God of War Wiki
Register
Advertisement

"Thrym the cunning" ransomed Mjölnir for Freya, and Odin went along to sneak Thor into Jötunheim. If not for Freya, he might have killed every last Giant there!

–Codex

Thrym is a Jötunn featured in God of War (2018). He was a Frost Giant King who stole Thor's hammer, Mjölnir.

Norse Mythology[]

Þrymr, also known as Thrym, was king of the jötnar. In one legend, he stole Mjölnir, Thor's hammer, to extort the Gods into giving him Freyja as his wife. His realm was Jötunheimr.

When Thor woke up, he finds that his hammer is gone, much to his fury. While searching for Mjölnir, he consulted with Loki, saying that only he knows that his hammer is missing. Thor and Loki then go to the goddess Freya to borrow her cloak of falcon feathers, to which she agree. Putting on the feathered cloak, Loki flew to Jötunheim where he met Thrym, who confessed that he had stolen Thor's hammer. He then revealed that he has it buried deep underground and no one will get it back unless they bring him Freyja as his wife. Upon returning to Asgard, Loki informs Thor of Thrym's ultimatum. Going to Freyja again, the two requested that she come with them to Jötunheim so she could marry Thrym. However, this greatly angered the Vanir goddess and the entire hall shook in response to her fury. Freyja, in displeasure, refused their request.

The Gods meet each other in an assembly to discuss on how to get back Thor's hammer. Heimdall, God of Foresight, suggested that Thor would dress in bridal clothes as if he were Freyja. While Thor rejected this, Loki warned him that if he doesn't go with Heimdall's suggestion then the jötnar, with Mjölnir, will take over Asgard. The gods immediately began dressing Thor in clothes that is fit for a bride while Loki disguises himself as Freyja's maid so he could accompany him. The two then rode in Thor's goat-pulled wagon all the way to Jötunheim. Upon seeing their arrival, though oblivious of who they really are, he ordered the jötnar to prepare a huge feast.

During the wedding feast, Thrym expressed surprise upon seeing that his bride has consume large amounts of food and drink, unaware that Freyja is actually Thor. Loki made up a lie, saying that Freyja had neither ate nor drank for eight nights as she was so eager to go to Jötunheim. When Thrym lifts Freja's veil to kiss her, he saw Thor's terrifying eyes looking back at him, with Loki saying that Freyja, due to her eagerness, had not slept for eight days. Thrym's sister then appears and asked that Mjölnir be brought out in order to sanctify the bride and marry the two by "the hand" with the assistance of the Goddess Vár, the personification of oaths and agreements. Upon seeing his hammer, Thor laughs internally, grabs it by the handle and kills Thrym, his sister, and all the jötnar who are present.

Biography[]

Thrym was a cunning Giant King who managed to steal Thor's hammer Mjölnir while the "thunder lummox" slept. However, Thrym did not "think with his brain" (according to Mimir) and foolishly offered to trade the hammer for Freya's hand in marriage.

Odin saw this as an opportunity to infiltrate Jötunheim and coerced Freya to conceal Thor using her magic, allowing Thor to join her at the wedding feast. Once Mjölnir was presented as a wedding dowry, Thor revealed himself and takes back his hammer. He wasted no time in smashing Thrym's head in. He proceeded to kill any Giant he could find until Freya cast both herself and Thor back to Asgard, much to the ire of Odin.

Mimir suggests the lesson Atreus can learn from Thrym's tale is to keep one's priorities straight.

Personality[]

In life, Thrym was described by Mimir as being a rather cunning individual, given that he managed to steal Mjölnir from Thor while the latter was sleeping. However, as Mimir revealed, he was not very smart, given that he was willing to return Mjölnir (the very bane of the Jotnar) in exchange for Freya's hand in marriage (even though she was already married to Odin at the time), instead of keeping the hammer and preventing it from falling into the wrong hands. In the end, Thrym's disregard for thinking through his choices ultimately led to his own undoing. As such, Mimir used him as an example of someone who did not keep their priorities straight.

Shrine Story[]

Atreus: "Mimir... why don't you tell us the story of the Giant that stole Thor's hammer?"

Mimir: "Happily, m'boy. It involves your friend Freya too, though I don't expect it's one she'd enjoy being reminded of. The Giant was called Thrym... and he proved cunning enough to make off with Mjölnir while the thunder lummox slept. Sadly for Thrym, he didn't always think with his brain. Though he had robbed the greatest Giant-killer of his greatest weapon, he offered to trade it back to the Aesir in exchange for Freya as his bride. Now at this point, Freya was married to Odin, and Odin, frankly, would have traded her for a sufficiently strong mead –BUT, he saw an opportunity here. Thrym's palace was in Jötunheim, and only Giants know the way. By agreeing to the marriage, they'd have to escort Freya back to their realm. So, Odin coerced Freya into using her seiðr magics to conceal Thor, so he could sneak along with her and infiltrate Jötunheim. When the hammer was produced as the wedding dowry, Thor revealed himself. He took back Mjölnir and wasted no time in smashing Thrym's skull, followed by every other Giant present for the festivities. The only thing that put a stop to it was Freya, who wanted no part of this massacre. She cast a powerful spell that hurtled them both out of Jötunheim with no means of return. Odin was livid, hoping that Thor's foothold in Jötunheim would become his own. And oh, would he ever revenge himself upon Freya –"

Kratos: "What is the point of this story, Head?"

Mimir: "Well, for Thrym, the lesson would be to keep his priorities straight. For Freya, it's that doing good has a price. For Thor, it's that no object of power makes you what you are... and if what you are is the biggest butchering bastard in the nine realms, nobody can take that away from you."

Advertisement