The Hammer of Thor (aka Mjölnir) is usually associated with the earliest period of the Viking Age (793 -1066) and in particular with the Heathen vikings who burst out of Scandinavia to wreak havoc on monasteries and other holy places in Western Europe. The name 'Mjölnir' derives from a proto-Germanic word meaning 'to grind', it could also possibly derive from 'Grindstone'. The Old Norse tests also refer to Mjölnir as Hamarr, literally 'a hammer' and this is the story of how Thor got his hammer.
Thor wields Mjölnir
The mythological origin of Mjölnir is found in Skáldskaparmál from Snorri's Edda, written around 1220. The Norse God of mischief, tricks, or evil (depending on the story) Loki bets his head that the two dwarves Sindri and Brokkr can't make an item more beautiful than those made by the Sons of Ilvaldi, who made Odin's spear Gungnir and Freyr's foldable boat, Skíðblaðnir. Despite Loki's best efforts (whilst disguised as a fly) the two brothers succeed in creating a boar for Freyr's boar, Gullinbursti from pig's skin and Odin's ring, Draupnir from gold in their forge. On their third attempt whilst using iron, Loki succeeds, partially, in disrupting the dwarf's work by biting Brokkr on the eyelid, stopping him from pumping the bellows for a moment. It is just enough time that when Sindri removes Mjölnir from the forge they find that the handle is too short. Despite this, the two dwarves win the bet with Loki. However, Loki argues that to remove his head, the dwarves would also have to take his neck, which wasn't part of the deal. As a consolation prize they sow his mouth shut instead and to teach Loki a lesson!
The third gift — an enormous hammer by Elmer Boyd Smith (source: Wikipedia)
The hammer is then presented to Thor and is described as:
Then he gave the hammer to Thor, and said that Thor might smite as hard as he desired, whatsoever might be before him, and the hammer would not fail; and if he threw it at anything, it would never miss, and never fly so far as not to return to his hand; and if be desired, he might keep it in his sark, it was so small; but indeed it was a flaw in the hammer that the fore-haft was somewhat short. (Original: Þá gaf hann Þór hamarinn ok sagði, at hann myndi mega ljósta svá stórt sem hann vildi, hvat sem fyrir væri, at eigi myndi hamarrinn bila, ok ef hann yrpi honum til, þá myndi hann aldri missa ok aldri fljúga svá langt, at eigi myndi hann sækja heim hönd, ok ef þat vildi, þá var hann svá lítill, at hafa mátti serk sér. En þat var lýi á, ar forskeftit var heldr skammt.)
The Prose Edda, translated by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur (1916).
A Modern replica of Mjölnir, which can be found in our webstore HERE.