Good Yule Day #9: Honoring Tyr

Tyr and Fenrir. Credit: John Bauer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Image description: Norse war god, Tyr, places his hand in the great wolf Fenrir's
mouth.

"Tyr is a name of another of the Aesir. He is the boldest and most courageous, and it is very much up to him who wins the battle." ~ High to Gangleri in The Prose Edda, Jesse Bycock translation, pages 35-36, Penguin Classics, 2005

I have a confession. I feel more of an affinity to Tyr than I do to Odin. 

Phew. Glad I got that off my chest. Seriously though, doesn't it seem like Odin gets all the press?

Per lore, the gods feared Fenriswolf, a child of Loki and Angrboda, for he was prophesied to be the death of Odin at Ragnarok. They decided they must devise a plan to bind him instead of kill him because spilling his blood in their sacred space would defile it. As Fenriswolf was growing up, Tyr was the only god with the courage to feed him. The gods asked the wolf to try out a binding that he surely would be able to free himself from, and he would then become renowned for his strength. He suspected trickery.  He told them that he would try it as long as one of them put a hand in his mouth to ensure they were not tricking him. Of course, it was Tyr, once again, with the courage to do so. But the gods had the binding magically made by dwarves. Indeed, it was too strong for the wolf to break free from. Therefore, Tyr lost his hand. Source: Text mentioned above, pages 39-42.

I think this story can be seen from different angles as can many of the myths. The following two paragraphs are complete UPG. For me, at the beginning of the pandemic, Tyr was part of my devotion as a god that sacrificed part of himself to fend off destruction. I'm not a warrior, but I am the daughter of a deeply emotionally wounded warrior. And eventually, I became a wounded healer for 10 years, I believe, as a direct result of his treatment of me. The effects of the wounded warrior on those within their sphere are far reaching. Those who served in the armed forces will have their own relationship with Tyr if they choose to. I think he's especially suited as a patron for veterans and members of law enforcement. 

He's a god of true justice, not only of the offices of justice (update 11/1/21: It's my understanding Forseti may be a god of justice systems), so in my view, he wouldn't be on the side of corrupt police, politicians, or military personnel. I believe communities that extend from those positions such as family, veterans hospitals, and non-combat support personnel down to clerical staff are under his purview because they are part of the machinations that keep the flow of justice working. I don't believe he would support the injustice of leaving veterans out in the cold literally and figuratively when it comes to healthcare and social services.  

Tonight, I'll offer my praise and gifts of liquor and food to Tyr for helping me have empathy for wounded warriors and respect for those who serve with honor as well as his continued pushback against the chaos of this year.

Good Yule to you and Hail Tyr!

© Trish Deneen