| “ | I hold no ill-will towards the great wolf. In fact, the loss of my hand is a fitting punishment for my betrayal. The truth of the matter is, I had no intention of ever betraying Fenrir. Odin's fear spread through the gods, enough to break their oaths, which wouldn't be the first time. Had circumstances been different then perhaps he would've found a place among us. Alas, fear is that which destroys peace. | „ |
| ~ Tyr |
Týr is the Norse god of war, law, and honor from Germanic and Norse pagan religions. He is the son of Odin and the half-brother of Thor. He is perhaps best known for his courage as well as his former friendship with the great wolf Fenrir.
Overview[]
The tale of the loss of his hand suggests that Tyr was appealed to not only in matters of war but also in matters involving law, justice, honor, oaths, and upholding traditional sources of authority.
Tyr is a relatively minor Aesir god in Norse mythology. However, his name and attributes along with evidence from the study of comparative religion divulge to us that his Viking Age form is a severely diminished version of a divine figure who, in earlier ages, was the highest god of the Norse and other Germanic peoples. By the Viking Age, this role had been usurped by Odin.
History[]
Background[]
Týr is a son of Odin and Frigg, hailed as the god of war but for more diplomatic means which made him stand out from the other Æsir, many of which are war gods in their own right. While mentions of Tyr in Old Norse literature are few, he certainly seems to have been regarded as one of the principal war gods of the Norse, along with Odin and Thor. Týr was the god that spoke in Fenrir's behest as he saw that the wolf pup posed no threat to them. He asked Odin if he could take Fenrir under his care to which Odin granted his request but kept his eye close on the wolf.
Týr played a role in the binding of Garmr. He was one of the gods gathered at their Thing, informed of the threat posed by Garmr which they learned hailed from the Grecian lands ruled by Zeus and the Olympians. At first, some of the Æsir opted to confront the Olympians for this breach since it was a problem that sprung in their territory first, Týr suggested an alternate solution that won't erupt in war as per the code of the Codex Divinus. At first, Týr tried to placate the rampaging wolf like he did with the young Fenrir but Garmr was not like Fenrir as the former was a child of Typhon and Echidna, thus only sought the destruction of the gods' good work.
Since that did not work, Odin had Loki deal with the beast by shapeshifting into various creatures that continuously pestered Garmr which only served to infuriate him so much that he develops a hatred for the upper world. Frigg told Loki to perhaps trick the beast into Helheim, for whatever enters the realm of the dead cannot exit. Loki continued with his taunts towards Garmr, but the monstrous wolf saw through Loki's deception, that is until Garmr was subdued by Týr, muzzling him with chains fashioned by the dwarves that were actually planned to be used on Fenrir before dragging him into the pit that led to Helheim.
Binding of Fenrir[]
When Garmr was dealt with, Týr continued to care for Fenrir who was growing rapidly. Eventually, Fenrir would grow so large that he began to unnerve the gods in Asgard with Týr keeping them at ease. Unfortunately, Týr's attempts to calm the growing panic fell on deaf ears for Odin's paranoia, especially since he saw Fenrir as his killer come Ragnarök.
When the gods endeavored to bind Fenrir for their own safety, the wolf refused to allow the suspiciously innocent-looking cord to be put around him unless one of the deities put his or her hand in his mouth as a pledge of good faith. Only Tyr was brave and honorable enough to comply with the beast’s request, and, when Fenrir found himself unable to break free of his fetters, he accordingly helped himself to the god’s hand. The gods even went so far as to laugh at the sight with Tyr being the only one who was not laughing, instead glaring venomously at the gods' childish view on such a sight.