ADVENTUS SAXONUM

The original Anglo-Saxon (pagan) calendar. Note that years are A.S. (Adventus Saxonum, the Coming of the Saxons) rather than A.D. The A.S. system traditionally starts in 449 A.D., although there were Saxons and other Germanic tribes present in the future England for centuries before this. Note that the Anglo-Saxon alphabet had certain extra letters. Æ/æ (ash) makes the sound in 'aeroplane'. Þ/þ (eth) makes the soft 'th' sound in that, this and those, whilst the similar Ð/ð (thorn) makes the sounded 'th' sound in think, thank and thought. Finally yog, a 'Y' with a horizontal line halfway down, is used instead of 'y' where the letter is sounded like a 'y', so would appear in crayon, yellow and yacht, but not in penny, bay and dry.

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Anglo-Saxon month

Month of...

Sacred to...

Roman equivalent

Wulfmonað

wolf

Thunor (thunder) ***

Jan. 1-29

Solmonað

Sun

Woden (King of Gods) ***

Jan. 30 - Feb. 26

Hreþemonað

Hrethe

Hrethe (war)

Feb. 27 - Mar. 26

Eostremonað

Eostre*

Eostre (dawn)

Mar. 27 - Apr. 23

Drimilcemonað

milking of cows

Ingui (weather)

Apr. 24 - May 21

Midsumermonað

mid-summer

¥egir (seas)

May 22 - Jun. 18

Liþamonað

travelling

Baldeor (light)

Jun. 19 - Jul. 16

Gleowianmonað

jokes

Loki (tricksters)

Jul. 17 - Aug. 13

Weodmonað

weeds

Frigg (love/marriage)***

Aug. 14 - Sep. 10

Hærfestmonað

harvest

Tiw (justice) ***

Sep. 11 - Oct. 8

Winterfylleð

winter moon

Forseta (laws/rules)

Oct. 9 - Nov. 5

Blotmonað

blood**

Brego (poetry)

Nov. 6 - Dec. 3

Yeolamonað

Yule*

Wuldor (archery)

Dec. 4 - 31


* Yule (shortest day of the year) and Eostre were very popular amongst the Anglo-Saxons, so much that the Christian Church took over both ceremonies and used Eostre's name for the period around the Crucifixion. They almost certainly moved Christ's birthday to coincide with the major Yule festival, that of the god Mithras on December 25th.

** Sacrificing of surplus animals prior to winter.

*** Gave their names to Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.


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