The Hammer!

[Mandro]

Also in TSR, Verin asks perring, "So, have you given up the axe for the hammer yet blacksmith?" when she saw that he carried both the hammer and the axe on his horse.

[kanucha]

The hopeless romantic in me likes to believe that Perrin carried the soul of Hopper with him after his second (final) death, and Hammer is really just vessel for Hopper's Soul.

 

There is no literary proof of this. Just an old softy's way of looking at things. : )

[Mandro]

The hopeless romantic in me likes to believe that Perrin carried the soul of Hopper with him after his second (final) death, and Hammer is really just vessel for Hopper's Soul.

 

There is no literary proof of this. Just an old softy's way of looking at things. : )

I'm a big fat softy too. It's why I get mysty reading the chapter of him forging that hammer, just as I do reading "The Golden Crane."

 

big FAT Softy :)

[Mordaunt]

The hammer was almost too heavy to lift one handed, I just assumed he used it with both hands in battle... He makes specific mention of the hammer growing warmer as his resolution and determination increased, but not lighter...

[bysomy]

im interested to see how it responds to channeling, espesially balefire. I can just see him blocking balefire for egwene in the real world.

[Guest dzreicher]

With all the speculation it seems no one has pointed out that the uniqueness of Mats and Perrins one power forged devices is that they appear to have been made for them specifically. That seems to be the common thread along with their burning shadowspawn. All the other weapons and devices have been inherited by their user from an earlier age, or found by the reawakened people from that earlier age. The burning or any special characteristic might simply be the affinity of a user for the device.

[Mandro]

It would be interesting if Mjolinir would accept perrins will as Thors, and fly from his hand to strike out at enemies. But it's to knewly forged and insufficiently used as yet. I'm trying to read some of the mythology, but I don't see thor connected to wolves other than with fenris, who was his enemy not his friend, which is a bit of a twist.

[ineedfourberfs]

Did trumpets go off for Lan's last charge?

 

Anyway, brief Hammer Theory:

 

Perrin = Ta'veren, so either the power that power's ta'veren-ness leaked from him, with the help of the Ashaman+others, or he used his ta'veren powers to influence the power-user's to help him make the weapon that the wheel needs him to weild.

[Aliriel]

I'm not sure as I don't have the book on me, but didn't Galad say something about how Perrin used the hammer with ease while in one hand? I'm most likely mistaken though.

Also I believe that the burning effect when it hits Shadowspawn is an extention of the anger that was funnelled into it during it's creation. When at "rest" it feels only slightly warm to the touch, but when used in the thick of battle it burns the Trolloc's struck, almost as if it were Perrin's own rage doing it.

With all the speculation it seems no one has pointed out that the uniqueness of Mats and Perrins one power forged devices is that they appear to have been made for them specifically. That seems to be the common thread along with their burning shadowspawn.

Also I cannot remember Mat's Ashandri (sp) burning Shadowspawn, once again, I maybe wrong, but would you mind showing the passage/sentence it is stated in?

 

A.

[Ananta]

 

Also I cannot remember Mat's Ashandri (sp) burning Shadowspawn, once again, I maybe wrong, but would you mind showing the passage/sentence it is stated in?

 

A.

 

I think he's referring to the foxhead medallion that Mat carries around. It burns the gholam.

[Xader]

The real question is, if Perrin throws the HAMMER at Shadowspawn does it reappear in Perrin's hand after?

 

Or would that just be TOO much of a blatant Thor ripoff?

 

That concept always brings my mind to Wulfgar, from Forgotten Realms.

[Ananta]

The real question is, if Perrin throws the HAMMER at Shadowspawn does it reappear in Perrin's hand after?

 

Or would that just be TOO much of a blatant Thor ripoff?

 

That concept always brings my mind to Wulfgar, from Forgotten Realms.

 

Same.

[Tollieman]

HA, imagine we find in the WOT world, Perrin is the instigator of the 'Thor' myths!

Regarding Mat's medallion, I read it that it only burns the gholam, because it too was a construct designed to negate channeling. In other words, like poles repelling effect. I don't think it would burn trollocs.

 

But it would be awesome to see that Mat is the one to take out Shaidar Haran with the thing. Elayne should team up with Neald ASAP and make Mat an asharendai that has the same effect as the medallion!

