolph makes his deal with Loki. The picture was taken years before Magnus was born, which suggests that the gods transcend time and space. The photograph also shows that Loki’s symbol was sending Magnus a message, either independently or on the behest of Loki or Randolph. If Loki sent the symbol, it might have been a ploy to throw Magnus off his game. If Randolph sent it, it might have been a warning or cry for help. Loki’s sign thus creates ambiguity and mystery, not too unlike the trickster god himself, whose domain is that of chaos and uncertainty.
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