Finding the Best Runestones Dedicated to Thor Across Sweden
Submitted by Andy_B on Tuesday, 03 November 2026 Page Views: 8
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The Viking world eventually blended into the growing spread of Christianity, with the “pagan” beliefs in the Norse gods gradually fading from prominence. Luckily, there’s still evidence of the old gods dotted around Sweden, with the most iconic coming in the form of incredible Runestones dedicated to Thor.
Stenkvista Runestone in Skogstorp
Runestones are found across Sweden, with some being rather uniquely positioned close to the sites of worship of later religions. The Stenkvista runestone is one such finding, which stands a towering 2.2 metres high close to a church east of Skogstorp in Södermanland County. It’s also one of the most famous runestones depicting Thor.The centrepiece of the runestone is the hammer, Mjölnir, hanging over the name of the person to whom the stone acts as a memorial, which is etched into the lower part of the stone in runes. It’s thought that the use of Mjölnir in this was a response to the prevalence of the Christian cross used in Christian memorials.
This depiction, its scale, and how well preserved it is make it one of the most iconic of the runestones dotted across Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. After all, people flock to Thor as tourists and for entertainment. The character features prominently in the biggest cinematic franchise of the day as well as the centrepiece of games.
Fans of the Norse god can use online bingo deals to explore a variety of bingo games and themed slots. The offer, which has no wagering on spins, is from a platform that added Thunderstruck Video Bingo in 2026. The game stands out in the collection because Mjölnir is the focus of the tile and Thor is a big feature within.
Altuna Runestone in Uppland
Thor is well-known for the use of his hammer, which only the mighty god himself can wield. However, his legend goes well beyond swinging a hammer around. The battle between Thor and Jörmungandr is integral to the foretold end times of the realms, Ragnarök, with there being several encounters between the two to cook up the rivalry.One such story tells of Thor and Hymir going out on a lake to try to fish for the Midgard serpent. The myth goes that Thor does indeed hook the more adolescent Jörmungandr, who’d go on to encircle the world, but either the snake breaks loose or gets cut loose from the line by Hymir.
This part of their shared myth is carved into the granite Altuna Runestone in Uppland. Standing at 1.95 metres, it was once used as part of the building materials of a nearby chapel. It’s an exclusively pagan runestone, which is somewhat of a rarity, and clearly shows Thor, hammer in hand, on his boat over Jörmungandr below.
Many runestones were lost over the centuries, but the importance of Thor continues to be felt through these two and several other mighty sites dotted across Scandinavia.
