Which son of Thor was born to the giantess Járnsaxa?

Magni was the son of Thor and the giantess Járnsaxa. His name means “strength,” an apt inheritance from his thunder-god father.

Magni appears most dramatically in Snorri Sturluson’s account of Thor’s duel with the giant Hrungnir. After Thor kills Hrungnir, the giant’s enormous leg falls across Thor’s neck. The assembled gods cannot lift it, but Magni does so despite being only three nights old. Thor rewards him with Gullfaxi, Hrungnir’s splendid horse.

Magni is often confused with Móði, another son of Thor. The sources identify Móði as Thor’s son, but do not name his mother; the idea that Járnsaxa was also Móði’s mother is possible, not explicit. Thor’s daughter Þrúðr, meanwhile, is associated with his wife Sif.

Magni and Móði are also among the gods foretold to survive Ragnarök. In the surviving world, the two brothers are said to inherit Mjölnir after Thor’s death, linking them to the continuation of his divine power.