[AvroChris]

HA, imagine we find in the WOT world, Perrin is the instigator of the 'Thor' myths!

Regarding Mat's medallion, I read it that it only burns the gholam, because it too was a construct designed to negate channeling. In other words, like poles repelling effect. I don't think it would burn trollocs.

 

But it would be awesome to see that Mat is the one to take out Shaidar Haran with the thing. Elayne should team up with Neald ASAP and make Mat an asharendai that has the same effect as the medallion!

 

I thought it was more likely that the medallion burned the Gholam because it was a construct made from the power and that the medallion disrupted the weaves holding the thing together. I doubt we'll be given that much detail on it though.

[Tollieman]

I think you're right in that we won't find out the details... I just thought that, even though it was created with the power, it doesn't utilise the power to, err, remain constructed. Does it say anywhere that the medallion suddenly cools when it came into contact with the Gholam?

[jasonhackwith]

It's been mentioned before, of course, that Perrin's hammer is much like Thor's hammer. But did you know what the real name of Thor's Hammer was? Miöllnir, sometimes spelled Mjöllner.

 

Obviously Mah'alleinir is Jordan's tribute to Miöllnir, and Jordan was quite versed on Nordic mythology, as has been discussed elsewhere. But I rather think there might be yet another connection here.

 

I was reading "On Fairy-Stories" this evening, J.R.R. Tolkien's fascinating essay. You can find it published in "A Tolkien Miscellany" right after Farmer Giles of Ham. The following sentence jumped out at me:

 

"Let us take what looks like a clear case of Olympian nature-myth, the Norse god Thórr. His name is Thunder, of which Thórr is the Norse form; and it is not difficult to interpret his hammer, Miöllnir, as lightning."

 

Wikipedia has a fairly decent article on the lightning-hammer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mj%C3%B6llnir

 

According to Wikipedia, Mjölnir simply means "crusher", referring to its pulverizing effect, but Mjölnir might also be related to the Russian word молния (molniya) and the Welsh word mellt (both words being translated as "lightning"). I'm certain this is what Tolkien the philologist meant when he said that it isn't difficult to interpret Miöllnir as meaning lightning.

 

It's not much of a leap to guess that the "warmth" that Perrin experiences when he wields Mah'alleinir is going to be fairly searing toward Shadowspawn in the Battle to come. Can't wait to see what Jordan came up with.

[Jillain Sanche]

Jason, I would bet my bottom dollar that Jordan read "On Fairy Stories" himself back when it was first published in the U.S., in the late 1960s, included in the compilation by Ballantine Books: The Tolkien Reader.

 

one word: BRILLIANT!!!Now, who is out there with their copies to hand of TGS, I believe it was there you will find Tylee or some Seanchan remarking on the reference from their own version of the prophecies concerning the Wolf King and a hammer. Someone be a dear and look it up for us?

It's KoD Chpt 4 actually.Tylee after noting Perrin's eyes and hammer she recites...."When the Wolf King carries the hammer, thus are the final days known. When the fox marries the raven, and the trumpets of battle are blown"

 

So, "the trumpets of battle are blown".

QUESTION to ALL: Is this bit of prophecy a Metaphor?

Or might it be a reference to Matrim blowing the Horn of Valere?

[Evoke]

Yeah... I think most people got the reference to Mjölner a while ago. I laughed when I saw what it ended up being named. The greatest difference between the two hammers would be that Perrin's hammer has a long shaft while Mjölner's is short. Thor shares similarities with Indra (Indian God), Zeus and Jupiter among others.

 

Mjöl means flour (in Swedish), of whichever variety you want but generally speaking wheat. Mjölner then means The Grinder, or the Millstone. The weapon with which Thor turns his enemies bones into dust!

[Callern]

Jason, I would bet my bottom dollar that Jordan read "On Fairy Stories" himself back when it was first published in the U.S., in the late 1960s, included in the compilation by Ballantine Books: The Tolkien Reader.

 

one word: BRILLIANT!!!Now, who is out there with their copies to hand of TGS, I believe it was there you will find Tylee or some Seanchan remarking on the reference from their own version of the prophecies concerning the Wolf King and a hammer. Someone be a dear and look it up for us?

