Tyr – the god that danced with wolves
Tyr is presumably one of the oldest germanic gods. His other names in other Germanic languages are: Gothic Teiws, Old English Tīw and Old High German Ziu and Cyo, all from Proto-Germanic Tîwaz. The Latinised name is Tius or Tio. All forms share the common indoeuropean core dyas-deus-teos “a god” or “a demon” (compare to Zeus “Thyas” – and like Zeus he is the oldest and the most powerful at the beginning).
He was a god of war, warfare, brawl, strenght and justice. He was called einhendr – onehanded – he lost his hand while trying to tame Fenrir, the wolf-son of Loki and Angeborda. Fenrir agreed to be tamed with magical ribbon Glepinir made by dwarves, but on one condition – a tamer must put his hand in Fenrir’s jaws. When Fenrir discovered the plot and the magic of the ribbon, he had bitten off Tyr’s, who was selected to be a tamer, hand.
Tyr was known in the Roman times and was equated with Mars in the interpretatio germanica. Tuesday is in fact “Tīw’s Day” a translation of “dies Martis“.
One of the runes is named Tiwaz and dedicated to this god: ᛏ
ᛏ Týr er einhendr áss
ok ulfs leifar
ok hofa hilmir.
Tyr is a one-handed god,
and leavings of the wolf
and prince of temples.
Take a look at the kenning “leavings of the wolf”, it was used very often by skalds while singing or reciting about Tyr.
Tyr lost his “head-of-a-pantheon” role to Odin, who took many Tyr’s features.
If you live in Nothern Europe you’re probably familiar with names like: Dewsbury (“Tiw’s Burg”), Tuesley (“Tiw’s Clearing”), Tisvilde (“Tyr’s Spring”) or Tyrol (“Tyr-Odall”). There are many other similar names of towns and villages. If you live near on of those – now you know the ihabitants of your land worshipped Tyr 1000 years ago 🙂
Leszek Paweł Słupecki “Mitologia skandynawska w epoce wikingów”.
Snorri Sturlusson “Prose Edda”