What were the pre-Christian religious traditions of England like? This two part series serves as an introduction to Anglo-Saxon paganism. In this video we will look at the evidence we have for the pagan gods of the Anglo-Saxons and will compare them to what we know about the Norse equivalents that Vikings worshipped. At times it is also necessary to use Indo-European comparative mythology to understand the gods and goddesses of the Anglo-Saxons. “Anglo-Saxon paganism” refers to the Germanic pagan traditions brought to Britain in the 5th century and which persisted in surprising ways even after the Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon England over the 7th and 8th century.
Thanks to Wulfheodenas for modelling their Vendel era Germanic weapons and clothing.
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Art:
Alex Cristi - Erce.
Andrew Whyte - Nehalennia.
Christian Sloan Hall - Eastre
.
Gramanh Folcwald - Hengist and Horsa.
Hungerstein - Tiw
.
Robert Molyneaux - Yeavering temple
.
Ryan Murray - Modra.
1st Aquarian - Migration map.
Music:
Aethelruna - Modraniht Overture
Bark Sound Productions - various
Borg - compositions from The Triumph of Spring
Cefin Beorn - various
Doug Maxwell - various
Elegiac - Ashwind interlude
Halindir - Hedelandet II
Kevin McLeod - various
Ormgård - Sjálfsforn
Sean O Rourke - Contentment is wealth
Sjhof - Loki’s meditation
Stark von Oben - Rise of Tiamat
Sun and moon dance - Hymne til Freyja
Torulf - Rite of the Heart
Wolcensmen - Sunne
Wolcensmen - A fine Way to Die
Xuriuos - Steppe expansion
Sources:
Chaney, W. A. 1972. The Cult of Kingship in Anglo-Saxon England: The Transition from Paganism to Christianity, The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory, 47:2, 141-143
Das, R. et al. 2016. Localizing Ashkenazic Jews to Primeval Villages in the Ancient Iranian Lands of Ashkenaz, Genome Biology and Evolution, Volume 8, Issue 4.
Dowden, K. 2000. European Paganism: The Realities of Cult from Antiquity to the Middle Ages. London and New York: Routledge. p. 229.
https://amzn.to/2SYhySz
Dumezil, G. 1988. ‘Mitra-Varuna: An Essay on Two Indo-European Representations of Sovereignty’
https://amzn.to/3gON9iX
Ealdorblotere, T. 2020. To Hold the Holytides.
Faussett, B. 1856, Inventorium Sepulchrale. An Account of Some Antiquities dug up at Gilton, Kingston, Sibertswold, Bafriston, Beakesbourne, Chartham, and Crundale, in the County of Kent, from A.D. 1757 to A.D. 1773 (London 1856).
Grimm, J. 1835. Deutsche Mythologie. https://amzn.to/2Snskle
Helmbrecht, M. 2012. A winged figure from Uppåkra Helmbrecht
http://samla.raa.se/xmlui/bitstream/handle/raa/5477/2012_171.pdf?sequence=1&fbclid=IwAR1PAFVh-Jxayx6VhtGym5OYs5vSE5NCRWJEEpvYsQv49wvJeZ4v9tud50k
Kemble, J. M. 1876. The Saxons in England. https://amzn.to/3qioPZT
Kershaw, K. 2000. ‘The one-eyed god: Odin and the (Indo-)Germanic Männerbünde’ (Journal of Indo-European studies monograph). https://amzn.to/3qrPUKg
Nordberg, Andreas. 2006. Jul, disting och förkyrklig tideräkning: Kalendrar och kalendariska riter i det förkristna Norden. Kungl. Gustav Adolfs Akademien för svensk folkkultur: Uppsala
North, R. 1997 Heathen gods in Old English literature. Cambridge University Press. https://amzn.to/3gQW03m
North, R. Old English 'wopes hring' and the Old Norse myth of Baldr
https://www.academia.edu/14327101/Old_English_wopes_hring_and_the_Old_Norse_myth_of_Baldr
Pollington, S. 2011. The Elder Gods: The Otherworld of Early England. https://amzn.to/3vKaVkg
Reaves, W. 2018. Odin's Wife: Mother Earth in Germanic Mythology. https://amzn.to/2TX8wW4
Rowsell, T. 2011. Woden and his Roles in Anglo-Saxon Royal Genealogy.
Schiffels, S., Haak, W., Paajanen, P. et al. Iron Age and Anglo-Saxon genomes from East England reveal British migration history. Nat Commun 7, 10408 (2016).
Stenton, F. 1943. Anglo-Saxon England. Oxford. https://amzn.to/3qomuMT
Werner, J. 1964. Herkuleskeule und Donar-Amulett. Jahrb. RGZM 11, 176–197.
00:00:00 What is Anglo-Saxon paganism
00:07:51 Woden
00:25:42 Thunor
00:32:20 Tiw
00:35:59 Ing
00:43:00 Frig
00:44:02 Erce
00:48:19 Hretha
00:53:00 Modra
00:56:06 Hengest and Horsa
01:02:09 Nehalennia
01:03:56 Wada
01:07:33 Wayland
01:12:01 Seaxneat
01:14:09 Eostre
01:20:22 Bældæg
01:28:16 Scyld and Sceafa
01:34:38 Sigel
01:36:16 Earendel
01:38:15 Pagan calendar