An Anglo Saxon runic silver-gilt finger ring discovered in Quadring, Lincolnshire England. The runes are believed to read *Udnan hring ǣh, or *Udnan owns [the] ring.

The Norse word vǫlva is connected to the vǫlr, the staff used by the seeress. The English word was Hellruna / Helleruna or one who counsels (rūna) with the underworld. In English lore the staff of the Hellruna was often made of Hawthorn, hence a connection between words such as hægðorn (hawthorn) and hægtesse (witch).

Hymn to Woden
- William Lisle Bowles (24 September 1762 – 7 April 1850).

God of the battle, hear our prayer!
By the lifted falchion's glare;
By the uncouth fane sublime,
Marked with many a Runic rhyme;
By the 'weird sisters' dread,
That, posting through the battle red,
Choose the slain, and with them go
To Valhalla's halls below,
Where the phantom-chiefs prolong
Their echoing feast, a giant throng,
And their dreadful beverage drain
From the skulls of warriors slain:
God of the battle, hear our prayer;
And may we thy banquet share!
Save us, god, from slow disease;
From pains that the brave spirit freeze;
From the burning fever's rage;
From wailings of unhonoured age,
Drawing painful his last breath;
Give us in the battle death!
Let us lift our glittering shield,
And perish, perish in the field!
Now o'er Cumri's hills of snow
To death, or victory, we go;
Hark! the chiefs their cars prepare;
See! they bind their yellow hair;
Frenzy flashes from their eye,
They fly--our foes before them fly!
Woden, in thy empire drear,
Thou the groans of death dost hear,
And welcome to thy dusky hall
Those that for their country fall!
Hail, all hail the godlike train,
That with thee the goblet drain;
Or with many a huge compeer,
Lift, as erst, the shadowy spear!
Whilst Hela's inmost caverns dread
Echo to their giant tread,
And ten thousand thousand shields
Flash lightning o'er the glimmering fields!
Hark! the battle-shouts begin--
Louder sounds the glorious din:
Louder than the ice's roar,
Bursting on the thawing shore;
Or crashing pines that strew the plain,
When the whirlwinds hurl the main!
Riding through the death-field red,
And singling fast the destined dead,
See the fatal sisters fly!
Now my throbbing breast beats high--
Now I urge my panting steed,
Where the foemen thickest bleed.
Soon exulting I shall go,
Woden, to thy halls below;
Or o'er the victims, as they die,
Chant the song of Victory!

Ēostre the dawn goddess has the suffix ‘stre’ in her name which denotes she holds sway over the dawn (indicted by the prefix ‘eost’ or east). This is likely the dawning of spring, the coming new year of greenery and regeneration. We can attribute the daily dawn to Dellingr. ‘Delling’s door’, which appears in the Hávamál and Hervarar’s saga seems to be a kenning for the rising sun, but this shouldn’t be a surprise as Dellingr is the father of Day.

Discovered by Dean Young, this gold ring has gone on display at Epping Forest Museum. The garnet stone design depicts one of Woden’s ravens.

Wessex Nomad mentions in his post here how Sunne is represented as a sun god and not as a goddess. The sculptor of both the Thunor and Sunne statues (housed at the V&A museum) was John Michael Rysbrack. Thunor and Sunne where part of a series of seven statues representing the Anglo Saxon gods who gave their names to the days of the week. Mona, Tiw, Woden, Frig and Sætere sculptures can still be found at Stowe Gardens, Buckinghamshire.

Rysbrack took his inspiration from artist Richard Verstegan (1550-1640) who in 1605 produced an etched engraving of the Saxon gods. It was his work that was used as the bases for much of the imagery associated with the gods throughout the Georgian era, including his impression of the largely unknown god Krodo. Not only was his art the inspiration for Rysbrack’s sculptures but William Burges’ stained glass windows (each of the same gods) which can be seen at Cardiff castle in Wales.

A man shall not boast of his keenness of mind - but keep it close in his breast. To the silent and wise does ill come seldom - when he goes as guest to a house.

Havamal (stanza 6)

A tiny early Anglo Saxon gilt bronze mount, with a spiral swastika surrounded by four Salin I-style animal legs. Found in Suffolk, 5-7th Century. 𖥹

Anglo Saxon dragons carving by the Sutton Hoo Ships Company.

Naenigne ic under swegle
selran hyrde
hordmaththum haeletha,
sithan Hama aetwaeg
to thaere byrhtan byrig
Brosingamene,
sigle ond sincfaet;

I have heard tell of
no better treasure fit
for princes
Since Hama carried back
to the Shining Citadel
Brisingamen
that ornament and Gem

There is very little reference to Freya in Old English, but in Beowulf there is reference to Freya's necklace Brísingamen or Brosingamene. It was returned by Hama, an OE name for Heimdallr, who in the Skáldskaparmal is called 'Seeker of Freyja's Necklace'.

Gæð a wyrd swa hio scel
Fate goes ever as she shall.

Some interesting thoughts on the use of AI in heathenry, from Raven Folk United.

Post 1 and post 2.

It is England’s national day today and the imagery often presented in celebration is George the Dragon Slayer. Legend describes George killing the dragon at Dragon hill, under the Uffington White Horse. The christian George is but a folk memory of our own dragon slayers - Thunor, Beowulf and Sigeweard. So tonight our family-hearth will be honouring the English Nation, our folk and history.

Hāl the White Dragon of England, hāl the dragon slayer!

woodcut Albrecht Dürer (c1501)

Green Man carvings like this 15th century example from Sampford Courtenay, Devon could depict ethem (OE Æþm, ON Önd) or breath. Woden’s divine breath gave Ash and Embla life. Such carvings can be found throughout England dating back to the 12th century. The name ‘green man’ was coined by Lady Julia Somerset Raglan in March 1939 for the journal Folklore. Prior to this these faces were known by such names as Green George and Jack in the Green, the latter figure being associated with English May day celebrations.