Which traditions do they belong to?

Indra belongs to the Hindu Pantheon, and Thor to the Norse Pantheon.

Side by sideParallel across traditions

Indra vs Thor

Both are thunder gods who wield a signature weapon (hammer/vajra) against chaos-monsters, part of the widespread Indo-European thunder-god motif.

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At a glance

Indra and Thor compared
	Indra	Thor
Tradition	Hindu Pantheon	Norse Pantheon
Domains	thunder, rain, storms, heaven, war	thunder, lightning, strength, protection, storms
Symbols	thunderbolt, elephant, rainbow	hammer Mjolnir, belt Megingjord, iron gloves, goats, red beard
Also called	Shakra, Purandara	Donar, Thunder God

Where they meet

Both are associated with thunder and storms.

Where they part

Only Indra

Associated with rain, heaven, and war.

Only Thor

Associated with lightning, strength, and protection.

Why they are compared

Both are thunder gods who wield a signature weapon against chaos-monsters, reflecting the shared Indo-European thunder-god motif.

How each was worshipped

Indra

Cult sites: Few living Hindu temples; Indra Jatra at Kathmandu; Vedic fire-altars rather than a house of his own
Festivals: Indra Jatra in Nepal; Vedic soma rites in the older layer

King of the Rigveda, then crowded out by the Trimurti. Nepal still raises his pole. In India the honest note is decline: weather and war moved to other names.

Thor

Cult sites: Uppsala temple beside Odin and Freyr; Wayside hammers and holy oaks more than a single great fane
Festivals: Thursday observances; Hammer-blessings of marriages and land

The most popular of the North's gods in the settlement period. Miniature hammers, Thursday, and oak. He fights giants and blesses the farm. Adam puts him in the high seat at Uppsala; farmers put him over the door.

The two figures

Hindu Pantheon

Indra

King of the gods (Devas) and lord of heaven (Svarga). God of thunder, rain, and war. Slayer of the dragon Vritra. Rides the white elephant Airavata.

The Rigveda calls Indra a son of the sky god Dyaus; later texts name different mothers, among them Aditi. He became king of the gods by defeating the dragon Vritra. His weapon is the thunderbolt (Vajra).

Indra is the king of the **Devas** (gods) and ruler of **Svarga** (heaven). God of **thunder**, **rain**, and **war**, he was the most important deity in the Vedic period. He wields the thunderbolt **Vajra** and rides the white elephant **Airavata**.

Read the full Indra entry

Norse Pantheon

Thor

Son of Odin and the earth goddess Jord. God of thunder, lightning, and storms. Protector of mankind and the gods, wielding the mighty hammer Mjolnir.

Thor was born to Odin, the Allfather, and Jord, the personification of the earth itself. This union of sky and earth made Thor one of the mightiest beings in existence. From birth, he displayed incredible strength - as an infant, he could lift ten loads of bearskins. He grew quickly into the powerful protector of both gods and mortals. He married Sif, the golden-haired goddess, and with her had a daughter named Thrud. With the giantess Jarnsaxa, he fathered Magni and Modi, who will inherit Mjolnir after Ragnarok.

Thor is the defender of Asgard and Midgard, wielding the mighty hammer **Mjolnir**. Unlike the cunning Odin, Thor is straightforward, strong, and short-tempered, but fiercely loyal.

Read the full Thor entry

About this comparison

Comparisons pair figures that play a similar role across traditions, or that the myths connect within one. A shared role does not, by itself, establish a shared origin.