To make a long story short, it seems that Tiw used to be a big shot, up there with Odin and Thor in Norse mythology. He may even have been chief of the gods. But culture can be fickle and cruel. Think Miley Cyrus replacing Hillary Duff. Nowadays it’s not clear who he was exactly, or how to pronounce his name. We just have hints.
There’s a lot to like about Tiw: He’s a war god, associated with courage and combat. He may have had a female companion named Zisa. And listen to how he lost his hand:
There was a huge wolf named Fenris who was prophesized to eventually kill Odin, king of the gods. Understandably, the gods decided to restrain the beast while he was still growing. Fenris kept breaking his tethers, so the gods asked the dwarves to use their magic to craft a super leash called Gleipnir.
Tuesday really is named for a one-handed god named Tiw. Who is he? | The Hot Word
