Today we show you Anglo-Saxon Mythology in detail. Recognize all its origins, legends and most influential beings in their culture.
Anglo-Saxon Mythology
Anglo-Saxon mythology refers to the Germanic paganism of the migration period practiced by English peoples in the 5th to 7th centuries in England before changing to Christian mythology in later centuries.
It is closely related to Norse or Scandinavian mythology since it encompasses the religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian peoples, as well as those who settled in Iceland, and where the written sources of Norse mythology were gathered, and represents a much better preserved version of the ancient Germanic mythology common to all Germanic peoples.
Origin of Anglo-Saxon Mythology
The Anglo-Saxons, made up of tribes of the Angles, Saxons, Frisians and Jutes, came to Britain from southern Scandinavia, the Low Countries and northern Germany. It is from these people that the modern English language is derived. You can get an impression, but only that, of Anglo-Saxon mythology by reading about Scandinavian mythology.
The latter was written much later, by Snorri Sturluson, because Iceland remained pagan well into the Christian era (c.1000). The Anglo-Saxons were a largely illiterate society and tales were passed down orally between groups and tribes by Anglo-Saxon minstrels.
Period of Anglo-Saxon mythology
The Anglo-Saxons were a people who inhabited 5th century Britain. And they were a group of Germanic tribes that migrated to the island from mainland Europe, their descendants and indigenous British groups adopted some aspects of Anglo-Saxon culture and language. Historically, the Anglo-Saxon period denotes the period in Britain between 450 and 1066, after its initial settlement and until the Norman Conquest.
The early Anglo-Saxon period includes the creation of an English nation, with many of the aspects surviving today, including regional government of empires and hundreds. During this period, Christianity was established and there was a flourishing of literature and language. The term Anglo-Saxon is popularly used for the language spoken and written by Anglo-Saxons in England and eastern Scotland between the mid-5th and mid-12th centuries.
In academic usage, it is more commonly called Old English. The history of the Anglo-Saxons is the story of a cultural identity. It developed from divergent groups in association with the adoption of Christianity by the people, and was integral to the establishment of several kingdoms.
Period and tribes
The Anglo-Saxon period covers the history of medieval Britain beginning from the end of Roman rule. It is a period widely known in European history as the Migration Period, emigration of German peoples. This was a period of intensified human migration in Europe from about 400 to 800.
The migrants were Germanic tribes such as the Goths, Vandals, Angles, Saxons, Lombards, Suebi, Frisians, and Franks; later they were pushed westward by the Huns, Avars, Slavs, Bulgars, and Alans, and among the emigrants to Britain were also the Huns and Ruginids.
In 400, south of Britain below Hadrian’s Wall; it was a peripheral part of the Western Roman Empire, occasionally lost by rebellion or invasion, but until then it had always been regained. Around 410, Britain escaped direct imperial control in a phase that has generally been called “sub-Roman”.
Gods or deities of Anglo-Saxon mythology
The Anglo-Saxons believed in supernatural creatures such as elves, dwarves, and giants who often caused harm to men.
Being a Germanic people, the Anglo-Saxons worshipped the same gods as the Norse and other Germanic peoples. The names are different because of language differences among the Germanic peoples. For example, Thunor of the Anglo-Saxons was the same god as Thor of the Norse and Donar of the Germans. Similarly, Woden of the Anglo-Saxons is the same as Odin among the Norse and Wotan of the Germans.
What were their beliefs?
Like the Vikings and the Greeks, the Anglo-Saxons believed in many gods and had many superstitions. Below is a brief description of what the gods of the Anglo-Saxons believed in.
1.- Woden: In Norse mythology, Odin is the supreme god. His role, like many in the Norse pantheon, is complex: he is both god of wisdom and war, roles that are not necessarily conceived as mutually sympathetic in contemporary society. His name has its roots in the Old Norse word rðr, meaning “inspiration, madness, anger.”
The chief of the Anglo-Saxon gods was the Father of all. As with many of the male Anglo-Saxon gods, Woden was often associated with war. He had two domesticated wolves and an eight-legged horse.
2.-Thunor: god of thunder: Especially of thunder and lightning. He was also the god of the forge, so he was especially important for blacksmiths.
