In Norse mythology, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, which can be translated as teeth-barer and teeth-grinder, are Thor’s two goats. They pull his chariot and bring Thor and his companions to any of the nine realms. Snorri Sturluson also calls him Öku-Thor, “Thor the charioteer”.
But these are no ordinary goats. Thor can kill them, eat them, and bring them back to life the next morning with his hammer. The best-known story about the goats shows what happens when someone does not follow Thor’s rules.
Thor’s Chariot
Others always know when Thor is about to arrive. In the poem Þrymskviða, when Thor’s goats run, the mountains break, and the earth burns with fire. But even Thor’s goats can end up on the dinner table, and that is where the most famous story about them begins.
How Thor Ate His Goats
The story is told in Snorri’s Prose Edda, at the start of Thor’s journey to Utgard. Thor and his companion Loki stopped at a farm in Midgard to stay for the night. Thor, who has been known on more than one occasion to eat an entire ox, needed a proper meal.
So Thor killed his two goats, cooked them, and invited the farmer’s family to eat with him. There was only one rule. Everyone had to throw the bones onto the goatskins on the floor.
During the meal, the farmer’s son Thjalfi (Old Norse: Þjálfi) could not resist. He split one of the thigh bones with his knife to get at the sweet marrow.
The next morning, Thor raised his hammer Mjölnir and blessed the goatskins with it, and the goats stood up alive again. But one of them was lame in its hind leg. Thor was furious and demanded to know who had broken one of the bones.
The family was terrified and begged for mercy. Thor calmed down, and as compensation he took Thjalfi and his sister Röskva as his servants. They followed him on the rest of the journey. It is unknown which of the goats was hurt, or if the limp ever went away.
The Power of Thor’s Hammer
The goats do not have the power to come back to life on their own. The power comes from Thor’s hammer. When Thor blesses the skins with Mjölnir, the goats live again.
Thor uses Mjölnir to bless things in other myths too. At Baldur’s funeral, he blesses the pyre with it. In the poem Þrymskviða, the hammer is brought in to bless a wedding while Thor is dressed as the bride. As soon as he has it in his hands, he kills the giants. The same hammer can both give life and take it.
Was It Thjalfi or Loki Who Broke the Bone?
But the older poem Hymiskviða has a different suspect. There, Thor’s goat lies half dead and lame on the road, and the poem blames the trickster Loki for it.
That is why many retellings say that Loki talked Thjalfi into breaking the bone. They simply put the two versions together into one story.
Why Thor Gets So Angry
Why would a god get this angry over one cracked bone? The scholar John Lindow points out that the meal was a kind of ritual, and it was not carried out properly. When the family begged for mercy, Thor forgave them, and the bond between humans and gods grew closer. Lindow sees this as more important than the goats coming back to life.
The story also matches something people really did. Sacrificing animals and sharing the meat was part of religious life in Scandinavia. These sacrificial feasts were called blót, and they were held on certain days throughout the year. One of the biggest of them was jólablót, which means the Yule sacrifice.
This was one of the most important holidays of the year, where everyone was expected to eat and drink. If you are interested in knowing more about Yule, then I would like to recommend my very in-depth article about Yule.
Thor’s Goats: Quick Answers
What are the names of Thor’s goats in Norse mythology? Thor’s goats are called Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. The names mean teeth-barer and teeth-grinder.
What do Thor’s goats do? They pull Thor’s chariot. In the poem Þrymskviða, the mountains break and the earth burns when they run.
Why does Thor eat his goats? On his way to Utgard, Thor stays the night at a farm and needs food. In Snorri’s Prose Edda, he kills and cooks the goats and shares the meat with the farmer’s family.
How do Thor’s goats come back to life? Thor blesses their skins and bones with his hammer Mjölnir, and the goats stand up alive again. The power comes from the hammer, not from the goats.
Who broke the goat’s bone? In Snorri’s Prose Edda, the farmer’s son Thjalfi breaks it to get at the marrow. The poem Hymiskviða blames Loki for the lame goat instead.
Sources:
Lee M. Hollander (1962) The Poetic Edda. 15th. edition. Texas, USA: University Research Institute of the University of Texas. ISBN 978-0-292-76499-6 — includes Þrymskviða and Hymiskviða.
John Lindow (2002) Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. ISBN-13 978-0-195-15382-8 — source for the ritual reading of the story.