Thorsday: The Animals of Asgard

Thor lives in a world of gods and magic, Asgard. In the Marvel Universe, the Asgardians inspired the early denizens of Earth, forming the basis for a great and powerful Norse mythology. They fend off savage beasts from throughout the Ten Realms and perform deific feats of strength and might.

But the gods don’t just fight monsters and otherworldly creatures- some of these creatures are friends, allies, and important parts of the Asgardian livelihood. In fact, in a world of gods and magic, their animals might be even more interesting than those of the Mortal Realm.

Let’s meet some of the most unique animals from the realm of Asgard!

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Hugin and Munin

Hugin and Munin are Odin‘s raven familiars (spelled Huginn and Muninn in Norse myth). They are his eyes and ears throughout the Nine Realms, traveling all throughout them to learn of their events.

Hugin and Munin are both incredibly powerful and quick. They can travel through any dimension with ease, due to runic carvings on their claws. They are incredibly intelligent and can even speak.

When Thor becomes the Allfather, Hugin and Munin and serve him too, and he can speak with his subjects through their beaks.

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Toothgrinder and Toothgnasher

Toothgrinder and Toothgnasher are Thor’s mystical goats. They are both impeccably powerful, even capable of damaging Mjolnir with their hooves, despite the fact that the weapon is made from uru metal and was enchanted with the Odinforce itself.

They are known primarily for pulling Thor’s chariot across the Ten Realms. They can run and fly wherever they go. And most importantly, they can be reborn again, even after they die (or are eaten for sustenance- really!).

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The Fenris Wolf

The Fenris Wolf is a terrifying intelligent beast, with unbelievable strength and power. It is even stronger than the Mighty Thor.

It is practically invulnerable, making it incredibly hard to defeat. It is massive in stature, standing over 15 feet tall on all fours. The Fenris Wolf is able to shapeshift in nearly any form, including human forms (so long as it ate them within the last 24 hours), and a smaller wolf form.

The strangest fact of it all is that the Fenris Wolf is actually Loki‘s child, born of the giantess Angerboda. The Fenris Wolf is fated to devour Odin at the end of times, during Ragnarok.

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Rattatosk

Rattatosk, or Ratatoskr, is a massive squirrel-like beast who had been imprisoned by the Asgardians since before history. She was tasked with carrying messages between different guardians on Yggdrasil, the World Tree.

And though she had been imprisoned for millennia, she was still also working out ways to escape and wreak havoc on Midgard all the while. She uses her ability to manipulate others exactly how she chooses, sometimes being even tricker than Loki.

Rattatosk is a gossiper by trade, and even used her beastly abilities to mess with the unbeatable Squirrel Girl!

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Thori, the Hellhound

Thori was Loki‘s Hellhound. Thori has all sorts of powers that make him the perfect Asgardian pet. He can create flames at will. He can use his sense of smell to track across all the realms and dimensions. He can fly and breathe in space, and move at incredible speeds.

Thori is a particularly smart Hellhound that even has the ability to speak! But his strongest ability of all? He’s the best at murder!

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What’s your favorite animal from Asgard? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!

If you be worthy, summon all of your favorite Thor collectibles from across the Ten Realms and make your Marvel collection fit for a king.