QUOTE : The most popular god was Thor, Odin’s son. Thor had great strength and controlled thunder, lightning, and giant storms. People pictured him as having a flaming red beard and a huge hammer. Thor raced across the heavens in a chariot pulled by two goats. As the chariot barreled along, it made thunder shake the earth. When Thor threw his hammer, dazzling streaks of lightning flashed across the sky. Each time he tossed it, the hammer whizzed right back to him. To honor Thor, Vikings often wore necklaces with little hammers on them. The word Thursday comes from Thor’s name. And guess what? It means “thunder’s day”!