Tyr is one of the most prominent and powerful gods in Norse mythology, associated with war, justice, and law. He is also one of the most mysterious and enigmatic, as his origin, role, and destiny are shrouded in uncertainty and contradiction. One of the most intriguing questions about Tyr is whether he is actually dead or alive, and what happened to him in the events of Ragnarok, the final battle of the gods and the end of the world.
Tyr’s Sacrifice and Prophecy
Tyr is best known for his sacrifice of his right hand to the monstrous wolf Fenrir, who was destined to devour Odin, the king of the gods, during Ragnarok. According to the Prose Edda, a 13th-century collection of Norse myths written by Snorri Sturluson, Tyr was the only god brave enough to feed and bind Fenrir, who was growing too large and dangerous for the gods to control. However, Fenrir agreed to be chained only if one of the gods placed their hand in his mouth as a sign of good faith. Tyr volunteered, knowing that he would lose his hand, but also that he would prevent Fenrir from harming the other gods until Ragnarok.
The Prose Edda also foretells that Tyr will die during Ragnarok, along with most of the other gods. In the Gylfaginning section of the book, it is stated that Tyr will fight and kill the hellhound Garmr, who guards the entrance to the underworld, but that they will also be the death of each other. This prophecy is repeated in the Völuspá, a poem from the Poetic Edda, another collection of Norse myths that dates back to the 10th century or earlier. The Völuspá also mentions that Tyr is the son of Odin, and that he has a brother named Váli, who will avenge Odin’s death by killing Loki, the trickster god and the father of Fenrir.
Tyr’s Survival and Legacy
However, some sources suggest that Tyr may have survived Ragnarok, or that he was not involved in it at all. For example, the Lokasenna, another poem from the Poetic Edda, implies that Tyr is not the son of Odin, but of the giant Hymir, and that he has a wife and a son named Magni, who will inherit Thor’s hammer Mjölnir after Ragnarok. The Lokasenna also portrays Tyr as a peacemaker and a mediator, who tries to calm down the heated arguments between Loki and the other gods. This contrasts with his image as a warlike and violent god, and may indicate that he had a different role and function in the original Norse religion, before being influenced by the Roman god Mars, with whom he was often identified.
Another source that casts doubt on Tyr’s death is the Tyrkvi, a poem attributed to the 10th-century skald Eyvindr skáldaspillir, who praises King Hákon the Good of Norway for his victory over the Danes. In the poem, Eyvindr compares Hákon to Tyr, and says that he is “alive in the south”, meaning that he rules over southern Norway. This suggests that Tyr was still alive and revered by the Norse people at the time, and that he was not killed or forgotten after Ragnarok.
Therefore, it is possible that Tyr is actually alive, or that he never died in the first place, depending on how we interpret the various sources and traditions about him. Tyr may have been a more ancient and important god than the surviving myths suggest, and he may have had a different relationship with the other gods and the world. Tyr may also have been a symbol of courage, justice, and leadership for the Norse people, who admired and emulated his qualities and deeds. Tyr may not be dead, but he may be alive in the memory and culture of the Norse descendants.
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