The Poetic Edda on Tyr

The > Volume I > Introductory Note

• attestation: Tyr is characterized by wisdom in the verse.

  "4. The far-famed ones | could find it not, And the holy gods | could get it nowhere; Till in truthful wise | did Tyr speak forth, And helpful counsel | to Hlorrithi gave."

• attestation: The stanza references wealth or gifts involving Tyr.

  "4. The far-famed ones | could find it not, And the holy gods | could get it nowhere; Till in truthful wise | did Tyr speak forth, And helpful counsel | to Hlorrithi gave."

• attribution: Tyr delivers a speech in the verse.

  "6. "May we win, dost thou think, | this whirler of water?"

Tyr spake:

"Aye, friend, we can,   |   if cunning we are.""

• attestation: Tyr is characterized by cunning in the verse.

  "6. "May we win, dost thou think, | this whirler of water?"

Tyr spake:

"Aye, friend, we can,   |   if cunning we are.""

• attestation: The stanza references wealth or gifts involving Tyr.

  "34. "Enough shall it be | if out ye can bring Forth from our house | the kettle here." Tyr then twice | to move it tried, But before him the kettle | twice stood fast."

• attribution: Tyr delivers a speech in the verse.

  "36. "Give heed now, Njorth, | nor boast too high, No longer I hold it hid; With thy sister hadst thou | so fair a son, Thus hadst thou no worse a hope."

Tyr spake:"

• relationship: The stanza references alliance or oath between Tyr and Fenrir.

  "38. "Be silent, Tyr! | for between two men Friendship thou ne'er couldst fashion; Fain would I tell | how Fenrir once Thy right hand rent from thee."

Tyr spake:"

The > Volume I > Notes

• attestation: Tyr is the god of battle who lost his hand by thrusting it into the wolf Fenrir's mouth so the gods could bind him

  "Tyr: the god of battle; his two great achievements were thrusting his hand into the mouth of the wolf Fenrir so that the gods might bind him, whereby he lost his hand"

• attestation: Tyr and the hound Garm kill each other in the last battle

  "his fight with the hound Garm in the last battle, in which they kill each other"

• attestation: Tyr is elsewhere described as a son of Odin, making his calling Hymir his father puzzling

  "It is not clear why Tyr, who is elsewhere spoken of as a son of Othin, should here call Hymir his father"

• attestation: Snorri mentions Tyr's incompetence as a peacemaker

  "Snorri mentions Tyr's incompetence as a peacemaker"

The > part in a few of the Eddic poems. > Introductory Note

• attestation: The stanza describes warfare or combat involving Tyr.

  "6. Winning-runes learn, | if thou longest to win, And the runes on thy sword-hilt write; Some on the furrow, | and some on the flat, And twice shalt thou call on Tyr."

The > part in a few of the Eddic poems. > Notes

• attestation: Tyr is both a sword-god and the name of a rune

  "Tyr: the sword-god (cf. Hymiskvitha, 4 and note); "tyr" is also the name of a rune which became"