Tyr is the namesake of Tuesday, or tysdagr in old Norse.

Olive-, coconut-, and almond oils, shea- and cocoa butter, lingonberry from Vesterålen, essential oils from lemon, May Chang, pigmentation and rosemary extract. This soap contains to artificial preservatives.

Lingonberry is a small, evergreen plant with leathery leaves and red berries. Its latin name, vaccinium vitis-idaea, can be translated to “wine from the mountain”. Perhaps we should have called the lingonberry  “mountain grape”? The berry has been foraged and used for thousands of years in the north. For example, a 3000-year old lingonberry wine was found in a viking grave in Denmark.

The lingonberry plant was, like many others, used for medicinal purposes. The berry contains organic acids, like benzoic- and salicylic acid, vitamin C, A, B (B1, B2, B3), calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Not only that, but the berry also contains photochemicals which are said to aid with urinary tract unfections. The lingonberry is well-regarded, and Christians often thought the cross-shaped remnants of the plant’s flower resembled the crucifix.

Warm lingonberry juice is said to help with sore throat, coughing, and the common cold. The salicylic acid is antipyretic. This is why many Scandinavians kept buckets of water with lingonberry in them, from which they would take a couple of sips every day to stay healthy. The juice was also used to treat measles, kidney disease, scurvy, and as a laxative. Eating a fistful of lingonberry before bedtime would ensure a good night’s sleep.

The rest of the lingonberry plant was also utilized. Its leaves contain tannin, and teas and decoction from these were used to treat the cold, fevers, arthritis, rheumatism, diarrhea, and urinary tract infections. Lingonberry flowers were dried and used to brew tea as a rudimentary treatment for asthma.

With its blood-red color, it is only natural that our lingonberry soap is named after Tyr, the Norse god of war. It is he who decides who lives and who dies, who triumphs and who suffers defeat, who returns home dirty and who comes back home to Tyr’s Warrior Soap. He is also the god of honor and justice.

Tyr plays a large role in the saga of Loke’s child, Fenrir. The Æsir know a prophecy that speaks of Odin’s death, fighting the great wolf Fenrir. They cannot slay him for even the Æsir cannot defy fate, but they bring Fenrir to Asgard to keep him under watch.

As time goes by, Fenrir grows so large and fearsome that only the bravest of the Æsir, Tyr, dares feed him. For their safety, they decide to chain Fenrir.

The Æsir challenge Fenrir to break his chains, and they bind him with the solid chain Løding, which he breaks effortlessly. Then, they try the chain Drome, which Fenrir also breaks. On their third attempt, the Æsir bids the dwarves forge a magical chain made from the roots of the mountain, woman’s beard, tendons of the bear, breath of the fish, spit of birds, and the sound of cat’s paws. This chain, forged from the impossible, was called Gleipne. It was thin and light as silk.

The Æsir taunt Fenrir into letting himself be bound with Gleipne. Fenrir suspected their treachery, but let himself be bound out of pride; he couldn’t afford to tarnish his reputation with cowardice. As a sort of collateral, Fenrir demands one of the Æsir put their hand in his mouth. None but Tyr dare do as he says. When Fenrir was finally chained, the gods refused to free him again. For their betrayal, Tyr lost his right hand.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil

• Coconut oil

• Almond oil

• Shea butter

• Cocoa butter

• Lingonberries from Vesterålen

• Essential oil of lemon

• Essential oil by May Chang

• Color pigment

• Rosemary extract

• The soap contains no artificial preservatives

OLEA EUROPAEA FRUIT OIL, PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS OIL, COCOS NUCIFERA OIL, THEOBROMA CACAO SEED BUTTER, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER, VACCINIUM VITIS-IDAEA FRUIT, LITSEA CUBEBA FRUIT OIL, CITRUS LIMON PEEL OIL, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS LEAF EXTRACT, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS SEED OIL, LIMONENE, CITRAL, GERANIOL, LINALOOL, CITRONELLOL, CI 77491