Anglo-Saxon Paganism,Festivals, & Rituals
Anglo-Saxon Paganism
It
is
possible to reconstruct what little we know about Anglo-Saxon beliefs
by using
a wide variety of literary sources and place-names.
What comes to light is an image of a people
and a religion in a symbiotic relationship with nature, the powerful,
uncontrollable and life-giving forces upon which their existence
depended.
From
the
Roman historian and scholar Tacitus, we learn that Germans in the first
century AD worshipped an Earth Goddess called Nerthus.
Tacitus also mentions two war gods: Odin (or
Woden) and Tyr. The great Viking scholar
Magnus Magnusson claims that Woden was one of the chief gods of the
Anglo-Saxons. Woden was so important to
them, in fact, that
most of the early Saxon kings claimed descent from the god as proof of
their
right to rule. Magnusson also identified
the Saxon god Thunor, God of Thunder, who was known as Thor by the
Vikings. During times of Viking
settlement, Thor was revered above Odin in daily life.
But the strongest evidence for the identity of the Anglo-Saxon gods is found in place-names. Using this evidence, scholars have been able to add Tiw and the goddess Frig to the list of deities the Anglo-Saxons were known to worship. In addition, the Old English word “lea” added to many place-names in Europe is thought to be evidence of places of worship, as it refers to a clearing in the forest. These “sacred groves” were very important to the practice of Anglo-Saxon religion. There is also evidence of worship of the Sun and the Moon as deities, both in charms that have been preserved and in the names for Sunday and Monday.
Festivals
The
regular
practice of the pagan religion in Anglo-Saxon times involved several
seasonal festivals. Nearly everything we
know about the religious festivals of the pagan Anglo-Saxons comes from
a book
called De temporum ratione (“The Reckoning of Time”), written
by a
Christian monk known to us as the Venerable Bede. In
his book, Bede describes the yearly
calendar of the Anglo-Saxon people, which usually consisted of twelve
lunar
months, much like our current calendar.
According
to
Bede, the greatest pagan festival was Modraniht, or “Mother Night,”
which
was held on the winter solstice – about December 25th. It is thought that this Yule festival, as it
is also known, involved decorating with evergreen branches, the burning
of a
Yule log, and a feast centered around a boar’s head.
Modraniht marked the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon
year.
The
next
festival Bede talks about is in Solmonaţ, the Anglo-Saxon name for
February. This festival involved baking
special cakes that may have had symbolic significance, not so much in
ingredients, but in shape. According to
Bede, these cakes were offered to the pagan gods.
March
was
the time of year Anglo-Saxons would make sacrifices to the goddess
Hreda,
but the more important spring festival appears to have been
Eostur-monath
Aprilis, a festival dedicated to the goddess Eostre.
Celebrating spring and new life, the festival
of Eostre would likely have involved flowers, dancing, and feasting.
Although
Bede
does not mention a midsummer festival, it is a common celebration that
took place throughout Europe – and continues even today.
Bonfires were a key component of these festivals,
and it is thought that people would dance around or even jump over the
fires,
while casting herbs into the flames to ward off ill health and
misfortune.
The
month
of September was known as Halegmonath, or “Holy Month.”
While little is known about the origin of the
name, it is thought that a festival was celebrated at this time of
year, and
likely included feasting in celebration of the harvest.
Owen also proposes that the mythical figures
of Sheaf and his son Beow (barley) were once associated with this
festival.
Finally,
November
was known as Blod-Monath, meaning “Blood-Month.” The
festival of Blodmonath was, according to
Bede, commemorated with animal sacrifices, likely oxen.
This practice likely served a dual purpose –
both as an offering to the pagan gods, and as a source of food for the
coming
winter. Bonfires were likely a feature
of this festival as well, since we have illustrations in late
Anglo-Saxon
calendars of revelers tending to fires.
“From
this
brief survey of the pagan year, we can see that the people in general
would have been closely involved in these festivals, raising crops and
animals,
baking cakes, collecting fuel for bonfires, flocking to see images or
wagons
carrying the gods and joining them in procession. Above
all they feasted, enjoying the fruits
of their own labour while propitiating the deities” (Owen 19).
Runes
Runic
writing
was widely known among the Anglo-Saxons. They
were believed to be magic symbols that,
when carved into wood or stone, possessed mystical properties. The Runic alphabet is also known as Futhark,
, a
name composed of the first six letters of the alphabet.
Why the letters were ordered in such a way,
no one really knows.
Marriage
Ceremonies
Anglo-Saxon
marriage
was nothing like the marriage ceremonies of today.
When a man wished to marry, he would bring a
dowry to her that consisted of oxen, horses, shields, spears, and
swords. If she accepted him, she would
then “gift”
these items back to her new husband. It
is also thought that swords were used in the marriage ceremony itself. According to Owen, the bride and groom would
each lay their hands upon the sword “in token of their heroic duty”
(61). Swords may also have been symbolic
of
fertility.
Ritual Drinking
and Gift-Giving
Among
the more important rituals associated with the
mead-hall, ritual drinking had great significance to the Anglo-Saxons. Hosted by a lord or king, an organized
banquet would be prepared for guests or favored retainers.
Women played a ceremonial role at the banquet,
carrying the ceremonial drinking vessel to the king and each of his
guests in
the hall. There was usually only one
cup, which everyone shared. Making
speeches (boasting, or “oral resumes”) and gift-giving often went
hand-in-hand
with this ritual. The lord or king would
often bestow gifts and praise upon his valiant warriors through a very
ritualistic reward system. Young men,
those yet untried in battle, would receive weapons as gifts which they
would
then be expected to use in defense of the gift-giver. These kinds of
rituals
helped to maintain hierarchy and allegiance in Anglo-Saxon society.
“Thus
the Anglo-Saxons lived their lives, cozy in their
brightly lit halls, cheered by feasting and music.
They placated their gods with sacrifice and
strove to keep out the hostile creatures who lurked in the outer
darkness. They enjoyed formal ceremonies –
pledging of
oaths and speechmaking – and superstitious rituals, like the casting of
lots,
decided the major issues of their lives.
The ritual which was perhaps the most important of all came,
however, at
the end of life. The pagan funeral
ceremony…honored the achievements of a lifetime and, it was hoped,
equipped the
dead one for the afterlife” (Owen 66).
Funerals
Bibliography
AncientScripts.com. “Futhark.” http://www.ancientscripts.com/futhark.html. Accessed 04/10/10.
Anglo-Saxon
Heathenism. “Anglo-Saxon Pagan Gods
Article.” http://englishheathenism.homestead.com/pagangods.html. Accessed 04/10/10.
Owen,
Gale R. Rites
and Religions of the Anglo-Saxons. Dorset Press. 1985.
Wikipedia. “Anglo-Saxon Paganism.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_paganism. Accessed 04/10/10.