For the year 596, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles says:

“Pope Gregory sent Augustine to Britain, with a good many monks, who preached the Gospel to the English People”.

Over a period of years, they gradually converted the English. This probably meant that once a King was converted, he would declare his Kingdom to be Christian.

And so came “Getterdammerung”, The Twilight of the Gods, but not entirely forgotten in the English Language.

• Sunday, Sunnan daeg, the day of the Sun,
• Monday, Monandaeg, the day of the Moon.
• Tuesday, Tiwes Daeg, Tiwes, the God of War,
• Wednesday, Wodnes Daeg, Woden, the King of the Gods.
• Thursday, Thors Dagr, the Hammer God of Thunder and Lightning.
• Friday, Frige Daeg to the Great Goddess.
• Saturday, Saeternes daeg, to Saturn.

It is interesting to note that all the above Gods are Old English (Anglo Saxon) except Thursday, Thors Dagr. Thor was the Scandinavian version of the Germanic god “Donner” (Donner und Blitzen, Thunder and Lightning) and obviously came with the later Vikings.

By Peter Chapman 2000

Reference:

• The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. Translated and edited by Michael Swanton.