Þrymheimr

Þrymheimr, often anglicized as Thrymheim, is a location in Norse mythology. The name comes from Old Norse Þrymr- meaning “thunder” or “noise” combined with heimr, meaning “home” or “world.” In traditional sources it is described as the dwelling of the jötunn Þrymr (Thrym), a figure associated with thunder, and is generally placed in Jötunheimr, the realm of the giants.

In the mythic narrative surrounding the theft of Mjölnir, Þrymr is the central antagonist, and Þrymheimr is identified as his hall or stronghold. The episode is most famously recounted in the poem Thrymskvida (The Lay of Thrym) from the Poetic Edda. There, the giant Thrym steals Thor’s hammer and demands a bride for its return. Thor and Loki travel to Jötunheimr, infiltrate Thrym’s hall, and Thor, disguised as the goddess Freyja, presents himself. When the deception is revealed, Mjölnir is used to slay Thrym and his followers, and the hammer is reclaimed for the gods.

Attestations and interpretation: Þrymheimr is named in Norse sources as the home of the giant Þrymr and is typically linked with the giants’ realm (Jötunheimr) rather than Asgard. The available texts provide limited geographical detail, focusing instead on the narrative function of Þrymheimr as the setting for the theft and the judgment of Thor’s hammer. Modern retellings occasionally expand on the locale, but the primary medieval portrayals concentrate on its association with Þrymr and the Thrymskvida episode.