The sound of thunder
The Anglo-Saxons believed that the sound of thunder was the sound of Thunor striking his mighty anvil with his hammer; meanwhile, lightning was the spark created by the strike. Archaeologists know that Thunor was one of the most popular gods, as pendants showing his symbol, the hammer, have been found in many Anglo-Saxon tombs.
3.-Frige: goddess of love. Woden’s wife was the goddess of love, Frige (or Frigg in Norse). She was the goddess of all things Anglo-Saxons attributed to love, marriage, home and children. The Anglo-Saxons also offered her tribute to aid the harvest and she is often attributed as the mother of the earth. Her day is Friday: Frige’s day.
4.-Tiw: god of war. The god Tiw (the Norse Tyr) was another deity of great importance to the Anglo-Saxons, as he was the god of war, swordsmanship and the sky. Although the Anglo-Saxons appealed to both Thunor and Woden in matters of war, Tiw was the official god of war. He was also said to be the most skilled in combat of all the gods, despite having only one hand. Tuesday was Tiw’s day.
These four Anglo-Saxon gods gave their names to the days of the week. Tiw became Tuesday, Woden – Wednesday, Thunor – Thursday and Frige – Friday.
Other gods and heroes
5.- Hengest and Horsa: who are named in historical sources as leaders of the early Anglo-Saxon raids and settlements in the south, may also have deiphic status. The name Hengest means “stallion” and Horsa means “horse”; the horse in Anglo-Saxon mythology is an important symbol.
6.-Wayland: is a mythical blacksmith. Originally, he was an elf, a shapeshifter like his wife, a swan maiden and Waelcyrge, was a legendary hero and great blacksmith.
7.-Eorthe: whose name means “Earth”, is the wife of Woden and the mother of Thunor. She is also the daughter of the goddess Niht. Her worship is generally passive, as opposed to active, although she is asked for “power and might”. Her latent strength can be seen in her son, Thunor.
8.- Eostre: according to St. Bede, she was a goddess whose feast was celebrated in spring. Bede states that the present-day Christian feast of Easter took its name from the goddess’ feast in “Eostur-monath” (April/April).
9.- Night: is the goddess of the night, and also the mother of Eorthe. The Norse night was the daughter of Narvi. She married three times; the first to Naglfari for whom she had Aud; the second to Annar for whom she had Eorthe; and the third to Dellinger Daeg.
Charms
The Anglo-Saxons were superstitious and believed in charms. They thought that rhymes, potions, stones and jewels would protect them from evil spirits or disease.
In Roman Britain many people had been Christians. But the early Anglo-Saxons were not Christians, they were pagans. After the Romans left, Christianity continued in places where the Anglo-Saxons did not settle, such as Wales and the west. However, when the Anglo-Saxons came to Britain they brought with them their own gods and beliefs. Over time their beliefs changed and many Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity.
Symbols and Symbology of Anglo-Saxon Mythology
The pagan religion of the Anglo-Saxons leaned in the worship of many gods, such as Tiw, Woden, Thunor and Friga, who have parallel deities in other Norse and Germanic religions and, of course, after whom the days of the week are named. Trees and animals, including dragons, horses, deer, birds and boars, seem to have been important in their myths and symbolism. Some of these objects are pagan, some Christian and some ambiguous; they demonstrate the religious diversity of the Anglo-Saxon period.
The dragon
As a symbolic image among the Anglo-Saxons it appears most often in literature and archaeology. We read about a dragon in the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, who sleeps and guards a treasure of gold. Beowulf fights the dragon when he is angered by the theft of part of his treasure.
During this confrontation, Beowulf is mortally wounded, but still finds the strength to defeat the dragon. Physical evidence of the dragon symbol is found inside the burial of the Sutton Hoo ship on the front of a shield. Next to the image of a bird of prey is that of a dragon. A shield, of course, like a sword or spear, is an instrument of war, so it seems likely that the fierce nature of the dragon was associated with war and battle.
The horse
The horse as a symbol, like the dragon, dates back to the early stages of Anglo-Saxon colonization in Britain, and even earlier.
