Týr

In Germanic mythology, Týr is a deity who protects soldiers and legendary heroes. He is a Norse war god as well as the deity in charge of law and justice. He is a brave and strong male member. Týr gives his hand to the terrifying wolf Fenrir in Norse mythology, which is responsible for most of the remaining tales about gods among the Germanic peoples. Fenrir then chews off Tr's hand after realizing the gods have chained him. In the events of Ragnarök, Týr is prophesied to be devoured by the similarly enormous dog Garmr. He has a modest role in the current Viking Age tales, and it's possible that he had a similar one in the later Viking Age. This wasn't always the case, though. The Norse and other Germanic peoples once considered Tr to be one of their most revered leaders.

In Viking Age and earlier texts, Týr's importance as one of the Norse fighting gods, who are along with Odin and Thor, is amply established. For instance, the valkyrie Sigrdrifa counsels the human hero Sigurd to call upon Týr in order to triumph in battle in the poem Sigrdrfumál, one of the Poetic Edda's poems. This idea is supported by Loki insulting Týr in the Lokasenna, an additional Eddic poetry, by saying that he could only incite conflict but never bring people together.

A few centuries earlier, the Romans connected Týr with Mars, their own main battle god. The modern English word "Tuesday," which comes from the Old English "Day of Tiw (Týr)," maintains this connection (Tiwesdg). This was modeled after the Dies Martis, or "Day of Mars," in Latin. Not to mention, Týr's association with Mars by the Romans reinforces the idea that he was a major deity. But Týr is more than just a god of battle. In actuality, it appears that his main role is to uphold the law and the rule of justice. He is sometimes referred to as Mars Thincsus in the Roman inscriptions that call him "Mars." This suggests that Mars is a member of the Þing, the ancient Germanic legislative body.