Wyrdseidr

ᛏ Týr

Younger Futhark · position 12 · the god Týr

Name
Týr
Meaning
the god Týr
Transliteration
t
Sounds
t, d (and nd, nt)
Unicode
U+16CF runic letter tiwaz tir tyr t

Line of descent

ᛏ*tīwaz (or *teiwaz)Elder Futhark→ ᛏTýrYounger Futhark

History

t keeps the arrow shape of the Elder Futhark tiwaz in its long-branch form ᛏ. The short-twig form ᛐ has a single branch on one side. The row had no d rune (the Elder dagaz was dropped), so t wrote both t and d. The great Jelling stone (DR 42) spells Haraldr haraltr, Danmǫrk tanmaurk and Dani tani. On the Uppland stone U 961, bónda is spelled bonta. Reading Younger Futhark means remembering that every t might be a d.

The name is the god's name, Týr. It continues Proto-Germanic *Tīwaz, and its English counterpart Tiw survives in "Tuesday". The Norwegian poem calls him "the one-handed among the gods", and the Icelandic poem adds "the wolf's leavings" and "ruler of temples". Both allude to the myth told by Snorri in Gylfaginning of Týr losing his hand to the wolf Fenrir. The Icelandic gloss is Mars, the same equation behind Tiwesdæg for dies Martis.

In the medieval period a dotted form, ᛑ, was created for d, around the end of the 11th or the early 12th century. Plain ᛏ was then kept for t.

In the rune poems

The Old Norwegian Rune Poem, stanza 12
Týr er æinendr ása;
opt værðr smiðr blása.
Týr is the one-handed among the gods;
often the smith has to blow.
Týr lost his hand to the wolf Fenrir, according to Snorri's Gylfaginning.
The Old Icelandic Rune Poem, stanza 12 · Latin gloss Mars · chieftain word tiggi
Týr er einhendr áss
ok ulfs leifar
ok hofa hilmir.
Týr is the one-handed god
and the wolf's leavings
and ruler of temples.
The Latin gloss equates Týr with Mars, the same match made in the Germanic name for Tuesday (Old English Tiwesdæg for Latin dies Martis).

Original text from the public-domain editions named on each poem's page; translations are our own.

Where it is found

  • Jelling stone 2 (DR 42): haraltr, tanmaurk, tani — t for d
  • Uppland stone U 961: at bonta 'in memory of (her) husband'
  • Rök stone (Ög 136), short-twig ᛐ: stonta 'stand'

On inscriptions described on this site

Rök runestoneSmall Jelling stone (Gorm's stone)Large Jelling stone (Harald's stone)Ramsund carving (Sigurd carving)Maeshowe runic inscriptionsKensington Runestone

Sources

  • Samnordisk runtextdatabas (Rundata), signa DR 42, U 961, Ög 136
  • Wikipedia: Younger Futhark; Medieval runes (checked 2026-10-26)
  • Dickins (1915), notes to the Norwegian poem, stanza 12
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