The Old Norse word Mjöllnir developed from the Proto-Norse form *melluniaR. Historical linguists have debated the root of this term for decades without reaching a single conclusion. One proposed derivation connects the name to Old Church Slavonic mlunuji and Russian molnija, which mean lightning. This connection suggests the hammer was originally named as a lightning-maker or a weapon that creates thunder. Another theory links the word to Old Norse mjöll meaning new snow and modern Icelandic mjalli meaning the color white. Under this interpretation, the name translates to shining lightning weapon. A third proposal derives the term from Old Norse mala meaning to grind and Gothic malwjan also meaning to grind. This view renders the name as the grinder rather than a weapon of light. Rudolf Simek notes these disputed origins in his 2007 Dictionary of Northern Mythology on pages 219 through 220.
Literary Attestations In The Eddas
A small copper amulet found in Öland Sweden dates from the 11th century and features an inscription invoking Thor and his hammer. Runologists Mindy MacLeod and Bernard Mees translate the text as a plea for help and protection against evil. The Kvinneby amulet references narratives recorded hundreds of years later in both the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda. The poem Hymiskviða describes Thor using his hammer to slay mountain-giants who pursued him after he stole a cauldron. Henry Adams Bellows translated this stanza in 1923 noting the missing lines in some manuscripts. The poem Þrymskviða centers entirely on the theft of the hammer by the jötunn Þrymr. Loki convinces Thor to dress as a bride to retrieve the weapon from Jötunheimr. Þrymr demands Freyja as a wife before returning the hammer but she refuses. The gods trick Þrymr into bringing out the hammer to sanctify the fake bride. Thor grabs Mjölnir and kills all the wedding guests including Þrymr himself. The Prose Edda book Gylfaginning details three special possessions of Thor including his iron gloves Járngreipr and belt Megingjörð alongside the hammer. A tale recounts how Thor resurrected two goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr after one was eaten during a meal with peasants. Thor raised the hammer to bless the goat skins though one remained lame due to a broken bone.