Two mermaid carvings. The first from Crowcombe Church includes a greenman style head with a mermaid and merman, whilst the second and the more famous carving is from Church of St Senara, in Zennor.
Legend has it that a mermaid had been visiting the church, being drawn there on hearing a young man named Mathey Trewella sing. She visited the church for years but was said to never age – drawing suspicion from the villagers. At the same time fishermen were hearing tales of the mermaid being seen at sea – all confirmed when one day sailors dropped anchor on the door to the mermaid’s home trapping her children inside. The mermaid had no choice but to swim to the surface and ask the sailors to raise anchor. On hearing this, the church goers decided to follow the lady home after she again visited the church to hear Mathey sing. She was followed to the seas edge and knowing that her true identity had been discovered the mermaid swam away never to be seen again.
Legend has it that a mermaid had been visiting the church, being drawn there on hearing a young man named Mathey Trewella sing. She visited the church for years but was said to never age – drawing suspicion from the villagers. At the same time fishermen were hearing tales of the mermaid being seen at sea – all confirmed when one day sailors dropped anchor on the door to the mermaid’s home trapping her children inside. The mermaid had no choice but to swim to the surface and ask the sailors to raise anchor. On hearing this, the church goers decided to follow the lady home after she again visited the church to hear Mathey sing. She was followed to the seas edge and knowing that her true identity had been discovered the mermaid swam away never to be seen again.
Wild daffodils are native to England and are known as the flower of March. They were once known as the Lide-lily or Lide-flower, later becoming the Lent-lily. Lide comes from Hlyda which was another name for March (or Hrēðmōnaþ). Hlyda (possibly meaning loud) is attested in the OE Leechdoms ‘thone Martius the menn hatath Hlyda’ (March, which is called Hlyda).
Two month names are given for March in OE, Hlýda and Hrêðmônað. Hrêðmônað means Hreða or Rheda’s month. Hreða is a largely unknown goddess mentioned by Bede, though her name is also found in compound words like hrēð-sigor which meant ‘glorious victory’. Rudolf Simek compared her to the Roman god Mars , who gave his name to March, whilst Grimm compared Hreða with the OHG Hruod or Hruodâ. In the wider Germanic world we find a similar name Hroðr, who according to some is the mother of Tyr.
Hreða’s name may be connected to OE hrêðan which meant to rejoice. Other suggestions are her name means fierce, from the root (h)rēðe, hrēðan – to rejoice, hrēð – victory or glory and hræð – to be quick. If she was a goddess worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons there may be places named after her, Hreodford (now known as Redbridge) being one possibility.
Hrethmonath is named for their goddess Hretha, to whom they sacrificed at this time – Bede.
Hreða’s name may be connected to OE hrêðan which meant to rejoice. Other suggestions are her name means fierce, from the root (h)rēðe, hrēðan – to rejoice, hrēð – victory or glory and hræð – to be quick. If she was a goddess worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons there may be places named after her, Hreodford (now known as Redbridge) being one possibility.
Hrethmonath is named for their goddess Hretha, to whom they sacrificed at this time – Bede.
Some photos from a visit my children and I made to Sutton Hoo today. I've been meaning to make the trip for years and the museum was well worth the journey.
When entering the Sutton Hoo museum, you are met with this very impressive helmet sculpture. We can see the nose and eyebrow section of the helmet clearly form the shape of bird. One eye is also lit, to reflect the fact that gold foil backed the garnets over the wearers right eye on the original helmet, causing the wearers eye to flicker in the fire light. The owner of the helmet was clearly a devotee of Woden.
Forwarded from Stiðen Āc Heorð
This large wooden carving greets visitors to the West Stow Anglo Saxon museum and shows the gods and goddess who give their names to Tuesday (Tiwesdaeg) Wednesday (Wednesdaeg) Thursday (Thunresdaeg) and Friday (Frigesdaeg).
photo by Hāmasson
photo by Hāmasson
Bede wrote that Rædwald converted to Christianity whilst visiting the kingdom of Kent, but on returning to his native Anglia reverted back to paganism as his wife still worshipped the old gods. As Bede said – Rædwald was committed to the crime of having an ‘arula’ or alter dedicated for offerings to the heathen gods, claiming the alter (weoh) was at Rendil’s steading. In November 2023 the site of what is believed to be his temple was discovered in Rendlesham.
King Rædwald by Josh Stoneley.
King Rædwald by Josh Stoneley.
Bede is quoted as stating our English ancestors only observed two seasons, summer which started when the light returns after the efnniht and winter when the light diminishes:
The old English people split the year into two seasons, summer and winter, placing six months — during which the days are longer than the nights — in summer, and the other six in winter. - Bede.
This can be seen in the shape of the Elder Futhark Jera rune which is the only rune split into two, summer and winter. The Old English Gér rune carries the same symbolism but has a central stave running through the middle. Jera and Gér both mean year as well as harvest associating the runes with the end of the year whilst the cognate Slavic terms Jara and Jaro both mean spring.
The old English people split the year into two seasons, summer and winter, placing six months — during which the days are longer than the nights — in summer, and the other six in winter. - Bede.
This can be seen in the shape of the Elder Futhark Jera rune which is the only rune split into two, summer and winter. The Old English Gér rune carries the same symbolism but has a central stave running through the middle. Jera and Gér both mean year as well as harvest associating the runes with the end of the year whilst the cognate Slavic terms Jara and Jaro both mean spring.