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The Naming of The Days

The document discusses the origins of the names of the days of the week in English and their connections to gods from ancient Roman, Greek, Norse, and Germanic mythologies. Sunday comes from Old English for "day of the sun" and is connected to solar deities like the Latin Sol and Greek Helios. Monday comes from "day of the moon" and is connected to lunar gods like the Latin Luna and Greek Selene. The other days are named after various gods: Tuesday after Tiu, Wednesday after Woden, Thursday after Thor, Friday after Freya, and Saturday after Saturn.

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Tuan Pu
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86 views4 pages

The Naming of The Days

The document discusses the origins of the names of the days of the week in English and their connections to gods from ancient Roman, Greek, Norse, and Germanic mythologies. Sunday comes from Old English for "day of the sun" and is connected to solar deities like the Latin Sol and Greek Helios. Monday comes from "day of the moon" and is connected to lunar gods like the Latin Luna and Greek Selene. The other days are named after various gods: Tuesday after Tiu, Wednesday after Woden, Thursday after Thor, Friday after Freya, and Saturday after Saturn.

Uploaded by

Tuan Pu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE NAMING OF THE DAYS

Sunday -- Sun's day


Middle English sone(n)day or sun(nen)day
Old English sunnandæg "day of the sun"
Germanic sunnon-dagaz "day of the sun"
Latin dies solis "day of the sun"
Ancient Greek hemera heli(o)u, "day of the sun"

Monday -- Moon's day


Middle English monday or mone(n)day
Old English mon(an)dæg "day of the moon"
Latin dies lunae "day of the moon"
Ancient Greek hemera selenes "day of the moon"

Tuesday -- Tiu's day


Middle English tiwesday or tewesday
Old English tiwesdæg "Tiw's (Tiu's) day"
Latin dies Martis "day of Mars"
Ancient Greek hemera Areos "day of Ares"
Tiu (Twia) is the English/Germanic god of war and the sky. He is identified
with the Norse god Tyr.

Mars is the Roman god of war.

Ares is the Greek god of war.

Wednesday -- Woden's day


Middle English wodnesday, wednesday, or wednesdai
Old English wodnesdæg "Woden's day"
Latin dies Mercurii "day of Mercury"
Ancient Greek hemera Hermu "day of Hermes"

Woden is the chief Anglo-Saxon/Teutonic god. Woden is the leader of the


Wild Hunt. Woden is from wod "violently insane" + -en "headship". He is
identified with the Norse Odin.

Mercury is the Roman god of commerce, travel, theivery, eloquence and


science. He is the messenger of the other gods.

Hermes is the Greek god of commerce, invention, cunning, and theft. He is


the messenger and herald of the other gods. He serves as patron of travelers
and rogues, and as the conductor of the dead to Hades.

Thursday -- Thor's day


Middle English thur(e)sday
Old English thursdæg
Old Norse thorsdagr "Thor's day"
Old English thunresdæg "thunder's day"
Latin dies Jovis "day of Jupiter"
Ancient Greek hemera Dios "day of Zeus".

Thor is the Norse god of thunder. He is represented as riding a chariot drawn


by goats and wielding the hammer Miölnir. He is the defender of the Aesir,
destined to kill and be killed by the Midgard Serpent.
Jupiter (Jove) is the supreme Roman god and patron of the Roman state. He
is noted for creating thunder and lightning.

Zeus is Greek god of the heavens and the supreme Greek god.

Friday -- Freya's day


Middle English fridai
Old English frigedæg "Freya's day"
composed of Frige (genetive singular of Freo) + dæg "day" (most likely)
or composed of Frig "Frigg" + dæg "day" (least likely)
Germanic frije-dagaz "Freya's (or Frigg's) day"
Latin dies Veneris "Venus's day"
Ancient Greek hemera Aphrodites "day of Aphrodite"

Freo is identical with freo, meaning free. It is from the


Germanic frijaz meaning "beloved, belonging to the loved ones, not in
bondage, free".

Freya (Fria) is the Teutonic goddess of love, beauty, and fecundity (prolific
procreation). She is identified with the Norse god Freya. She is leader of the
Valkyries and one of the Vanir. She is confused in Germany with Frigg.

Frigg (Frigga) is the Teutonic goddess of clouds, the sky, and conjugal
(married) love. She is identified with Frigg, the Norse goddess of love and the
heavens and the wife of Odin. She is one of the Aesir. She is confused in
Germany with Freya.

Venus is the Roman goddess of love and beauty.

Aphrodite (Cytherea) is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

Saturday -- Saturn's day


Middle English saterday
Old English sæter(nes)dæg "Saturn's day"
Latin dies Saturni "day of Saturn"
Ancient Greek hemera Khronu "day of Cronus"
Saturn is the Roman and Italic god of agriculture and the consort of Ops. He
is believed to have ruled the earth during an age of happiness and virtue.

Cronus (Kronos, Cronos) is the Greek god (Titan) who ruled the universe until
dethroned by his son Zeus.

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