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.
I don't use the Armanen runes personally, but this carving is still interesting. Carved into a rock face deep in the German countryside, it shows the Armanen runes stacked into six pillars representing the Externsteine. Above the pillars are a stylised sun and moon, with a lake below. Unfortunately the carving has been defaced since I took this photo.
A few more photos from the same Germany trip. First is the Hermannsdenkmal or Hermann's Memorial, a towering 53 meter tall statue of Arminuis erected between 1838 and 1875 by Ernst von Bandel. This is the view we normally see as the photo was taken from the ground. What we don’t see is Hermann crushing the Roman standard under his feet. Second photo is the Teutoburg Forest where his famous battle against the Roman Legions took place. In the final photo, taken at the Externsteine you can see the rock formations form the outline of a figure with their arms out-stretched. This is said to be Woden hanging on the World Pillar. There is even a hole on the right side of his chest as if he was pierced by his spear.
A detailed copy of the Sutton Hoo purse lid. On each side is a figure flanked by wolves. They are often described as representing the English god Tiw, however I would suggest this figure is Woden with his wolves, which only furthers my view Rædwald was a devotee of Woden.
Thursley and Thundersley - two English place names that both derive from the Old English Þunres lēah or Thunor's meadow.
The plant hemlock (Conium maculatum) is related to carrot and parsnip, however is deadly poisonous. In folklore it’s associated with Woden. An OE name for the plant as wodewistle meaning wode’s whistle. The stem of the plant is hollow and it was a custom to make whistles from non-poisonous related plants. However folk sometimes misidentified their plants, choosing hemlock instead and breathing in its fume induced a response that resembled madness. In Low German the plant was referred to as woden-ðung, ðung being cognate with the OE thung or ðung which in OE was used to describe other poisonous plants such as wolfsbane.
Forwarded from Stiðen Āc Heorð
A collection of Anglo Saxon burial urns found across Suffolk, on display at the West Stow Anglo Saxon museum. The fylfot symbol which is associated with Woden is often found on these types of urns, and decorates the largest urn pictured above.
photos taken by Hāmasson.
photos taken by Hāmasson.
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Short video I made at the West Kennet long barrow which was built around 3650 BC. Unlike Wayland's Smithy, West Kennet is large enough to explore,
Some photos I took at the Avebury stone circle. The circle is huge, being 1.3km in circumference, the village of Avebury being partly built inside the circle. Christians not only built a chapel inside the circle but smashed up many of the standing stones to construct it. One of the main roads that runs through the circle is the Herepath, from the OE here-pæð or military path. These paths were used by English soldiers as paths between burh's in the wars against the Danes.