Germanic paganism
Germanic paganism was a religion. It was a form of paganism. It was practiced in Central and Northern Europe before Christianity came there. The best documented form is called Norse paganism today. The religion was polytheistic, there were many gods. The main ones seem to have been Odin and Thor. Beforehand, the most important one may have been Tyr.
Modern influence[change | change source]
| Day | Origin |
|---|---|
| Monday | Moon's day |
| Tuesday | Tiw's (Tyr's) day |
| Wednesday | Wóden 's (Odin's) day |
| Thursday | Þunor's (Thor's) day |
| Friday | Frigg's day |
| Sunday | Sun's day |
The Germanic gods have affected elements of every day western life in most countries that speak Germanic languages. An example is some of the names of the days of the week. The days were named after Roman gods in Latin (named after Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn). The names for Tuesday through Friday were replaced with Germanic versions of the Roman gods. In English and Dutch, Saturn was not replaced. Saturday is named after the Sabbath in German, and is called "washing day" in Scandinavia.
Also, many place names such as Woodway House, Wansdyke, Thundersley and Frigedene are named after the old deities of the English people.
