Týr

Týr is a god from old stories of the Germanic peoples, especially in Norse mythology. He is one of the Æsir, a group of powerful gods. One famous story tells how he lost his right hand to a huge wolf named Fenrir. The gods had tied up Fenrir, and when he felt trapped, he bit off Týr’s hand.

Týr is often linked to the Roman god Mars, the god of war. Because of this link, old writings in Latin sometimes call Týr “Mars of the Assembly.” This shows his role in meetings of ancient Germanic tribes. The day we call Tuesday gets its name from Týr, meaning “Týr’s day” in old Germanic languages.

Different stories tell us different things about Týr’s family. Some say he is the son of a giant named Hymir, while others say he is the son of the great god Odin. Not much is known about his partner, if he had one. Scholars think Týr might have been a very important god in the early beliefs of the Germanic people.

Name

In wider Germanic mythology, he is known in Old English as Tīw and in Old High German as Ziu. These names come from the Proto-Germanic word *Tīwaz, meaning 'God'. Little is known about the god except from Old Norse stories. Týr might be the name behind the Tiwaz rune (ᛏ), a symbol in the runic alphabet for the letter T.

The Old Norse name Týr comes from an older Proto-Norse form *Tīwaʀ. This, like its Germanic cousins Tīw (Old English) and *Ziu (Old High German), also comes from Proto-Germanic *Tīwaz, meaning 'God'. In Old Norse poetry, the word tívar means 'the gods', and týr can mean '(a) god' in kennings for Odin and Thor. Today, many writers write the god's name as Tyr, without special marks.

The modern English name Tuesday comes from the Old English tīwesdæg, meaning 'day of Tīw'. This is related to Old Norse Týsdagr, Old Frisian Tīesdi, and Old High German Ziostag. All these names come from an old Germanic phrase meaning 'Day of *Tīwaz'. This shows that early Germanic people saw *Tīwaz as similar to the Roman god Mars.

The god gives its name to the rune ᛏ, which stands for the sound /t/ in the runic alphabets, the old writing systems of the Germanic peoples before they used the Latin alphabet.

Many place names in Scandinavia are linked to the god. For example, Tyrseng in Viby, Denmark, may mean 'Týr's meadow'. The forest Tiveden in Sweden might mean 'Tyr's forest', but this is not certain. Names like Tislund ('Týr's grove') in Denmark and Tysnes ('Týr's peninsula') and Tysnesø ('Tysnes island') in Norway show how important the god was in these areas.

Attestations

Roman era

Týr is an ancient god from very old times. Early writers sometimes linked him to the Roman god Mars because of his role in battle and strength.

One early writer, Tacitus, wrote about the gods the Germanic people worshipped. He mentioned gods similar to Mercury, Hercules, and Mars. Scholars believe these refer to Odin, Thor, and Týr. Another writer, Jordanes, said that the Goths believed Mars was born among them and was very important to them.

Old English

In Old English, the name for the Roman god Mars was sometimes changed to Tīw or Tīg. This name also appears in the word for Tuesday, tīwesdæg.

Viking Age and post-Viking Age

During the Viking Age, Týr was still remembered, though not as often as gods like Odin, Freyja, or Thor. Stories about him appear in old poems and books from that time.

In one poem, Týr helps Thor get a huge cauldron. In another, a wise woman teaches a hero special charms and mentions Týr. In a third story, the gods are having a feast when a troublemaker named Loki arrives. Týr defends another god against Loki’s insults.

Later books also talk about Týr. They say he is very brave and helped trap Fenrir the wolf. These stories also mention that Týr will face a big battle in the future during Ragnarök.

Archaeological record

Many old objects may show the god Týr. For example, a gold piece from Trollhättan, Sweden, shows someone getting a bite on the hand from a beast, which might be Týr and the wolf Fenrir. Other similar pieces come from places like Haderslev, Denmark, and Hamburg, Germany.

During a time called the Viking Age, a stone in Sockburn, County Durham, England, might also show Týr and Fenrir. In 2019, a silver button found in Denmark is thought to show Týr fighting the wolf Fenrir.

Scholarly reception

Because of the meaning of Týr's name, scholars think he might have been a very important god in old Germanic stories. Some believe the great god Odin became more famous than Týr a long time ago and took over some of Týr's roles.

Scholars have also talked about a part in an old poem where runes are mentioned on swords. They say this might be about magic, but it could also just be a normal prayer calling on Týr, since he is known for fighting in the myths.

In popular culture

The god Týr has inspired many modern works. The English heavy metal band Black Sabbath named their 15th album Tyr after him in 1990. There is also a folk metal band from the Faroe Islands called Týr (band).

Týr appears in several video games. In Age of Mythology, players can worship him as one of the minor Norse gods. He is also a playable god in the game Smite. In God of War and its sequel God of War Ragnarök, Týr is mentioned and appears. In War Robots, Týr is one of the healer mechs players can use.