Mannus, son of Tuisto was a mythological character from whom a number of Germanic tribes were descended. Tuisto or Tuisco was according to Tacitus (Germania, ch. ...

The name of this deity means man (as in Homo Sapiens Sapiens). It stems from the same root as the Indo-Iranian Manu, who bequeethed upon the Aryans the "Laws of Manu", which outlines the proper etiquette between members of their social hierarchy. It might also be related to the name of the Celto-Irish deity Manannan mac Leir, for whom the Island of Man is named.

According to Tacitus (Germania), Mannus had three sons whose names can be extrapolated as Ing, Irmin, and Istaev/Iscio. The first two can be positively identified as FreyR (aka Yngvi) and Odinn (aka Jormun) of the Icelandic Eddas.

In terms of the Eddas, Mannus seems to most closely resemble Heimdall (World's Brightness). In the opening passage of the Voluspa, men are referred to as being Heimdall's kin, while in the poem Rigsthula he is shown uniting each of the hierarchal ranks in siblinghood. Furthermore, while Mannus is remembered as being the father of both Odin and Frey, Heimdal is remembered as being an AEsir, but also to have qualities directly linked to the Vanir and to exist in a close paternal relationship to Freyja.

In terms of Eddaic Creation, Mannus is comparable to Bor.

Finally, given his relationship to Tuisto, and their mutual association with the founding of the Germanic peoples, it is possible that both Tuisto and Mannus are those deities alluded to at the end of the Little Voluspa; ushering in the new age according to patterns laid down in the past.

Tacitus (Germania, chapter 2) explicitly mentions the names of these Germanic tribes, claiming descent from Mannus: Gaius Cornelius Tacitus Publius or Gaius Cornelius Tacitus (ca. ... The Germania (Latin title: De Origine et situ Germanorum), written by Gaius Cornelius Tacitus around 98, is an ethnographic work on the diverse set of Germanic tribes outside the Roman Empire. ...

• Ingvaeones (living at the coastal line of the North Sea)
• Irminones (living in the interior part around the Elbe)
• Istvaeones (living at the borders of the river Rhine)

Also referred to as Ingaevones, North Sea Germans (Ingwäonen, Nordsee-Germanen in German). ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... Also referred to as Herminones, Hermiones, Elbe Germans (Irminonen, sometimes called Elb-Germanen in German), a Germanic proto-tribe or cultural group. ... The Elbe River (Czech Labe (help· info), Sorbian/Lusatian Łobjo, German Elbe) is one of the major waterways of Central Europe. ... The Istvaeones (also called Istaevones, Istriaones, Istriones, Sthraones, Thracones, Rhine Germans or Weser-Rhine Germans (Istwäonen, Weser-Rhein-Germanen in German)) were a West Germanic cultural group or proto-tribe. ... At 1,320 kilometres (820 miles) and an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second, the Rhine (German Rhein, French Rhin, Dutch Rijn, Romansch: Rein, Italian: Reno) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe. ...

See also

• Mannaz
• Manu