The Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas on Tyr

Contents > Chapter V: Tyr

• attestation: Tyr (also called Tiu or Ziu) was the son of Odin, and his mother was either Frigga or an unnamed giantess who was a personification of the raging sea.

  "Tyr Tiu, or Ziu was the son of Odin, and, according to different mythologists, his mother was Frigga, queen of the gods, or a beautiful giantess whose name is unknown, but who was a personification of the raging sea."

• attestation: Tyr was the god of martial honour and one of the twelve principal deities of Asgard, occupying one of the twelve thrones in the council hall of Gladsheim.

  "He is the god of martial honour, and one of the twelve principal deities of Asgard. Although he appears to have had no special dwelling there, he was always welcome to Vingolf or Valhalla, and occupied one of the twelve thrones in the great council hall of Glads-heim."

• attestation: The day Tuesday is named after Tyr, whose name Tiu was given to it, ranking him next after Odin and Thor among Norse deities.

  "That he ranked next to Odin and Thor is proved by his name, Tiu, having been given to one of the days of the week, Tiu's day, which in modern English has become Tuesday."

• attestation: Under the name Ziu, Tyr was the principal divinity of the Suabians, who called their capital Ziusburg (modern Augsburg), and worshipped him under the emblem of a sword.

  "Under the name of Ziu, Tyr was the principal divinity of the Suabians, who originally called their capital, the modern Augsburg, Ziusburg. This people, venerating the god as they did, were wont to worship him under the emblem of a sword, his distinctive attribute"

• attestation: The Suabians held great sword dances in honour of Tyr, and it was customary to register oaths upon the sword point, which was considered sacred.

  "in his honour held great sword dances, where various figures were performed. Sometimes the participants forming two long lines, crossed their swords, point upward, and challenged the boldest among their number to take a flying leap over them."

• attestation: Among the Franks and other Northern nations, priests called Druids or Godi offered human sacrifices to Tyr, cutting the 'blood-eagle' upon war prisoners.

  "A distinctive feature of the worship of this god among the Franks and some other Northern nations was that the priests called Druids or Godi offered up human sacrifices upon his altars, generally cutting the bloody- or spread-eagle upon their victims"

• attestation: Tyr's rune was to be engraved on every sword blade to ensure victory, as enjoined by the Edda.

  "As Tyr was considered the patron god of the sword, it was deemed indispensable to engrave the sign or rune representing him upon the blade of every sword--an observance which the Edda enjoined upon all those who were desirous of obtaining victory."

• attestation: Tyr was identical with the Saxon god Saxnot (from sax, a sword) and with Er, Heru, or Cheru, the chief divinity of the Cheruski, who considered him god of the sun.

  "Tyr was identical with the Saxon god Saxnot (from sax, a sword), and with Er, Heru, or Cheru, the chief divinity of the Cheruski, who also considered him god of the sun, and deemed his shining sword blade an emblem of its rays."

• attestation: The sacred sword of Cheru (Tyr) was fashioned by the same dwarfs, sons of Ivald, who made Odin's spear; those who possessed it were destined to have victory over foes.

  "According to an ancient legend, Cheru's sword, which had been fashioned by the same dwarfs, sons of Ivald, who had also made Odin's spear, was held very sacred by his people, to whose care he had entrusted it, declaring that those who possessed it were sure to have the victory over their foes."

• attestation: A prophetess declared that the Norns decreed whoever wielded Cheru's sword would conquer the world but die by it — a prophecy fulfilled multiple times.

  "A Vala, druidess, or prophetess, consulted by the priests, revealed that the Norns had decreed that whoever wielded it would conquer the world and come to his death by it"

• attestation: A stranger gave Cheru's sword to Vitellius, the Roman prefect, who was immediately hailed emperor by the assembled legions.

  "a tall and dignified stranger came to Cologne, where Vitellius, the Roman prefect, was feasting, and called him away from his beloved dainties. In the presence of the Roman soldiery he gave him the sword, telling him it would bring him glory and renown, and finally hailed him as emperor."