The importance of the horse in Anglo-Saxon society, whether for warfare, travel or more mundane purposes, cannot be underestimated. And like other animals, it is no wonder that the horse and its image have been elevated to levels of almost religious veneration. As evidence of the importance of the horse to the Anglo-Saxons we can trace the horse back to the turbulent times of Hengist and Horsa, the legendary and mythical brothers who led the Anglo-Saxon settlement in Britain.
Wild boars
The wild boar was another animal symbol highly revered by pre-Christian Anglo-Saxons, and quite possibly revered above all other animals.
The image of the boar was affixed to hooves, as it was believed that the boar’s power and strength would protect the wearer in times of war. In addition, the boar is closely related to the Anglo-Saxon god Ingui, so it could be that not only warriors felt protected under the image of the boar, but also under the influence of the protection of their god Ingui. Other boar imagery is found on a pair of shoulder brooches found in the Sutton Hoo ship burial.
Deer
The symbol and reverence of the stag among Anglo-Saxons is a tradition that most likely has its roots in the older Germanic culture and religion. In England we know that such reverence for deer was already a strong custom in the days of St. Augustine, for he is quoted as condemning the “foul practice of dressing like a horse or deer,” a tradition that seems to closely resemble the English custom of hooding.
Birds
The symbolism and significance of the bird, as well as its designs, are very common among the Anglo-Saxons, and have been preserved in both literary and physical examples. The burial of the ship Sutton Hoo, with its ancient treasure, is replete with physical examples of the symbolic nature of birds. We can start with the most famous find within the burial, that of the hull.
This spectacular find at first glance may not appear to reveal any form of bird design at all, but on closer inspection of the mask, a bird-like design is clear to see. The bird itself is skillfully composed of the physical features similar to the face of the hoofed face mask. The bird’s body is that of the mask’s nose, its tail is formed by the mustache and mouth, while the mask’s eyebrows form the bird’s wings.
Fylfot
The fylfot symbol, also known as the swastika, was one of the most sacred symbols for the Anglo-Saxon pagans and for all pre-Christian peoples of Europe. The symbol itself has connections to both sun worship and the thunder god Thunor.
In England the fylfot can be found in many places and carved on many objects throughout England. Among the Anglo-Saxons this particular symbol seems to have had very strong connections with burial, and perhaps also with the afterlife, as we find examples of it on graves and carvings on cremation urns from East Anglia.
Hammer
The pagan Norse perceived Thorburn, their god of thunder, as the wielder of a mighty hammer, and the Norse peoples themselves wore symbols in the form of small hammer amulets in his honor. The Anglo-Saxon pagans seem to have perceived their own god Thunor, in the same way, and like the Norse carried his hammer symbol. And like the hammer amulet on the left, some were buried with their owners inside Anglo-Saxon graves.
Myths and Legends of Anglo-Saxon Mythology
In pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon England, legends or myths and other stories were passed down orally rather than written down; it is for this reason that very few survive today.
Both Beowulf (Old English name meaning “bear”) and Deor Lament there are references to the mythological blacksmith Weyland, and this figure also appears in the Franks Casket. In addition, there are two place names recorded in 10th century charters that include the name Weyland. The mythological stories of this entity are best developed in the Norse histories.
The only surviving Anglo-Saxon epic poem is the story of Beowulf, known only from a surviving manuscript that was written by the Christian monk Sepa sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries. The story it tells is set not in England but in Scandinavia, and revolves around a Geatish warrior named Beowulf who travels to Denmark to defeat a monster known as Grendel, who terrorizes the kingdom of Hrothgar, and later, Grendel’s Mother. After this, he becomes the king of Geatland before dying in battle with a dragon.
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, it was commonly believed that Beowulf was not an Anglo-Saxon pagan tale, but a Scandinavian Christian one; until JRR Tolkien’s influential critical essay Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics, published in 1936, which was established as an essentially English poem.
The poem refers to pagan practices such as cremation burials, but also contains repeated mentions of the Christian God and references to tales of biblical mythology, such as that of Cain and Abel. Given the restricted nature of literacy in Anglo-Saxon England, it is likely that the author of the poem was a clergyman or an associate of the clergy.
However, some scholars still have reservations about accepting that they contain information pertaining to Anglo-Saxon paganism,
Patrick Wormald points out that “vast reserves of intellectual energy have been devoted to threshing this poem for grains of authentic pagan belief, but it must be admitted “The harvest has been scanty. The poet may have known that his heroes were pagans, but he didn’t know much about paganism.”
