The Protection and Support of Tyr

In Norse myths, Tyr is the God of Honor and Law. He is a warrior’s God, called the Lord of Swords. He is the patron of the Althing, and the deity of heroic glory. Tuesday, in the English language, is named after him.

Tyr the God may actually be one of the oldest Germanic deities in existence. His name simply means “god”, and is related to the Old English Tiw, the  Old High German Ziu, the Middle Germanic god Tuisto, and the Proto-Indo-European Teiwaz (which is seen in the rune of the same name). These are related to the Latin deus and the Sanskrit deva. So Tyr may once have been an overarching Sky God,  who eventually gained more personal characteristics and was “reborn” into the Norse pantheons as War God and God of Honor. There is some sketchy evidence that the Germanic version of Teiwaz had a consort, referred to as Zisu, which was simply a feminization of his name.

Tyr's gift is very simple: the courage to do difficult things. Tyr is less interested in offerings of objects and more interested in actions. If you work with him, he will expect you to have a code of honor, and to stick to it at all costs. He will not tolerate oathbreaking, or even the frequent breaking of small commitments. Understand that if you promise him something in return for his gift, he will expect you to come through. Do not break your word to him, or it will go badly for you. Tyr is never malicious or sadistic, but he will strike with a warrior's force if he feels that it is necessary.