Thor's Hammer
Thor's hammer or Mjǫllnir (also spelled Mjöllnir or Mjölner) was the weapon of a major god of Norse mythology, Thor. The hammer is the main artifact of interest in Tomb Raider Underworld.
In Norse mythology
Mjöllnir was no doubt the most fearsome weapon in Norse mythology. It was distinctively shaped and capable of leveling mountains, or killing gods (as Lara refers in Tomb Raider Underworld. Although Mjöllnir is depicted and recognized as a hammer, it is sometimes referred to as an axe or a club. The Prose Edda describes Mjöllnir's special qualities as follows:
(Thor)... would be able to strike as firmly as he wanted, whatever his aim, and the hammer would never fail, and if he threw it at something, it would never miss and never fly so far from his hand that it would not find its way back, and when he wanted, it would be so small that it could be carried inside his tunic.
Mjöllnir is mentioned in Prose Edda and Poetic Edda. The most popular version of the creation of Mjöllnir myth, found in Skáldskaparmál from Snorri's Edda, is as follows. In one story Loki sends up to the dwarves called the Sons of Ivaldi that create precious items for the gods: Odin's spear Gungnir, and Freyr's foldable boat Skíðblaðnir. Then Loki bets his head that Sindri (or Eitri) and his brother Brokkr would never succeed in making items more beautiful than those of Ivaldi's sons. The bet is accepted and the two brothers begin working. Thus Eitri puts a pig's skin in the forge and tells his brother (Brokkr) never to stop blowing until he comes and takes out what he put in.
Loki, in disguise as a fly, comes and bites Brokkr on the arm but he continues to blow. Then Eitri takes out Gullinbursti which is Freyr's boar with shining bristles. Then Eitri puts some gold in the furnace and gives Brokkr the same order. Loki in the fly guise comes again and bites Brokkr's neck twice as hard. But as before nothing happens and Eitri takes out Draupnir, Odin's ring, having duplicates falling from itself every ninth night. Eitri then puts iron in the forge and tells Brokkr to never stop blowing. Loki comes again and bites Brokkr on the eyelid much harder than before and the blood makes him stop blowing for a short while. When Eitri comes and takes out Mjöllnir, the handle is a bit short (making it one handed). Yet Eitri and Brokkr win the bet which was Loki's head, but the bet cannot be honoured since they need to cut the neck as well, which was not part of the deal. So Brokkr sews Loki's mouth to teach him a lesson.
Mjöllnir is the focal point of some of Thor's adventures. This is clearly illustrated in a poem found in the Poetic Edda titled Þrymskviða. The myth relates that the giant, Þrymr, steals Mjöllnir from Thor and then demands the goddess Freyja in exchange. Loki, the god notorious for his duplicity, conspires with the other Æsir to recover Mjöllnir by disguising Thor as Freyja and presenting him as the "goddess" to Þrymr.
At a banquet Þrymr holds in honor of the impending union, Þrymr takes the bait. Unable to contain his passion for his new maiden with long, blond locks (and broad shoulders), as Þrymr approaches the bride by placing Mjöllnir on "her" lap, Thor rips off his disguise and destroys Þrymr and his giant cohorts.
Gloves and belt
A belt, Megingjörð, and iron gloves, Járngreipr, were used to lift Mjöllnir. Thor possessed also a formidable chariot, which is drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr.
In Tomb Raider Underworld
Lara first retrieves Thor's two gauntlets after following a trail of Proto-Norse ruins and her father's work, which allow her to wield the weapon, and the belt, Megingjord, which grants the bearer greater strength. After wielding these and utilising their powers to acess the ruins where the hammer lies, Lara finally gets the hammer and goes to kill Natla. Natla, however, manages to talk Lara out of destroying her, hinting that she needs her to get inside Helheim, which appears to be Avalon, after Lara's father mistook Avalon for Niflheim, the ruins she found in the Med.
In Helheim, Natla opens the way for Lara, who continues with the hammer. After a dramatic sequence where Natla reveals her grand plan, Lara leaves for the giant Jörmungandr device, to stop Natla once and for all. After destroying the mechanism, Lara kills a distracted Natla by throwing it into her skull. Natla falls into the Eitr and presumably dies.