Similarly, Christine Fell stated that when it came to paganism, the poet who wrote Beowulf had “little more than a vague awareness of what was done in those days.” Conversely, North argued that the poet knew more about the paganism he revealed in the poem, suggesting that this could be seen in some of the language and references
Sacred places in Anglo-Saxon mythology
The place name evidence may indicate some places that were used as places of worship by pre-Christian Anglo-Saxons. However, there is currently no unequivocal archaeological evidence to support the interpretation of these sites as places of worship practice.
Places of worship
Two words that appear repeatedly in Old English the place names hearg and wēoh, have been interpreted as references to cult spaces, however, it is likely that the two terms have distinctive meanings.
Wilson suggested that they represented a place of communal worship for a specific group, such as the tribe, at a specific time of year. Archaeologist Sarah Semple also examined several such sites, noting that while all reflected activity throughout the late prehistoric and Romano-British period, they had little evidence from the 6th and 7th centuries. She suggested that, rather than referring specifically to Anglo-Saxon cult sites, she instead used “something British in tradition and usage” as a reference.
Emphasizing that while wēoh sites vary in location, some are on high ground and others on low ground. Accordingly, he suggested that the term wēoh denoted a “small shrine on the road, accessible to the traveler.”
Pre-Christian deities
A number of place names that include references to pre-Christian deities mix these names with the Old English word lēah “wood,” or “clearing in a wood,” and this may have attested to a sacred grove in which a cult practice was performed.
Other toponyms associate the name of the deity with a high point in the landscape, such as dūn or hōh, which could represent that such places were considered particularly appropriate for worship practice. In six examples, the name of the deity is associated with the feld “open land,” in which case these could have been shrines located to specifically benefit the agricultural actions of the community.
Some Old English place names refer to the head of an animal, including Gateshead “Goat’s Head” in Tyne and Wear and Worms Heath “Snake’s Head” in Surrey. It is possible that some of these names had pagan religious origins, perhaps referring to the head of a sacrificed animal that was erected on a pole, or to a carved representation of one; equally some or all of these place-names may have been descriptive metaphors for local landscape features.
Cult trees and megaliths
Although there are virtually no references to pre-Christian sacred trees in Old English literature, there are condemnations of the veneration of trees, as well as the veneration of stones and wells in several later Anglo-Saxon penitences.
In the 680s, the Christian writer Aldhelm referred to the pagan use of pillars associated with the “foul serpent and stag,” praising the fact that many had been converted into places of Christian worship. Aldhelm had used the Latin terms ermula cruda “crude pillars,” although it was unclear what exactly he was referring to; possibly examples include something like a wooden totem pole or a reused Neolithic menhir.
He suggested that Aldhelm’s reference to the snake and deer might be describing a depiction of an animal’s head atop a pole, in which case it would be related to the toponyms of an animal’s head. It was also believed that this serpent and stag were animals with pagan religious associations.
However, there are cases where sacred trees and groves can be referenced in place names Blair suggested that the use of the Old English word bēam “tree” in Anglo-Saxon place names may be a reference to a special tree. For example, both Thurstable Hundred in Essex and Thurstaple in Kent appear to have been derived from Old English Þunres-stapol, meaning Pillar of Þunor’.
Archaeology
Archaeologically, a large post was discovered at Yeavering which has been interpreted as having a religious function. However, the purpose of such posts remains debatable; some may have represented grave markers, others may have signaled group or kin identities, or marked territories, gathering places, or sacred spaces.
Such wooden pillars would have been easy to convert into large crucifixes after conversion to Christianity, and thus several of these sacred sites could have survived as cult spaces within a Christian context.
It has also been suggested that the vine patterns that decorated several late Anglo-Saxon stone crosses, such as the Ruthwell cross, may have been a form of enculturation reminiscent of pre-Christian tree veneration. As Bintley commented, the impact of pre-Christian beliefs about sacred trees should be interpreted “not as a pagan survivor, but as a fully integrated aspect of early English Christianity.”
