Æhtemen

Oak ritual hammer, 10" long

Frēa's name is often translated as Lord, however in a fascinating article in Spellstów (Vol 5 no.4) Brúnwulf discusses Elmeviks work on the origin of Frēa and explores the idea that his name could be rooted in *fraiwijaz (fertile) from *fraiwą (seed). The phallic symbolism we associate with Frēa clearly shows him to be a fertility god. Brúnwulf continues to explore the idea through Frēa's other name Ing or Ingvi suggesting the root of these names is *néƙus meaning 'dead', that Frēa's death is a ritual where he is buried every year like the seed.

The Holy-Month full moon falls tonight (3.31am 18th) so my family-hearth will be honouring the Ese and Waene. It is the ninth and sacred month so an important night to honour the gods. The OE poem Menologium seu Calendarium Poeticum described September as a ‘holy month, because our ancestors, when they were heathen, sacrificed to their idols in that month’.

The Anglo-Saxons called the Milky Way ‘Waetlinga straet’ after the ancient road that connected (what is now) England and Wales. It is named after the giant Wade who was also known as Vate, Vada, Ivalde and Waetla and was father to Weland the smith. In Irish lore the Milky Way was called ‘Bothar Bo Finne’ or ‘The Track of the White Cow' and there’s a subtle connection to Wade in that he was also known for owning a cow – which his wife walked everyday across another ancient road called ‘Wade's Causeway’ that runs across the North Yorkshire moors.

Not to be confused with Blue-Vervain (an American plant) Vervain is native to Europe and is associated with the Blacksmith and especially Weland the Smith. In OE Vervain was referred to as îsenhearde or Iron-hard and was added to water used to quench iron swords, as it was believed it harden the blade. In Germany the plant valerian was also used in sword quenching and was known as Wielandswurz ‘Wayland’s herb’.

In his writings, Tolkien characterised the dwarves as greedy. Our own smith-god Weland (Wayland) is sometimes thought of as a dwarf-god (perhaps from the Wayland Smithy long barrow which is small). Weland's name comes from the root *Wilą-ndz meaning 'crafting-one'. The Frisians called him Wela(n)du, and perhaps connected here is the OE word Wela / Weola from the Proto-Germanic *welô (also *welan) meaning wealthy or rich.

𝕭𝖆𝖑𝖉𝖗’𝖘 𝕻𝖞𝖗𝖊 by Daniel Jacobs

Woden by Gordon Wain, 1989

👆🏻 Reposting this to show my support for Jfoliveras and his art.

Details from the art work of an Anglo-Saxon queen along with the artist's description from Instagram