The surprising Viking origins of the names of the days of the week

The Vikings, who are also known as Norsemen, were seafaring people from Scandinavia who raided, traded, and explored across Europe during the 8th to 11th centuries.

The Viking raids, which started on Lindisfarne in AD793, brought Norse culture to England.

They had a rich heritage and mythology, and their influence can still be seen in many aspects of our modern world.

However, we don't have a lot of surviving historical sources to draw upon in order to learn about their religious beliefs.

In fact, the main surviving sources of Norse mythology are known as the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, which were both compiled in the 13th century.

Thankfully, they provide enough details about the gods and their influence on Viking cultural practices that help us understand the naming of the days.

The word 'week' itself comes from the Old English word wice, which means 'a succession of seven days'.

Actually, the Anglo-Saxons, who spoke Old English, adopted the seven-day week from the Romans, who in turn may have borrowed it from the Babylonians.

The Babylonians had based their seven-day week on their observations of the night sky and the visible bodies - the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

The Romans adopted the seven-day week in the first century AD, and it spread throughout the empire.

However, the Anglo-Saxons did not use the Roman names for the days, which were based on the planets and their associated gods.

Instead, they used their own names, which were derived from their Germanic and Norse mythology.

The first day of the week is Sunday, which comes from 'Sun's day'.

The Sun was seen as a goddess by the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse, and her name was Sunna or Sol.

She was the sister of Mani, the god of the Moon. According to Norse legend, Sunna and Mani were chased across the sky by two wolves, Skoll and Hati, who wanted to devour them.

At Ragnarok, the end of the world, Skoll and Hati would eventually succeed in catching and eating them.

The second day of the week is Monday, which comes from 'Moon's day'. As mentioned above, Mani was the god of the Moon and the brother of Sunna.

He was also associated with time and tides. It was thought that he had a chariot that was pulled by two horses, named Alsvidr and Arvakr.

He also had two children, Hjuki and Bil, who followed him in his chariot. According to one myth, they were kidnapped by Mani from Earth as they were carrying a bucket of water from a well.

The third day of the week is Tuesday, which comes from 'Tiw's day'. Tiw was a god of war and justice in both Anglo-Saxon and Norse mythology.

In fact, there was a specific rune, called the Tiwaz rune, that was associated with him.

Tiw's name means 'glory' or 'honour', and he was also one of the oldest gods in the Viking pantheon and was an important god in earlier Norse mythology stories.

He was brave and loyal and sacrificed his right hand to bind the monstrous wolf Fenrir, who threatened to destroy the gods.

In addition, he was associated with the concept of law and order and was believed to preside over trials and oaths.

The fourth day of the week is Wednesday, which comes from 'Woden's day'.

Woden was the Anglo-Saxon name for Odin, the chief god of the Norse pantheon.

He was also known as Allfather, because he was the father of many gods and heroes.

He was a god of wisdom, poetry, magic, death and war. Odin was frequently depicted with two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, who flew around the world and brought him news.

In addition, he also had two wolves, Geri and Freki, who accompanied him in battle.

As the myth goes, he sacrificed one of his eyes to drink from the well of Mimir, which gave him great knowledge.

Odin also hung himself from a tree for nine days and nights to learn the secrets of how to read and write with runes.

This god was widely worshipped across the Germanic world, with many place names in England, such as Wednesbury and Wensleydale, bearing his name.

The fifth day of the week is Thursday, which comes from 'Thor's day'. Thor was the son of Odin and a giantess named Jord.

He was the god of thunder, lightning, storms and strength. Many people today know that Thor had a mighty hammer called Mjolnir, which he used to fight his enemies, especially the giants.

Thor also had a belt that doubled his power, a pair of iron gloves that helped him wield his hammer, and a chariot that was pulled by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr.

Of all the gods, he was particularly popular among humans for his courage and generosity.

There is ongoing scholarly debate about whether Friday is named after Frigg or Freyja, both of whom were central figures in Norse mythology with roles in love, fertility, and prophecy.

For many scholars, the sixth day of the week most likely comes from 'Frigg's day'.

Frigg was the wife of Odin and the queen of Asgard. She was a goddess of love, marriage, fertility and prophecy and apparently knew everything that would happen in the future, but she rarely revealed it to anyone.

In the sagas, Frigg had a spinning wheel that controlled the fate of all beings. She also wore a cloak made of falcon feathers that allowed her to fly across the sky.

Finally, the seventh day of the week is Saturday, which comes from 'Saturn's day'.

Saturn was a Roman god of agriculture, wealth and time. He was honoured in the festival of Saturnalia, a major Roman celebration of the winter solstice. 

He was also associated with Cronus, a Greek god who was the father of Zeus and other Olympians.

Unlike the other days of the week, Saturday does not have a clear connection to Norse mythology.

However, some scholars have suggested that it may still be related to Loki, a trickster god who often caused trouble for the other gods.

Although the Vikings did not worship Saturn, they were aware of the Roman god and adopted the name for the seventh day of the week.

So, as you can see, the names of the days of the week have a fascinating history and are deeply rooted in Viking culture and mythology.

Based on the fact that the Vikings worshipped the sun, the moon, and various gods and goddesses, their influence can still be felt today in the names we use for the days of the week.

Next time you check your calendar, take a moment to appreciate your new-found knowledge about the powerful Viking culture.