Key Info

- Cursed magical sword that could cut through any material but also brings misfortune and death to its wielder

Brief Bio

Tyrfing is a legendary, cursed magical sword from Norse mythology, created by dwarves under duress and known for its unparalleled sharpness, which could cut through any material, but also for bringing misfortune and death to its wielder. The sword features in the Tyrfing Cycle, appearing in tales such as the Hervararkviða and the Hervarar Saga.

As described in its legends, Tyrfing was the keenest of all blades; every time it was drawn a light shone from it like a ray of the sun. It could never be held unsheathed without being the death of a man, and it had always to be sheathed with blood still warm upon it. There was no living thing, neither man nor beast, that could live to see another day if it were wounded by Tyrfing, whether the wound were big or little; never had it failed in a stroke or been stayed before it plunged into the earth, and the man who bore it in battle would always be victorious, if blows were struck with it.

Certain stories seem to imply that Tyrfing is capable of deicide, as shown when King Heidrek recognizes the god Odin in a disguise and strikes at him, forcing Odin to transform into a hawk to escape the blow.