Theme of Violence in Thor and the Jotun Geirrod

Theme of Violence in Thor and the Jotun Geirrod

Where Thor goes, violence follows—particularly if there are giants involved. But Thor's not the only one attempting to bang heads in this story. Take Geirrod's daughters, for instance: They try to crush Thor against the ceiling like an egg. There's a difference between their violence and Thor's, though. Geirrod's daughters are sneaky in their aggression. Too cowardly (or too smart) to confront Thor face-to-face in a fight, they hide under his chair and ambush him. Like his daughters, Geirrod tries to hide his violence, disguising it as a game. Thor, though, is well-prepared. And when he gets violent, watch out: There's no hiding his rage—or his fists.

Questions About Violence

  1. Name all the violent confrontations in this story. Who wins? Why?
  2. Is Grápr's interaction with Thor and Loki violent? Why or why not?
  3. Are there any non-violent characters in this story? If so, who?
  4. What's the difference between Thor's violence and Geirrod's? Which form of violence wins? Why does Thor kill all the frost-giants at the end of the story? Do you think they "deserved" to die? Why or why not?