wihta

ingwine húnfriþ

this leaf is where i collect my informal rambles on heathen wights — gods & elves & heroic figures·

many more articles are forthcoming

ésegods

⚔️ tíwjudge of the assembly · geþinges démend

there are few pieces of clear direct evidence of tíw in old english sources, but his surviving associations & the evidence in surrounding cultural lore are suggestive of a significant role in the old english pantheon.

👩‍👩‍👧 módrathe mothers of fate · wyrde cennicgan

the cult of the mothers is widely attested in the records of early germanic & celtic tribes on the continent (particularly in the lower rhine region) and in britain, and it may have continued into the heathenry of the early english

🗡️ seaxnéatthe knife-provider of the saxons · cultres giefa seaxena

seaxnéat (or saxnôt in old saxon) is a mysterious but important figure to the saxons both in essex and on the continent.

🏆 hréðegiver of hope · hyhtes giefend

hréðe is an enigmatic figure whom we know from only one 8th century mention. however, using linguistics and comparative analysis of different textual sources, we can identify this deity as a goddess potentially associated with glory, triumph, and victory, especially victory over the harshness of winter.

💐 éastreearly dawn’s march-herald · ǽringes síþbode

éastre is a widely-discussed, and widely-misunderstood, old english goddess. only attested in one 8th century source, much ink has been spilled on this figure with etymological ties to the east and the dawn, but whose name in usage most often designates passover or easter.

🌱 ingking of the elves · ielfa cyning

ing is a scantily-attested figure in old english sources, but a comparative study of his connections in germanic literature reveal him as a god who was possibly originally an ancestral figure who came to seen as the radiant king of the elves, as closely associated with several royal clans in scandinavia and england, as a patron of warriors, and as a lord of abundance, fertility, peace, and friendship.

🌾 béowathe grain’s guardian · hierde cornes

béowa is a figure we find as an ancestor in royal genealogies, euhemerized in poetry, and (perhaps) hidden in the landscape. an exploration of his scattered attestations reveals a god of barley and grain who was connected with ing and the epic cycles of béowulf and hrólf kraki.

ielfe & entaselves & ettins

💪 ercolthe entish warrior · entisc maguþegn

the old english corpus only mentions ercol/erculus a handful of times in classical contexts, but behind the literature is a long history of herculēs worship spanning greek, etruscan, roman, germanic, & celtic cultures. traces of the herculēs cults seem to have survived into the early english period, & may be behind some of the oddities present in the old english ercol.

🦢 beaduhildbright battle-woman · beorht gúþcwén

beaduhild plays an important role in tales of wéland, but she may have had greater significance in early germanic myth; it is possible that she reflects an older battle-goddess tradition.
[⚠️ cw: mentions of sexual violence]


gield