Thor's son with Jarnsaxa; possesses extraordinary strength. Lifted Hrungnir's leg off Thor as a three-year-old.
Magni (Old Norse Magni, 'the strong one') is the son of Thor and the giantess Jarnsaxa. He is best known for his extraordinary strength, which surpasses even his father's. The central episode concerning Magni is found in Skáldskaparmál, where Snorri recounts Thor's duel with the stone giant Hrungnir. After Thor shattered Hrungnir's skull with Mjölnir, the giant's enormous leg fell across Thor's neck, and none of the Aesir could lift it. The three-year-old Magni arrived and lifted the leg effortlessly, whereupon Thor promised him the horse Gullfaxi as a reward.
Magni belongs to the generation of gods who survive Ragnarok. According to Vafþrúðnismál 51, he and his brother Modi inherit Mjölnir after Thor's fall in the battle against Jörmungandr. This makes the brothers carriers of Thor's power into the new world that arises after the destruction. Magni's name is transparent and means simply 'strength' or 'the mighty one', underscoring that he represents above all raw physical power in the mythology.
Sources in the Eddas
- Skáldskaparmál 17
- The account of Thor's duel with Hrungnir and how the three-year-old Magni lifted the giant's leg from his father's neck.
- Vafþrúðnismál 51
- Vafthrudnir states that Magni and Modi inherit Mjölnir after Ragnarok.
- Gylfaginning 53
- Snorri names Magni and Modi among the gods who survive Ragnarok into the renewed world.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Magni is Thor's son with Jarnsaxa and lifted Hrungnir's leg as a three-year-old, attested in Skáldskaparmál.
He and Modi inherit Mjölnir after Ragnarok, attested in Vafþrúðnismál 51 and Gylfaginning 53.
B What we think we know
Jarnsaxa's status as giantess or goddess and her relationship to Sif is debated.
Whether Magni and Modi represent a deliberate doubling of Thor's strength or have separate mythological origins is discussed.
C What we do not know
It is unknown whether Magni had his own cult or existed solely as a mythological figure linked to his father's narrative.