He is thought to be one of the oldest Germanic gods known. The most common myth of his birth attributes him as being the son of The All-Father Odin and an unnamed mother. Though others reference him as a Jotun from the union of Hymir and Hrod.

He is most well known for his binding of Loki's child by the Jotun giantess Angrboda, the wolf Fenrir. This binding ultimately was what cost Týr his right hand and his friendship with Fenrir. Fenrir was bound beneath the earth until Ragnarok when he would break his bonds and unleash his fury on the gods. The story is as follows.

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The All Father Odin received a prophecy from a Völva concerning his fate, Ragnarok, and Loki's monster offspring. Among them being Fenrir, a wolf that would grow so strong and great in size that it would devour the sun itself. This prophecy was not just of Odin's death, but the destruction of all the worlds. Fearing this, Odin sent the gods to collect the children of Loki. As they journeyed back the wolf grew larger every day, and every day Tyr fed and played with it. Eventually the other gods grew fearful and by the time they reached Ásgarðr the wolf was so large and powerful that only Týr had the courage to approach it.

The wolf began to sew fear in the hearts of the Æsir, and the gods decided that the only course of action was to bind him so that he could not harm anyone. The gods presented the first binding as a game, which Fenrir gladly played by snapping the binding with minimal effort and boasting how mighty he was. Discomfort within the Æsir ranks grew but they resolved to try again. They made a second, mightier binding which they presented as a second opportunity to prove that the wolf's strength was even greater. This time the wolf struggled for a moment before finally breaking the bindings.

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The gods were growing fearful. Odin was left with no choice but to seek out the dwarves and ask for their most powerful magical bindings. The dwarves then fashioned Gleipnir which had the looks of a fine silk ribbon. It made from six ingredients: the sound of a cats step, a woman's beard, the roots of a mountain, a bear's sensibility, the breath of a fish, and spittle of a bird. Some have said that the reason these ingredients can no longer be found is because they were used on Gleipnir.

Having been bound twice the wolf Fenrir wasn't apt to be chained a third time. So when the Æsir gods approached him asking that he try to break Gleipnir, Fenrir

asked that one of them place their hands within his jaws as a sign of good faith. Of all the Æsir it was his childhood friend Týr who came forward and placed his right hand in the great wolf's jaws. Týr swore an oath that should Fenrir be unable to break Gleipnir, the gods would untie him and declare him the strongest being in all the lands. Týr being the god of Honor, Fenrir had no thoughts that his friend was betraying him.

The binding placed around him. He fought with all of his strength to break it, but when it became apparent he couldn't, he was enraged. With a great howl that rang through the Nine Worlds Fenrir closed his jaws down on Týr's hand. His former friend had betrayed him.

The gods took the wolf to an isolated location and when he attempted to lash out at them, lodged a sword in his mouth to hold it open. It was said that the drool that ran from his gaping mouth formed a river. In that place Fenrir will remain bound until Ragnarok. At that time the fate of the gods will be fulfilled, the prophecy of the Völva will come to pass, and Fenrir will devour the All Father himself before dying at the hand of Odin's son, Víðarr. Till then the great wolf waits... Seething still at his binding and betrayal by his friend . When those days come to pass and the dust from the battles of Ragnarok settles, Týr will have ultimately paid with his life.