Tiwaz Rune (ᛏ) — Meaning, Upright & Reversed

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Tiwaz (ᛏ) — Elder Futhark rune 17 of 24. justice, sacrifice, honour. Upright and reversed meanings for love, career, and spiritual guidance.

Tiwaz

Rune 17 of 24 · Tyr's Ætt · Air

Meaning

Tiwaz (Tyr) opens the third ætt with the rune of the sky god of justice and sacrifice. Tyr gave his hand as a pledge to bind the Fenris wolf, sacrificing a part of himself for the good of all — Tiwaz governs justice enacted through sacrifice, honour, and the warrior spirit that acts in service of something beyond itself.

Rune name
Tiwaz
Letter
ᛏ (T)
Number
17 of 24
Ætt
Tyr's Ætt (third)
Element
Air
Yes / No
Yes

Upright meanings

General

Justice and right action. A sacrifice made for a higher purpose. Honour and integrity as guides. Victory that comes from alignment with truth.

Love

A relationship governed by fairness and honour. Sacrifice made willingly for a partner or the relationship. Commitment as a sacred oath.

Career

Fair outcomes. Legal or ethical matters resolving in your favour. Work that requires integrity and gets it. Leadership through service.

Spiritual

The spiritual warrior — acting in alignment with truth even when it costs something. Justice as a spiritual principle.

Reversed meaning

Injustice, failed sacrifice, cowardice, or a cause that is not worth the cost.

Love (reversed)

Unfairness in a relationship. Sacrifice that is not reciprocal or is not willingly given.

Career (reversed)

Legal or professional matters going against you. An environment that is unjust. Acting against your own integrity.

Tiwaz in dreams

Warriors, sacrifices, balance scales, swords, and encounters with figures of authority and justice may carry Tiwaz's energy. Dreams of pledging something important, or of a wound willingly taken for a greater good, invoke this rune.

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Historical background

Tyr (*Týr* in Old Norse) was the Norse god of justice, law, and war — older than Odin in the Germanic pantheon, as evidenced by 'Tuesday' (Tyr's day). His sacrifice of his hand to bind the Fenris wolf is one of the most mythologically significant acts in Norse cosmology: justice requiring sacrifice, the law upheld through loss.

Real-world reference: Tiwaz rune on Wikipedia — for the general background concept this page applies to a specific sign or house.

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FAQ

What does the Tiwaz rune mean?

Tiwaz (Tyr) opens the third ætt with the rune of the sky god of justice and sacrifice. Tyr gave his hand as a pledge to bind the Fenris wolf, sacrificing a part of himself for the good of all — Tiwaz governs justice enacted through sacrifice, honour, and the warrior spirit that acts in service of something beyond itself.

What does Tiwaz mean in a rune reading?

Justice and right action. A sacrifice made for a higher purpose. Honour and integrity as guides. Victory that comes from alignment with truth.

What does reversed Tiwaz mean?

Injustice, failed sacrifice, cowardice, or a cause that is not worth the cost.

What is Tiwaz's element and ætt?

Tiwaz belongs to Tyr's Ætt (the third ætt of the Elder Futhark) and is associated with the Air element. It is rune number 17 in the 24-rune sequence.

What does Tiwaz mean in dreams?

Warriors, sacrifices, balance scales, swords, and encounters with figures of authority and justice may carry Tiwaz's energy. Dreams of pledging something important, or of a wound willingly taken for a greater good, invoke this rune.