Magni is the god of might and strength. Son of Thor and the jotunn Jarnsaxa, he is considered the strongest among the Aesir.
Short Facts
Magni responsibilities
Brotherhood, Brute strength, Devotion to his kin, Divine support, and Physical health
Associated Animals
A pine marten
Magni weapon/domain of power
Physical strength and endurance, Sheer force that surpasses the other Aesir, his family faithfulness and his horse Gullfaxi.
The strongest of the Aesir
Magni is the god of strength and might. Son of the great Thor and the jotunn Jarnsaxa, he is associated with physical power and family loyalty. His name means ‘mighty’ or ‘strong’ in Old Norse. He is often mentioned as a twin brother to Modi, Thor’s son with Sif. Magni is known for saving his father Thor after his duel with the stone giant Hrungnir.
When Thor smashed Hrungnir’s skull with his hammer Mjolnir and was victorious, the dead giant fell forward upon him. Thor was trapped under the weight of Hrungnir; the giant’s foot was over the thunder god’s neck. None of the Aesir could free him and Thor seemed doomed to perish there and then. Until his son, Magni, only three nights old, came to him. He easily grabbed and tossed aside Hrungnir’s foot and saved his father. He then said to Thor that he could have killed this giant with a single fist if he had met him. Thor acknowledged the greatness of his son and rewarded him with Hrungnir’s golden mane horse, Gullfaxi.
Magni and his brother Modi are said to be among the survivors of Ragnarok. They both shall inherit their father’s hammer, Mjolnir, with which they shall fight to end all wars.
In the old texts
In the Poetic Edda, he is mentioned together with his brother Modi obtaining Mjolnir after Thor’s death in Ragnarok.
Also found in the Prose Edda, in the Skaldskaparmal, Magni frees his father, Thor from under the dead body of Hrungnir.
FAQs
Q. How come Magni is twin to Modi?
A. There seems to be an inconsistency regarding Magni and Modi’s origins. Although Sif is Modi’s mother, Magni appears to be Jarnsaxa’s son. This makes him a stepbrother to Heimdall, but all in all not one bit lesser than Thor’s other children. It can be suggested though that Magni and Modi are twins, not biologically but companionably, as two brothers in arms.
Q. Is Magni really that strong?
A. The story in Skaldskaparmal says that no one of the Aesir could lift Hrungnir’s foot off Thor’s neck. To think that a newborn boy had the strength to take the foot and cast it aside is truly remarkable. If Magni is that strong at such an age one can only imagine the extent of his power at his prime.
