Tyr’s Family Tree

About Tyr →

Family

• Hymir(parent)

  Týr identifies Hymir as his father in the Hymiskviða and leads Thor to Hymir's hall to retrieve the great brewing cauldron.

  ⚠ This parentage appears only in the Hymiskviða. The dominant tradition names Odin as Týr's father, and Snorri does not mention Hymir as kin to Týr.

• Odin(parent)— Consort

  Týr is a son of Odin in the Prose Edda, the bravest of the Aesir who sacrificed his hand to bind Fenrir.

  ⚠ The Hymiskviða names the giant Hymir as Týr's father instead. Snorri lists Týr among Odin's sons in the Prose Edda, but the contradicting Eddic poem predates Snorri's systematization.

Enemy of

• Fenrir

  Týr was the only god brave enough to feed Fenrir, and the only one willing to place his hand in the wolf's jaws as a pledge during the binding with Gleipnir. When Fenrir realized the gods had tricked him, he bit off Týr's right hand.

Slew

• Garmr

  At Ragnarök, Týr and Garmr slay each other in single combat — the one-handed god of war and the monstrous hound that guards Hel’s gate each dealing the other a mortal blow.

Member of

• Aesir

  The Æsir are the principal tribe of Norse gods who dwell in Asgard, including both native members and Vanir hostages received after the Æsir-Vanir War, as catalogued in Gylfaginning.

Equivalent to

• Tiwaz(Germanic)

  Tiwaz and Týr are the same one-handed god of war and binding oaths — the ancient sky father whose name the Germanic peoples gave to the third day of the week, and who sacrificed his sword hand in the jaws of Fenrir to keep the wolf bound.

Associated with

• Gleipnir

  Týr placed his hand in Fenrir's mouth as a pledge of good faith while the gods bound the wolf with Gleipnir. When Fenrir found the magical fetter unbreakable, he bit off Týr's hand in retribution.

• Loki

  In the Lokasenna, Loki taunts Týr for the loss of his hand to Fenrir and mocks his role as a peacemaker. Týr retorts by reminding Loki of the wolf that will devour him at Ragnarök.

• Thor

  In the Hymiskviða, Týr accompanied Thor to the giant Hymir's hall to retrieve the great cauldron needed for Ægir's feast for the gods.