Tiwaz is a powerful rune that is the first rune in Tyr’s Aett. I drew it the other day as I was facing several difficult challenges including a very sick dog. I was falling apart emotionally and this rune helped me to summon my inner warrior so I could fight for what my dog needed to hopefully get better. My dog needed me to be a calm, confident presence at his side and this rune helped me to be that for him.

Tiwaz is typically a rune of justice. For me, it speaks of fighting for what is good and right and true. Sometimes this involves sacrifice so we need to be prepared to lose something during the battle. It calls us to be brave and courageous as we summon our strength for whatever task we are called to do.

The story associated with this rune is the wolf Fenrir, son of Loki, who grew stronger every day. The gods worried Fenrir might become a danger to them so they devised a plan. They asked Fenrir if they could bind him in chains in order to test his strength. Fenrir agreed and broke through the chains easily. They did this a second time and Fenrir easily broke through those as well. The gods tried this a third time with special chains made by dwarves. but Fenrir grew suspicious. He agreed to the test if one of the gods was willing to play his hand in Fenrir’s mouth. Tyr was the only one to volunteer. The chains held and Fenrir bit of Tyr’s hand. Yet even with one hand, Tyr became known as one of the strongest and most courageous of warriors among the gods. That’s the kind of fortitude we’re talking about when Tiwaz appears.

It goes without saying that the times we are living in are perilous. Marginalized groups of people are being attacked in the United States with a ferocity I’ve never seen before. It’s time for all of us magical people to summon our Tyr energy and fight for what we know is just. Don’t be paralyzed with fear. Help whoever and wherever you can.

While studying the runes, I wrote a series to rune poems to help me understand their meaning. Here’s what I came up with for Tiwaz.

David Taliesin Rune Poem:
When TIWAZ appears a battle is near,
So fight for justice and have no fear.
A warrior’s courage you must possess,
With strength and courage you’ll find success.

Copyright ©2025 by David Taliesin, http://www.sabbatsandsabbaths.com