• attestation: A German soldier stole Cheru's sword from Vitellius's antechamber; Vitellius, discovering the theft upon learning of Vespasian's challenge, did not even attempt to fight and was killed.

  "A German soldier seized this opportunity to substitute in its stead his own rusty blade, and the besotted emperor did not notice the exchange. When he arrived at Rome, he learned that the Eastern legions had named Vespasian emperor... the German soldier, who had joined the opposite faction, coming along at that moment, cut off Vitellius' head with the sacred sword."

• attestation: The German soldier who took Cheru's sword won victories everywhere he carried it; in old age he buried the sword beside the Danube, saying it would be found by the man destined to conquer the world.

  "wherever he and his sword were found, victory was assured. After winning great honour and distinction, this man, having grown old, retired from active service to the banks of the Danube, where he secretly buried his treasured weapon, building his hut over its resting-place to guard it as long as he might live."

• attestation: Attila found the buried sword of Cheru when a peasant's cow was wounded by it in the grass, and proclaimed he would conquer the world.

  "he saw a peasant mournfully examining his cow's foot, which had been wounded by some sharp instrument hidden in the long grass, and when search was made the point of a buried sword was found sticking out of the soil."

• attestation: Attila found Cheru's sword, declared he would conquer the world, and the Huns were everywhere victorious until he settled in Hungary and married the Burgundian princess Ildico.

  "Attila, seeing the beautiful workmanship and the fine state of preservation of this weapon, immediately exclaimed that it was Cheru's sword, and brandishing it above his head he announced that he would conquer the world. Battle after battle was fought by the Huns, who, according to the Saga, were everywhere victorious, until Attila, weary of warfare, settled down in Hungary, taking to wife the beautiful Burgundian princess Ildico, whose father he had slain."

• attestation: Ildico, daughter of a Burgundian king Attila had slain, avenged her kin by stealing Cheru's sword and slaying Attila in his bed on their wedding night.

  "This princess, resenting the murder of her kin and wishing to avenge it, took advantage of the king's state of intoxication upon his wedding night to secure possession of the divine sword, with which she slew him in his bed, once more fulfilling the prophecy uttered so many years before."

• attestation: Tyr alone stepped forward and thrust his hand into Fenris's mouth as a pledge while the gods fastened Gleipnir; when Fenris found himself captive, he bit off Tyr's hand at the wrist.

  "The gods heard the decision with dismay, and all drew back except Tyr, who, seeing that the others would not venture to comply with this condition, boldly stepped forward and thrust his hand between the monster's jaws. The gods now fastened Gleipnir securely around Fenris's neck and paws, and when they saw that his utmost efforts to free himself were fruitless, they shouted and laughed with glee. Tyr, however, could not share their joy, for the wolf, finding himself captive, bit off the god's hand at the wrist, which since then has been known as the wolf's joint."

• attestation: Tyr, deprived of his right hand, was forced to use his maimed arm as a shield and wield his sword with his left hand; yet he continued to slay his enemies as before.

  "Deprived of his right hand, Tyr was now forced to use the maimed arm for his shield, and to wield his sword with his left hand; but such was his dexterity that he slew his enemies as before."

Contents > Chapter Xx: Ægir

• attestation: At Hymir's hall, Tyr recognised the nine-hundred-headed elder giantess as his grandmother and the beautiful younger giantess as his mother; Hymir's wrathful glance at their hiding place split the rafter and shattered eight kettles.

  "Tyr recognised in the elder--an ugly old hag with nine hundred heads--his own grandmother; while the younger, a beautiful young giantess, was, it appeared, his mother, and she received her son and his companion hospitably... he frowned so portentously, and flashed such a wrathful look towards their hiding-place, that the rafter split and the kettles fell with a crash, and, except the largest, were all dashed to pieces."