Tyr is an unsung and largely forgotten god by today's neo-pagans. When most of us think of the Norse warrior gods, visions of Thor and his hammer flash before our eyes, and when we think of leadership or royalty, we see Odin and perhaps Freyr. Yet Tyre was very important to our ancestors, as evidenced by the fact that one day of the week is named after him and two of the eight major holidays are dedicated to him.
Much of Tyr's mythology is now lost, except for the story of the binding of the wolf Fenrir, the son of Loki and Angrboda, as told in the prose Edda. In short, the Norns warn the gods that Fenris is dangerous and will one day kill Odinn. The gods, alarmed, decide that they must bind him. They create a strong chain and ask Fenrir if he is stronger than the chain. He allows the gods to try to bind him so that he can prove his strength. He easily breaks this chain and the next one, which is twice as strong.
But when they try a magic ribbon made by the dwarves, Fenrir, suspicious, raises the stakes because he fears that despite their promises, they will untie him if he does not manage to free himself. Not wanting to be called a coward, he finally agrees to be bound if one of the gods puts his hand in his mouth as a token of loyalty. "And each of the Aesir looked at the other, and neither of them would lose his hand, until Tyr reached out his right hand and put it in the wolf's mouth." Needless to say, the wolf can't free himself and they don't untie him. Tyr loses his hand, the wrist becomes known as the "wolf joint" and Tyr takes the name Wolf Leavings.
Tuesday is named after Tyre because in the Roman calendar, this day was the day of Mars, and the Romans associated Tyre with Mars. This seems strange since we have no myth associating Tyre with the battle, but the Fenrir connection gives us some insight into the association. Fenrir is the wild beast that knows no bounds, and because of his trustworthiness and honor, Tyr alone can chain him.
Nordic warriors are often associated with the image of the berserker, the rampaging warrior. But it is Tyr's self-discipline that allows the warrior to fight his power. Moreover, the true warrior wants nothing more than justice, which is why he must bind the chaotic forces that would destroy him. Tyre only fights the just war.
Dumézil argues that Tyr, (also Tiwaz and Zio, related to Zeus), is more correctly understood as the legal half of the dual primary function of law and magic. Odinn gives up an eye for a more magical or mystical sense of vision, while Tyr sacrifices his hand so that the violence of war is bound by cosmic justice.
Just as the eye must be sacrificed for true vision, the right hand, a symbol of honor (as in the handshake), must be sacrificed for true justice. It is not uncommon for figures of primary function to undergo some sort of mutilation (for example, the Celtic Nuada of the Silver Hand and the Roman heroes Horatius Cocles and Mucius Scaevola). Tyre's weapon was the spear, another sign of deities of primary function.
Some of the symbols associated with Tyre are the spear, the hand or glove and the North Star called the Star of Tyre or the nail. Medieval fairs began by raising a pole in the center with a glove on top. With the cry, "the gauntlet is up," the Fair was opened, and the law of the Fair went into effect. A Saxon runic poem states that the star of Tyre remains faithful to the princes.
Tyre is associated with two festivals, Disting (Imbolg) and Thingstide (Lughnasadh). Both are thingstide, in which the people can ask for the law to be exercised on their behalf. Disting is the time of swearing (the signing of war bands and Viking crews), as it is the beginning of the war season. Thingstide, the end of the war season, is the annual period of treaty making, marriages and was the time for trials.
Legal practices, such as wergild and strictly controlled duels, were not abstract, but were designed to stop a fight. Tyre's loss of his hand to Fenrir in a knowingly false link may have resulted in what Dumézil called "a pessimistic view of the law" where we do what we must to keep the peace.
The followers of Tyre must not only keep their oaths, but must also take an active role in the enforcement of justice. Their judgment must include both sides of the situation. After all, it is because Tyr is the only one willing to feed Fenrir that Fenrir trusts him.
In today's world, an eco-warrior following Tyr would recognize that while the paper mill is cutting down trees, the recycling mill may be producing more pollution. True justice is served not by allowing violent emotions to govern our actions, but by binding violence both within ourselves and in that which threatens the justice and peace of our world...
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