In the wake of the popularity of films from the Marvel studio about the adventures of the god Thor, interest in Scandinavian mythology as a whole has increased. Among the gods of the northern pantheon there are many interesting personalities. In this article we will tell about the Scandinavian god Tire. Let us also pay attention to the Phoenician city of the same name to remind: consonant names and names in history are not always interconnected.
Origin of Tire
There are different versions of the pronunciation of the name of this god, but most often the form is Tyr or Tyr. In some Germanic tribes he was called Ziu or Tivaz, and in the Latinized version - Tius. In Scandinavian mythology, the god Tyr is the son of the supreme deity Odin or the giant Gimir.
The name Tyr is etymologically associated with many other cognate names of celestials (Thor, Tuisto, Zeus, Dionysus, Dievas), as well as with Latin and Sanskrit words denoting deities - Deus and Deva. This name indicates that once Tyr in the heavenly hierarchy was at the top of the pantheon and most likely was the god of heaven in the early Scandinavian myths. Then from this place he was replaced by Odin. Because of what exactly such a change in beliefs has occurred, modern historians and culturologists are unknown. There is a version that this is somehow connected with the myth of the capture of Fenrir, because of which Tyr lost his hand, and other gods began to make fun of him.
Spawn of Angrboda
In Scandinavian mythology, the most striking episode with the participation of the god Tyr refers to the taming of the monstrous wolf Fenrir (the creature of the god of cunning and treachery Loki and the giantess of Angrboda). In total, Angrboda gave birth to Loki three children, if monsters, of course, can be called children:
- The snake of Yermungand, who grew so large that it encircled the whole Earth and all other worlds. He dwells on the seabed and rises to land when Ragnarok (the end of the world) arrives.
- Goddess Hel, mistress of the kingdom of the dead. Half she is a virgin with a beautiful appearance, but the other half of her body is a semi-decomposed corpse. During the Ragnarok, she will lead the army of the dead to the living.
- Wolf Fenrir. The furious beast was captured by the aces and is waiting in the wings. During the end of the world, he will fight with the supreme god Odin and kill him. He himself will perish at the hands of the god of vengeance Vidar.
Fenrir Wolf Captivity
Initially, Fenrir was not considered dangerous and was taken by aces to Asgard for education. The wolf grew wild and strong, he did not allow anyone to feed himself, except the god Tyr, which made the story later become even more dramatic. The Asses, realizing that Fenrir is a significant threat, decided to chain him. The first two attempts were unsuccessful: Fenrir tore the strong and powerful chains: Leding and Dromi. Then the aces decided to go on a trick and use magic. The third chain, called Gleipnir, was forged by the dwarves, creating it from a female beard, the noise of cat's feet, bird's saliva, bear's veins, mountain roots and fish voices. This chain turned out to be soft and light, like a ribbon.
Seeing Gleipnir, Fenrir immediately suspected something was wrong, but agreed to shackle himself only on condition that one of the aces put his hand in his mouth in confidence. And it was the valiant god Tire, who fed him a puppy, who agreed to this step, knowing what he was doing. When Fenrir was unable to free himself, he bit off the brush of Tyr lying in his mouth. Since then, Tyr has been called the One-armed.
God of military valor
The one-armed god Tyr in the northern tradition became an example of valor and real military honor. The episode with a bitten off hand symbolized the ability to answer for one’s words and served as an example of responsibility for one’s actions. These qualities make Tire not only the god of war and battle, but also justice. For the ancient Scandinavian and Germanic tribes, these two concepts were inextricable.
It is believed that the god of war, Mars, corresponds to Tyrus in Roman mythology. This is confirmed by the names of the days of the week: English Tuesday and Norwegian Tirsdag correspond with the Latin Martis. Also Tiru-Tiwazu corresponds to the rune of Teyvaz, depicted in the form of an arrow aimed at the sky. This rune is associated with masculinity, destructive power and the ability to attack and defend.
Another Tier: a city, not a god
If somewhere you come across a mention of the ancient city of Tire, then know that he has nothing to do with the god Tire from the Scandinavian and German traditions. This is an ancient Phoenician city, located on the territory of modern Lebanon on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Its history began two millennia BC.
What god was worshiped in Tire?
In this Phoenician city, several deities were venerated above the rest. For the inhabitants of Tire, the most significant was Usoos, the navigator god, who, according to legend, became its founder. It was believed that before the appearance of Usoos, Tyr was an island and drifted on the sea, and God made him freeze, sacrificing an animal (the eagle is most often mentioned in legends).
But even more important than the founding father of Usoos, for the tyrants was the god Melkart, who was also revered as the patron saint of navigation. It is believed that it was Melkart that became the prototype of Heracles for the ancient Greeks: the Phoenician myths about this deity contain many stories like two drops of water similar to the Greek Heracles. In Tire there was a temple dedicated to Melkart, erected by one of the kings. Over time, the Phoenicians became more and more skilled in naval affairs and more and more honored their patron. The god of navigation also turned into a god of colonization. The modern Strait of Gibraltar, the Phoenicians called Melkartovymi pillars, believing that it was he who helped sailors get there. It is interesting that the Greeks called the coastal cliffs Heracles pillars, attributing to this hero the creation of the strait itself by pushing the mountains to the sides.