Mythology traditions
As archaeologist Sarah Semple noted, “early Anglo-Saxon rituals included the entire pre-Christian repertoire: sacrifices, furnished burials, monumental mounds, sacred natural phenomena, and, finally, shrines and temples,” so they had many points in common with other pre-Christian religions in Europe.
Sacrifice
Christian sources regularly complained that pagans in Anglo-Saxon England practiced animal sacrifice. In the 7th century the first laws against pagan sacrifices appeared, while in the Paenitentiale Theodori one to ten years of penance was assigned for making sacrifices or eating sacrificed meat.
Archaeological evidence reveals that meat was often used as a burial offering and that, in many cases, whole carcasses of entire animals were placed in burials. Commenting on this archaeological evidence.
Pluskowski expressed the opinion that this reflected “a regular and well-established practice in early Anglo-Saxon society.”
They seem to have emphasized the slaughter of oxen over other species, as both written and archaeological evidence suggests. Old English martyrology records that November (Old English Blótmónaþ “the month of sacrifice”) was particularly associated with sacrificial practices.
Funerary rites
Cemeteries are the most extensively excavated aspect of Anglo-Saxon archaeology, so much information has been obtained about the funerary aspects of Anglo-Saxon pagan religion.
One of the best known aspects of Anglo-Saxon paganism is its funerary customs, which we have discovered from archaeological excavations at several sites, including Sutton Hoo, Prittlewell and Snape, 1200 Anglo-Saxon pagan cemeteries are now known to exist. There was no established form of burial among the Anglo-Saxon pagans, with cremation being the preferred form among the Angles in the north and burial among the Saxons in the south, although both forms were found throughout England.
According to archaeologist Dave Wilson, “the usual orientation of burial in an Anglo-Saxon pagan cemetery was westward, with the head to the west, although there were often deviations from this orientation.”
Indicating a possible religious belief, grave goods were common between burials by inhumation and cremations; Anglo-Saxon freemen were buried with at least one weapon in the pagan tradition, often a sea, but sometimes with a spear, sword, or shield.
Festivals
The religious festivals of the Anglo-Saxon pagans come from a book written by Bede, entitled De temporum ratione “The reckoning of time,” in which he described the calendar of the year; however, it was not intended to describe the sacred pagan year, and little information about it can be corroborated from other sources.
Bede gave explanations for the names of the various pre-Christian festivals he described, however, these etymologies are questionable; it is not known whether these etymologies were based on his pre-existing knowledge or whether they represented his own theories and, furthermore, the fact that some of the place-name etymologies Bede provides in his writings are manifestly erroneous
The Anglo-Saxon pagans followed a calendar with twelve lunar months, and occasionally the year had thirteen months so that lunar and solar alignment could be corrected. Bede claimed that the major pagan festival was the Modraniht (meaning Mothers’ Night), which was situated at the winter solstice, which marked the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon year.
Shamanism, magic and witchcraft
In 2011, Pluskowski noted that scholars of Anglo-Saxon paganism were increasingly using the term ” shamanism “. Glosecki argued that evidence of shamanic beliefs was visible in later Anglo-Saxon literature. Williams also argued that paganism had had a shamanic component through his analysis of early funeral rites. Summarizing this evidence, Blair observed that it was “difficult to doubt that something like shamanism is ultimately found in the background” of early Anglo-Saxon religion.
It is possible that the Anglo-Saxons did not make distinctions between magic and ritual in the same way that modern Western society does.
Anglo-Saxon pagans also seemed to wear amulets, and there are many instances where corpses were buried with them. As David Wilson noted, “For the early Anglo-Saxons, it was part of the supernatural that formed their world of belief; though they occupied the shadowy dividing space between superstition and religion, if indeed such a division existed.
One of the most notable amulets found in Anglo-Saxon graves is the cowrie shell, which has often been interpreted by modern scholars as a symbol of fertility due to its physical resemblance to the vagina and the fact that it was most commonly found in female graves
Animal teeth were also used as amulets by Anglo-Saxon pagans, and many examples have been found that had previously belonged to boar, beaver, and in some cases even humans. Other amulets included objects such as amethyst and amber beads, pieces of quartz or iron pyrite, worked and unworked stone, coins, and pre-Anglo-Saxon fossils, and of their distribution in graves, it has been said that in Anglo-Saxon pagan society, “amulets were much more the property of women than of men.”
