Tiwaz — the god Tiwaz / Týr
sound t · Proto-Germanic *tīwaz · rune 17 of 24 · also spelled Tyr
Thorsson presents this as the rune of the power of the god Áss-Týr — the god of law and justice, presiding over the thing (the folk-assembly); it is held to be a force of passive regulation, the one closest to the transcendent. Its central myth is sacrifice: Týr places his hand (his "active faculties") into the jaws of the wolf Fenrir, saving the Æsir, and so Tiwaz is the rune of self-sacrifice, of kings and leaders. It carries a threefold mystery: justice, war, and the world-pillar; the name is held to be an exact cognate of the Sanskrit Dyaus, the Greek Zeus, the Latin Ju-piter.
Core meaningmodern reconstruction, 20th c.
Thorsson presents this as the rune of the power of the god Áss-Týr — the god of law and justice, presiding over the thing (the folk-assembly); it is held to be a force of passive regulation, the one closest to the transcendent. Its central myth is sacrifice: Týr places his hand (his "active faculties") into the jaws of the wolf Fenrir, saving the Æsir, and so Tiwaz is the rune of self-sacrifice, of kings and leaders. It carries a threefold mystery: justice, war, and the world-pillar; the name is held to be an exact cognate of the Sanskrit Dyaus, the Greek Zeus, the Latin Ju-piter. War was conceived as a "judgment by arms" (vápnadómr), in which the victor is the one with more numinous power accumulated through honorable deeds. As the world-pillar (Irminsul, axis mundi) Tiwaz is said to divide sky and earth, upholding order; it is framed as the rune of spiritual discipline and faith by divine law.
Tiwaz in divinationmodern reconstruction, 20th c.
Paxson: TIWAZ — a legal matter or a situation where one must fight for one's rights and seek justice; to hold to duty and serve a higher truth, if need be through self-sacrifice. It grants moral strength and the will to victory, resolve, and the possibility of conflict.
Tiwaz reversed (merkstave)modern reconstruction, 20th c.
Paxson gives no formal reversal, but cites Gundarsson: negatively — rigidity, prejudice, loss of perspective. A caution: Týr is the god of absolute justice; calling on him, you will get justice, not necessarily victory for yourself in particular.
Tiwaz in rune magicmodern reconstruction, 20th c.
- attaining just victory and success
- building up the spiritual will
- developing the power of positive self-sacrifice
- developing the "power of faith" in magic and religion
- galdr: "tiwaz-tiwaz-tiwaz… ti-i-rr-rr… tu-ta-ti-te-to… Tyr-Tyr"
- Paxson (practice): in the ritual "The Tree of Tyr," the leader puts a stout glove (the "Hand of Týr") on the end of a birch-pole and raises it as an Irminsul — the center of the community ("The glove is raised — the god is with us!").
The historical layerhistorical fact
The reconstructed Proto-Germanic name *tīwaz means “the god Tiwaz / Týr” — that much comes from the rune poems and comparative linguistics. The esoteric readings above are a 20th–21st-century reconstruction, not an attested ancient practice — see the Elder Futhark reference for what is actually historical.
Sources
Esoteric core and magical workings — Thorsson, "Futhark" (1984); divination/shadow/practice — Diana Paxson, "Taking Up the Runes" (2005). Both are 20th–21st-century revival, not antiquity and not proof.
Questions about Tiwaz
What does the Tiwaz rune mean?
Tiwaz (*tīwaz) — the god Tiwaz / Týr. Thorsson presents this as the rune of the power of the god Áss-Týr — the god of law and justice, presiding over the thing (the folk-assembly); it is held to be a force of passive regulation, the one closest to the transcendent. Its central myth is sacrifice: Týr places his hand (his "active faculties") into the jaws of the wolf Fenrir, saving the Æsir, and so Tiwaz is the rune of self-sacrifice, of kings and leaders.
What does Tiwaz reversed mean?
Paxson gives no formal reversal, but cites Gundarsson: negatively — rigidity, prejudice, loss of perspective. A caution: Týr is the god of absolute justice; calling on him, you will get justice, not necessarily victory for yourself in particular.
How do you pronounce Tiwaz?
The sound is “t”; the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name is *tīwaz.