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 The Myth of Tyr

Based o of Tyr’s story in the Prose Edda, which is also mentioned in the

Lokasenna, an Edda poem

 In Asgard, realm of the gods, Loki, the god of mischief, is seen sitting

around the palace looking idly at his ngernails. Odin suddenly storms in

from the hall, with a furious look in his eyes.

Enter Odin.

Odin: Loki! eed that infernal wolf of yors now so that he’ll stop from

tearin" this place apart!

Loud thumping of footsteps and crashing of tables can be heard from outside

the palace.

Loki: (in a lay, nonchalant tone! # ha$e no idea what yo mean, Odin%

Odin: (angrily! #’m not lookin" to play "ames today, Loki% &o will keep that

'east chained in place, or so help me, # will make yor immortal life misery!

Loki: (chuckles! enrir is only a pp, he woldn’t hrt a (y% )e’s *st hn"ry%

Besides, he won’t listen to me% )e needs someone with a 'etter means of

persasion, more+how do yo pt it

Odin: &o mean someone who is actally 'ra$e and stron", nlike yorself

Loki: -ell, yo didn’t ha$e to pt it that way% Bt yes, heroic% # was thinkin"

that Tyr wold 'e 'est sited for the *o'%

Odin: .lri"ht, #’ll ask him% Bt yo’d 'etter lea$e now, 'efore send Tyr on

yo too% #’$e had eno"h of yor mischief for one day%

Loki "uickly lea#es. Enter $yr.

Odin: Tyr! # was *st a'ot to smmon yo% # am in need of yor ser$ices%

 Tyr: .nythin", my lord% -hat is it yo re/ire of me

Odin: Loki’s wolf child, enrir, won’t stop rnnin" arond and tearin" this

castle apart% # need yo to take care of him% 0eep him occpied% eed him%

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 Tyr: .s yo wish, my lord. (bows and lea#es!

Odin:  Thank "oodness that was taken care of% #f that wolf "rows any 'i""er,

we’ll ha$e a h"e pro'lem on or hands+

End %cene

%ome years later&

'enrir has grown to be the sie of a man. $he gods ha#e begun to worry

about their safety with 'enrir in Asguard. $hey decide to bind him to keep

him from wreaking ha#oc on Asguard and on the world. $hey bind 'enrir with

many dierent ropes. In order for 'enrir to consent, they lead him to an

isolated land and pretend that the ropes are all a test of strength.

enrir:  1o ropes or chains can hold me! # am the stron"est of the stron"!

1othin" yo petty "ods try can hold me down%

)e breaks through a rope.

Odin: (speaking in a hushed #oice to $yr  !  -e mst do somethin"! E$en or

stron"est chains 'reak a"ainst enrir’s stren"th% 2ooner or later he’s 'ond

to notice that somethin"’s o% (long pause!

# think # mi"ht ha$e a soltion3 we mst create a new rope that not e$en

enrir can wrestle free from%

 Tyr: # a"ree, my lord% # will $isit the dwar$es immediately to ha$e them for"e

sch an item%

$yr #isits the dwar#es.

 Tyr: Oh mi"hty craftsmen, # come to yo to ask if yo will aid the "ods

a"ainst a "reat e$il% -ill yo create an item, whose stren"th cannot 'e

matched, to 'ind the wolf, enrir

4war$es: or a "od as honora'le as yo, we will% -e assre yo that

nothin" will 'e a'le to 'reak this rope%

$hey forge *leipnir, a rope made from the sound of cat+s footsteps, the

beard of a woman, the roots of a stone, the breath of a sh, and the spittle

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of a bird. ecause these things don+t e-ist, it is impossible to break. $hey

hand the rope to $yr. )e brings the rope back with him to 'enrir+s location.

 Tyr: 5reat enrir, altho"h none can match yor stren"th and ferocity, will

yo accept one more challen"e from me

enrir: -hat cold yo possi'ly ha$e that cold 'ind me, silly "od

$yr presents the rope to 'enrir, who looks at it with suspicion.

enrir (thinking to himself!: )ow cold this tiny rope hold me down

-hat "ame is Tyr playin" at

enrir: .lri"ht, Tyr% Let them 'ind me with this rope, 't 6rst one of yo

mst show me that yo mean no fol play in this last test of stren"th% .

hand will do% &es, one of yo immortals mst hold yor hand in my mothand since we’re playin" fair, yo won’t ha$e to worry a'ot it 'ein" taken o%

7nless yo mean to trick me+

$he gods argue o#er who will gi#e the sacrice. one wish to lose their hand

to the beast, including the great chief, Odin. 'inally, a great #oice rises from

the crowd&

 Tyr: # shall oer my hand to yo, enrir%

enrir: (mockingly! # accept yor oer, 'ra$e Tyr%

$yr goes forward to put his hand in 'enrir+s open mouth. $he gods hurry to

bind 'enrir with the indestructible rope. 'enrir condently begins to push

against the rope until&nothing. $he rope won+t budge.

enrir: -hat is this ma"ic that yo’$e set pon me # tho"ht we were

playin" fair! 1othin" can hold me, nothin"!

'enrir continues to struggle against the rope. In anger from being tricked,

he clamps his /aws down on $yr+s hand, taking it o. $yr screams in pain.

Odin: -e mst lea$e now that enrir is 'ond down 'y the ma"ic rope%

 Tho"h # trst its stren"th will hold, # think that we pose a "reater dan"er 'y

'ein" here to add 6re to his an"er%

)e helps drag $yr away from the furious wolf as the gods lock 'enrir away.

$hough he was one0handed, $yr+s new and permanent disability spoke to the

world of his bra#ery, gi#en for the sake of all.

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