Understanding and Working with Týr

The Norse God of Justice and Fairness

THE TALE OF TÝR

The deities of the Norse pantheon received portents of the end of the world which they called Ragnarök, a time when the Gods themselves would be destroyed, and so they bound the dark players in Ragnarök in one form or another for the sake of self-preservation. The World Serpent Jörmungandr was sent to the Earth’s (aka Midgard’s) ocean and Hel was sent to the Underworld, however Fenrir, wolf-son of the Norse trickster god Loki, was so fearsome that they decided he must be raised by the Æsir themselves. Týr was the only God not afraid of feeding Fenrir and so became his caretaker.

Fenrir grew into an ever more fearsome beast, so the gods attempted to bind him in various types of chains, but Fenrir broke all of these chains. The only way Fenrir could be bound was by a chain made of things that do not exist, such as the sound of a cat’s footsteps, the breath of a fish, and the spittle of a bird. Only a chain made of impossibility would be impossible for Fenrir to break.

Fenrir, when presented with the chain, suspected deception and would not allow himself to be chained without a sacrifice – a gesture of good faith. The only God brave enough to make this sacrifice was Týr, and so Týr gave his right hand in sacrifice to bind Fenrir.

Týr’s courage, bravery, and willingness toward sacrifice is what makes him a warrior, however he is a warrior with a strong inclination to justice. Týr’s sacrifice is an attempt to save the Gods and make right the deceptions attempted on Fenrir. While Týr is a warrior of fairness and justice, he is decidedly “not a peacemaker.” Týr is a warrior who embodies the “use of proper force.” In this sense, he is a strategic warrior.

Týr is depicted as the most serious of all the gods, not lending himself to fun or folly. He takes his role with the utmost seriousness and any amount of time spent in his presence will make that abundantly clear.

THE RUNE OF TÝR: ↑ TIWAZ ↑

The Tiwaz (↑) rune is an important aspect of the God Týr. Edred Thorsson attributes Tiwaz to three different aspects of a mystery, “justice, war, and world column.” He states that Tiwaz is most especially the force of “divine order in the multiverse, and especially of mankind.”

In this mystery, the outcome of war is closely related to “numinous forces in conjunction with physical ones.” In other words, the warrior or army with the most magickal power and greatest understanding of the mysteries will win, granted supremacy by Ørlӧg, which is the overarching force of fate in the multiverse.

The “world column” is that which separates the spiritual from the physical and keeps order. This separation must be maintained to avoid the “destruction” of all things. Tiwaz denotes the importance of discipline in a true warrior, specifically “spiritual discipline.” Tiwaz is what brings people together in fairness and balance and maintains justice.

Unfortunately, many Norse symbols have been co-opted by various hate groups both past and present, including the SS in Nazi Germany and some current white supremacy groups. The Tiwaz rune is one of them. Display the symbol if you will, but be aware that it may attract some negative attention or attract a type of crowd you’d rather not be involved with.

The other thing to note about the Tiwaz rune and Týr in general is that it will occasionally appear in insignias for law enforcement, military, and tactical training companies due to its association with the warrior archetype and a sense of justice.

WORKING WITH TÝR: A SERIOUS ENDEAVOUR

Týr does not take the concept of justice and fairness lightly. If you’re going to ask for Týr’s help in a legal battle or a dispute with someone, it is important to be absolutely sure that your cause, your side of things is justified. If you ask for Týr’s help in winning a case where you are clearly in the wrong, you’re asking for trouble. Týr is not about underhanded deals, so asking him to help you with your dirty work is folly.

Working with Týr, you’ll notice very quickly that he has a very commanding, even intimidating presence. Týr is a God of sacred oaths, and he doesn’t take kindly to those oaths being broken. If you wish to work with Týr, and conversely, if Týr wishes to work with you, he will ask that you make and fulfill an oath to him in exchange for his assistance in your working. I cannot stress enough, DO NOT make an oath to Týr that you cannot keep. Know the consequences, both positive and negative, of the oath you wish to make. It’s wise to not set the bar too high for yourself, as failing Týr can have negative consequences for your workings and your life in general. Most other deities in many pantheons have something of a sense of humour and can be forgiving; Týr is not one of those deities. Take care in working with him, and if you yourself are just, fair, and honorable, he may be of great help to you.

Come to Hekate's Sickle Festival and meet Tyr for yourself!

Registration is open through October 14th!

SOURCES

[1] The Poetic Edda. Lokasenna, stanza 38-39. Translation by Jackson Crawford. 2015.

[2] Eyvindr Skáldaspillir. Hákonarmál, stanza 20.

[3] Snorri Sturluson. The Prose Edda. Translation by Rasmus B. Anderson. Pg 30, 34-36.

[4] Tyr and Justice, One Heathen’s Viewpoint. Jordsvin. 2008.
http://home.earthlink.net/~jordsvin/Paths%20To%20The%20Gods/Tyr%20and%20Justice.htm

[5] Tyr. Daniel McCoy.
https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-aesir-gods-and-goddesses/tyr/

[6] The Binding of Fenrir. Daniel McCoy.
https://norse-mythology.org/tales/the-binding-of-fenrir/

[7] Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic. Edred Thorsson. (pp 53-54) Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. 1984.