Today is the day of Freyja and Frigg, and as I am planning to paint the town red tomorrow, I am spending the night at home enjoying a long-awaited night of relaxation. I'd like to follow up on my earlier post about the Norse calendar, by discussing the old names of the days, named after the Norse Æsir and Ásynjur.
The idea of a seven-day week is ancient, and is believed to have originated from astrological and religious conceptions in the ancient Near East, named by the seven classical planets. It is used in most parts of the world, with the days named after various corresponding gods and goddesses, varying by regions and periods. It was made official in Roman areas in AD 321, adopted by the Germanic peoples, and has been in use in Norway as far back as we know. The old names indicate that the system was in use in Norway before the Christianization.
While the names were subsequently changed and "de-heathenized" in the otherwise extremely puristic Icelandic language around year 1200, I find it fascinating and joyful that the old heathen names have remained in the other Scandinavian countries, in the same way as we use terms such as Jól (Yule) instead of Christmas etc. The modern Norwegian names are Mandag, Tirsdag, Onsdag, Torsdag, Fredag, Lørdag, and Søndag, and although not literally accurate, they hold the same meaning, in the same way as the English names still use the old Germanic names today.
Day of the Moon. The moon is personified as Máni, brother of Sól, son of Mundilfari. Máni, like his sister, is chased across the heavens by two wolves. When Ragnarök comes (the end of the world), he shall be consumed by one of them, the warg Hati, and disappear.
Tý's day. Tý (or Týr) is the god of warfare, as well as honor, justice, and law. He is one-handed, as he was the only one with enough courage to place his hand in the mouth of the wolf Fenrir in order to get him shackled with the dwarf-made chain Gleipnir.
Oðinn's day, the Allfather, the mightiest and wisest, he who hung from Yggdrasil for nine days and nights and gave his eye to drink from the well of Mímir. Associated with sorcery (seiðr), poetry, and the runic alphabet. Also viewed as a god of war, death, and healing. Husband to Frigg, and chieftain of the gods, he lives in the great hall of Valaskjálf or Valhalla, where he receives half of all men who die in battle. He owns the two wolves Geri and Freki, the eight-legged horse Sleipnir, and the ravens Huginn and Muninn, who tell him of all tidings in the world.
Þór's day, meeting-day, the day of opening of the Thing, and the day to hold blóts. Þór is son of Óðinn, and is the god of strength, protection of mankind, and he who rules the weather. Þór lives in the hall Bilskirnir in his land Þrúðvangur. He owns the hammer Mjölnir, that will always reach what he aims for, and thereafter return to his hand. He will fly across the heavens to fight jötuns, in a carriage drawn by his two goats. He also owns an iron glove which he uses to lift Mjölnir, and the belt Megingjörð, giving him tremendous strength. The thunder is the sound from the wheels of his cart, and as he throws his anvil with great force, sparks will light up the sky.
Freyja's and/or Frigg's day. May have originally been associated with Frigg, corresponding to the Roman goddess Venus, and later associated with Freyja. Frigg is the wife of Óðinn and mightiest of the Ásynjur. She is associated with wisdom and foresight, and is the protector of marrige, family, and home. Frigg, meaning love or beloved, is connected by some sources to the goddess Jörð (earth, mother of Þór) as well as with Freyja. Freyja is the goddess of fertility. She is associated with sex, love, beauty, fertility, and gold, but also with seiðr, war, and death. She is a Vanir, and is the one who introduced seiðr to the Æsir. Her domain is Fólkvangr, and half of all men who die in battle will be chosen by her to live in her halls.
Earlier also called þváttadagr, laug meaning pool of water, and þváttr meaning washing. The weekend was the time for washing and bathing, and the time for cleansing rituals in the Middle Ages.
Day of the Sun. The sun is personified by Sól, daughter of Mundilfari, sister of Máni (the moon), and wife of Glenr. Like her brother she fares across the heavens, chased by a wolf called Sköll (or Fenrir). Her carriage is drawn by the horses Árvakr and Alsviðr. Sól and Máni received this fate as a punishment from the Gods for their father's hubris when he named his children after the sun and the moon due to their beauty. The wolf will eventually catch and eat her, but after Ragnarök she will be succeeded by a daughter, equally beautiful, who will continue on her path.
That's that. Something to think about throughout the week, for all Vikings living in a modern world. :-) As I am coding this post, laugardagr is already here, and I guess I better go wash up soon. I've had a really nice dinner (if I may say so myself), with root vegetables, mushrooms and pork, and now I am feasting on the plate you'll se below (that's my little bunny Embla on the couch in the background, hoping to get a hold of one of those crackers).
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