Anglo-Saxon mythology (also known as Anglian mythology, Anglic mythology, Old English mythology, Jutish mythology and Saxon mythology) is a body of myth that accompanied Anglo-Saxon pagan religion. Little is known about Anglo-Saxon mythology today due to the sparse nature of sources concerning their beliefs.[1]
Gods[]
Wōden[]
Wōden was the chief Anglo-Saxon deity, similar to his Norse counterpart, Óðinn. He had two pet wolves, and his horse had eight legs.[2] Wōden was also the leader of the Wild Hunt.
Þunor[]
Þunor was the god of thunder, like Þórr. Thursday is named after him.
Frige[]
Frige was the goddess of love and festivity,[1] and is the namesake of the day Friday.
Tiw[]
Tiw was the god of war. Tuesday is named after him.
Seaxnēat[]
Seaxnēat (or Saxnōt) was the national god of the Saxons. He is sometimes identified with Tiw.[3]
Hretha[]
Hretha, or Rheda, was a goddess celebrated during Hrethamonath, or March. Hretha seems to have been seasonally focused, associated with the growth, life, and fertility of Spring.[4]
Ēostre[]
Ēostre, for whom Easter was named, was another Spring goddess. Connections are often drawn between the goddess and the holiday, especially with the Easter hare.[5]
Bældæg[]
Bældæg was a counterpart of Norse Baldr, and is listed as an ancestor in several Anglo-Saxon genealogies. His name means "shining day."
Nehalennia[]
Nehalennia was a goddess of unclear origins who may have been worshiped by the Anglo-Saxons. She was afforded power over maritime trade, horticulture, and possibly fertility.
Other Beings[]
Elves[]
There is evidence the Anglo-Saxons believed in elves, testified to by various words such as Ælfgar, meaning "elf spear."
Nicor[]
Nicor were water spirits who shapeshifted to appear in the forms of various creatures.
Giants[]
Several English place names reference thrys, or giants, although these references do not necessarily stem from Anglo-Saxon times.[6]
Dragons[]
Like many other cultures, Anglo-Saxons believed that dragons roamed the countryside.
Videos[]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hutton, Ronald (1991). The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles: Their Nature and Legacy. Oxford and Cambridge: Blackwell.
- ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zxsbcdm/articles/zs3gcdm
- ↑ Grimm, Deutsche Mythologie (1935), trans. Stallybrass (1888), chapter 9
- ↑ Wilson, David Raoul (1992). Anglo-Saxon Paganism. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-415-01897-8
- ↑ Boyle, John Andrew (1974). "The Hare in Myth and Reality: A Review Article" as published in Folklore, Vol. 84, No. 4 (Winter, 1973). Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of Folklore Enterprises Ltd.
- ↑ Stenton, F. M. (1941). "The Historical Bearing of Place-Name Studies: Anglo-Saxon Heathenism". Transactions of the Royal Historical Society. 23: 1–24