A tale of Thor from Njal's Saga
King Olaf Tryggvi's son sent a Saxon by the name of Thangbrand to convert the Icelanders to Christianity. Thangbrand was somewhat heavy handed and where he could not persuade with words he persuaded with a drawn sword.
After Thangbrand had travelled through Iceland for some time Steinunn the mother of the Poet-Ref came to meet him. Steinunn talked to Thangbrand for a long time, trying to convert the missionary to paganism. When she had finished Thangbrand spoke and turned Steinunn's arguments against her.
Steinunn asked if Thangbrand if he had heard that Thor had challenged Christ to a duel and Christ had dared not accept the challenged. Thangbrand replied that Thor would be nothing but dust and ashes if Christ did not allow him to live.
Steinunn then asked if Thangbrand knew who had wrecked his ship. Thangbrand asked who she though was responsible and she replied with the following poem:
He that giant's offspring slayeth
Broke the mew-field's bison stout,
Thus the Gods, bell's warder greiving,
Crushed the falcon of the strand;
To the courser of the causeway
Little good was Christ I ween,
When Thor shattered ships to peices
Gylfi's hart no God could help.
Thangbrand's vessel from her moorings,
Sea-king's steed, Thor wrathful tore,
Shook and shattered all her timbers,
Hurled her broadside on the beach;
Ne'er again shall Viking's snow-shoe,
On the briny billows glide,
For a storm by Thor awakened
Dashed the bark to splinters small.
Trans by Sir George Webbe Dasent 1861
Thangbrand and Steinunn parted and Thangbrand continued on his journey.
This is a wonderful reference to Thor's role as a weather and storm god. Especially interesting is Thangbrands belief that Thor exists as a deity, despite the speaking being Christian and the saga being finally recorded on paper well into the Christian period. Many tales refer to the god's existence in Christian times, compare for example the tale of Thorgil's dreams, and Tor Trollbane.
Steinunn herself is an interesting character, she is the closest we have to a priestess of Thor and she was clearly a force to be reconned with in pagan Iceland. By far the most popular Icelandic god was Thor and the fact she has also challenged Thangbrand with a poem composed in his honour suggests she was particually close to him. Poetry is often mentioned in reference to the worship of Thor. Despite the close connection between the cult of Odin and poetry the other deities also had their song-smith devotees.