It's KoD Chpt 4 actually.Tylee after noting Perrin's eyes and hammer she recites...."When the Wolf King carries the hammer, thus are the final days known. When the fox marries the raven, and the trumpets of battle are blown"

 

So, "the trumpets of battle are blown".

QUESTION to ALL: Is this bit of prophecy a Metaphor?

Or might it be a reference to Matrim blowing the Horn of Valere?

 

If we look at it literally, this can not be a reference to Mat, as the Horn of Valere is a horn, and a horn is quite different from a trumpet. It's more likely that it's a reference to Lan or something like that.

 

And about Perrin's hammer, I don't think we know enough, yet, to know if this is a referance to Mjölnir, as the only thing they have in common is the look of a hammer, and the fact that they are both powerful.

It could be any Hammer, from any mythology tbh.

[haloun]

I am finally glad to see perrin get a power weapon. as for the other two. rand has always had a power wrought weapon at his side, but the one the legends and prophecies speak of is callandor, the sword that is not a sword, it seems to take the users will and create weaves that kill specifics that are user defined, when he uses it in tear, and also when he turns it against his allies. both times he was focusing on killing the targets it struck. granted when it was his allies it was actually lews therin ranting and raving, but they Are the same person. mats ashanderai, could normally be called a glaive in the oriental sense of a spear with a sword head on the end. why it was not called this is unclear. however it has special properties as well. metal alloys (or maybe substances meant to protect not sure) simply melt away. plus the key to the finns world, but i believe that has something to do with the first property of melting metals. the first time we see him use it, it is against a trolloc, and the trollocs armor melts away from it. a normal sword would not have penetrated the armor so easily, nor would a normal glaive. now we have perrins HAMMER, (i also like the all caps thing) which burns trollocs, and possibly people as well depending on perrins anger, we just havent really seen yet. all three are power wrought, all three have a special property, and now all three are going to be at the field of merrilor. KICK A**!!!!!!!!

[htarcan]

What really annoyed me was, when Perrin first dreamed that he was forging something, it was obvious from the description that it would become a hammer. Why couldn't he figure it out until almost he finished forging it. It just drove me crazy!

[wvlr2]

I am finally glad to see perrin get a power weapon.

 

I am glad to finally see this as well, but considering how much Power was poured into it (that was a Big Circle of channelers), I hope it does a little more than add a little burn to the Shadowspawn that he hits.

 

Did anyone notice that while he was just sitting around THINKING about Shadowspawn that the hammer started warming up?

[Mandro]

Yeah... I think most people got the reference to Mjölner a while ago. I laughed when I saw what it ended up being named. The greatest difference between the two hammers would be that Perrin's hammer has a long shaft while Mjölner's is short. Thor shares similarities with Indra (Indian God), Zeus and Jupiter among others.

 

Mjöl means flour (in Swedish), of whichever variety you want but generally speaking wheat. Mjölner then means The Grinder, or the Millstone. The weapon with which Thor turns his enemies bones into dust!

 

The flour thing, is actually kinda interesting. The western world was actually rather familiar with black powder prior to the application of the arquebus and grenades. The most common cause of explosions prior to militaristic applications was the accidental ignition of grain flower storage area's. :) (there's a video about the history of explosives on scientific american's website somewhere, haven't seen it for a few years.)

[b3arz3rg3r]

That hammer will probably be a legendary artifact for ages, especially if some of Perrin's descendants inherit his wolfbrother ability.

[peregrine]

I don't think Perrin's hammer is a ter'angreal; I think it's just an impressive power-wrought weapon. Mat's weapon may not burn the shadowspawn like Perrin's hammer does, but it does produce lightning when it comes in contact with Thakan'dar blades: (TFoH CH. 22) "The Myrddraal's blade flickered like a serpent's tongue, darted like black lightning, but to counter Mat's attack. When raven-marked Power-wrought steel met Thakan'dar-made metal, blue light flashed around them, a crackle of sheet lightning."

 

It seems more likely that Mat's ashandarei/Rand's sword/etc. produce different effects because they were made a certain standard way (whereas Perrin's hammer was made more or less by intuition).

 

Then again, can all power-wrought weapons make gateways to Finnland? Maybe Mat's weapon is a ter'angreal.