But the true essence of the legend lies not in our sanitised representations of golden-haired women drifting regally through the skies on white horses, but in Old Norse mythology of the 13th ...

A Greek myth is that Zeus, a God, threw down lightning bolts on to earth when he was in a rage. While Norse myth reckons that Thor, another God, would cause lightning with his massive hammer.

Neil Gaiman stops by the WSJ Cafe to discuss his new book "Norse Mythology" and how his take on Thor, Odin and Loki is different from Marvel's comic book version. Photo: Getty Images Fort Knox Has ...

Both elements, the prophesied world-shaking event and Thor’s fabled hammer, come from Norse mythology ... has already shown the ability to unleash lightning from his Ragnir.