Zistac, A Day Honoring the God Ziu

by Sean Jobst

(Source)

Surviving in modern words for Tuesday, our Germanic ancestors honored Ziu, the Sky Father, God of the Thing, of order, justice, and contracts. So we have Schwäbisch Daischdich or Zaischdich, or the Alemannic Zistac.

These have the same root as Middle High German Ziestac, Old High German Ziostag, Frisian Tiesdi, Old Norse Týrdagr, and Old English Tisdæi or Tiwesdæg. Other names, like modern German Dienstag or modern Dutch Dinxendach or Dingsdag, are based on Ziu's association with the Thing.(1)

All our terms ultimately originate from the Proto-Germanic *Tiwaz Dagaz, when our most ancient ancestors from the Steppes were most aware of Him as the Sky Father. Here is how the venerable James Hjuka Coulter, Heathen scholar and founder of the Irminen-Gesellschaft - an organization of continental Germanic Heathenry here in the United States - describes the God Ziu:

“Ziu [An Tyr] No other God or being is more renown for his sense of glory and honor than is the God of the sword. Ziu is the firm keeper of oaths, a God of triuwa [literally 'faithfulness, loyalty, truth,' corresponding to Norse troth] and the fastness of an unwavering and unrelenting trust. He is famous for his great wisdom, is unrivalled in fortitude, and as the old tales tell us, was the only God brave enough to dare to approach and bind the Wolf of Chaos - and unflinchingly sacrificed his right hand in so doing! Ziu is a God of war, most often equated with Mars in Latin chronicles. Germanen of old Sacrificed to him (and Zisa, his wife) for victory in battle, yielding the first spoils, captives, and the weaponry taken in the conflict. In keeping with his patronage over armed conflict, we find his hand in the settings of Thing, ordeal and trial-by-combat. The second day of the week originally bore the God's name: OE Tiwesdæg, OHG Ziestac (Ziu's day), as it is still preserved in the contemporary Tuesday. Today's German Dienstag still corresponds to Ziu, literally translating as Thing's day or Day of Thing.”(2)

I like this meditation/prayer to Ziu, since it incorporates all his qualities as well as giving an honorable mention of the Goddess Zisa, whom I honored with a detailed 2019 article which I hope plays its a role in keeping Her memory alive within our Schwäbisch folk-consciousness and revive Her veneration. The prayer has this wording from the Irminen Gemeinschaft (keeping the collective “we”, which could be changed to “I” for the solitary Heathen):

 

“Ziu, husband to Zisa, Great God of bravery, one-handed god, you chained the Fenris Wolf that threatened the worlds. We can’t do that, but we can do other things, some ordinary, others heroic. Remind us of your bravery and your sacrifice. Give us the courage and strength we need to fetter our own Fenris. Keep us mindful of our duties, and help us keep our fears bound as tightly as you bound old Slaver Mouth. Thus doing, may we share in your glory by imitating you. WE GIVE YOU A MOST HEART-FELT HEIL, ZIU, as we honor the Ziu that resides in us all!”

 

And translated into Schwäbisch (I used this translation service):

 “Ziu, de Zisa sei Ma, de g’randig Mutig, de oihandig Gott, du hasch de Fenris-Wolf, wo d'Welt hätt wolle fresse, festgleit. Mir känn des net so recht, aber mir känn anderi Sach' mache, mal ganz normal und mal richtig heldenhaft. Erinnert uns an deins Mut und des, was du geopfert hasch. Gib uns d'Kraft und d'Stärke, damit mir unsre eigne Fenris bändiga känn. Hilf uns, dass mir unsre Pflichte net vergesse und unsre Ängst so fest im Griff bhalte, wie du den alte Slaver Mouth festgleit hasch. Wenn mir des schaffet, känn mir an deim Ruhm teilhaffa, indem mir dir nachmache. MIR SAGA DIR A RIESI-HERZLICHES HEIL, ZIU, wenn mir de Ziu ehren, der in uns all'em drin steckt!”

 

And translated into modern standard Deutsch:

 “Ziu, Gemahl der Zisa, großer Gott der Tapferkeit, einhändiger Gott: Du hast den Fenriswolf in Ketten gelegt, der die Welten bedrohte. Wir vermögen dies nicht zu tun; doch können wir anderes vollbringen – manches alltäglich, anderes heldenhaft. Erinnere uns an deine Tapferkeit und dein Opfer. Verleih uns den Mut und die Kraft, die wir benötigen, um unseren eigenen Fenris zu fesseln. Halte uns unserer Pflichten eingedenk und hilf uns, unsere Ängste ebenso fest in Banden zu legen, wie du einst den alten Slaver Mouth fesseltest. Auf diese Weise mögen wir an deinem Ruhm teilhaben, indem wir dir nacheifern. WIR ENTBIEGEN DIR EIN TIEF EMPFUNDENES HEIL, ZIU – indem wir jenen Ziu ehren, der in uns allen innewohnt!”

 

Hail Ziu! Hail Ziu! Hail Ziu! 

Notes:

(1) Rudolf Simek, Dictionary of Northern Mythology, trans. Angela Hall, D.S. Brewer, 2007, pp. 334-336.

(2) James Hjuka Coulter, Germanic Heathenry: A Practical Guide, 1st Books Library, 2003, pp. 85-86.