The Anglo-Saxon Calendar

The Cycle

In reality not much is known of the reckoning of the year in heathen times, the Venerable Bede (an eighth century Monk), gives us names and a description of them in De Temporum Ratione. From this it seems a mix of both Lunar (moon) and Solar (sun) cycles were used, months appear to of been taken from new moon to new moon, and the year between Winter solstices. We have a problem with our calendar and have to use Leap years to even up the odd quarter-days, these are nothing compared with trying to make the heathen calendar come out even, the months seem to only total up to around 354 days, which is of course 11 days shorter than our modern calendar!! It appears a system was used which introduced an extra month into the year when needed, and therefore brought the two cycles back into line.

The Year

The year began at the Winter Solstice, this festival was known as Geol (pronounced Yule, a term still used today), this is said to be connected to the word 'wheel' (the 'wheel' of the year which starts turning at the New Year). The Pagan New Year festival started on what we now call Christmas Eve night and went on for twelve days (hence the true origin of the twelve days of Christmas). The origin of both the name and the festival go back so far it has long been lost. Bede mentions certain pagan ceremonies, (which unfortunately he does not describe), that cause the first night of the New Year to be called Moðranect, which in normal Englisc, becomes Moðra Niht (Night of Mothers). The 'Mothers' were the Goddesses who were said to protect the tribe.

The year was divided into just two seasons (unlike our present four); Sumor (Summer), and Winter (Winter), Winter beginning at the start of Winterfylleð.

The Months

• se Æftera Geola - (The later Yule month) The first month of the year. This was because it occurred immediately after the festival of Geol.
• Suhlmonað - (Solmonað, Sun Month, aka Mud Month) The second month (Bede says it meant "The Month of Cakes" as 'Sun' cakes were offered to the gods at a festival at this time of year, although this is more than likely an error on his part, and refers to the blessing of the plough). These cakes were probably buried in the earth after being presented to the sky. Hence a sacrifice to the 'Sky-Father' and 'Earth-Mother', also along with the 'blessing of the plough' (which the christians could not wipe out so adapted), to ensure a good harvest. The festival of Éowomeoluc was also celebrated at the start of this month.
• Hreþmonað - The third month was named after the Goddess Hreþe (some scholars agrue she did not exist because her name does not appear in any other connected mythology, others say she is known as a War Goddess, this month fell at the end of winter and may have been named after her as she battles, and defeats, the Frost Giants, thereby ending Winter. Yet other scholars point out the similarities between Hreþe, Nerþus (the Germanic God mentioned by Tacitus), and Njorðr (the Scandinavian God), stating that Hreþe could be a female version of them.
• Eostermonað - The fourth month was named after the Goddess Eostre, again some scholars suggest that she may not of existed because her name does not seem to appear in any other connected mythology. Some suggest she is an Anglo-Saxon version of the Goddess Idun, what is obvious is that Easter is a Christian hijack of a pagan festival, (as they did with Christmas, Yule).
• Ðrimilcemonaþ - The fifth month was so named as Bede puts it, "because cows were then milked three times a day".
• se Ærra Liþa - The phase of the Summer Solstice was known as Liþa, this is possibly as old as Geol and having the meaning Moon. Because of this the sixth month was called se Ærra Liþa (The earlier Lithe-month).
• se Æfterra Liþa - The seventh month (The later Lithe-month). Symbols such as the sun wheel, the Sigel rune, and the Tiw rune would decorate the home. A large representation of the sun wheel would be made, set alight and rolled down a hill. It is possible the extra month used to bring the yearly cycle back into line was called Liþa.
• Weodmonað - The eighth month (Weed Month), probably named after the fact that the summer growth of vegetation was more prolific during this period.
• Haligmonað - The ninth month meaning Holy Month, (Bede refers to this as "The month of offerings" to the Earth Mother), a form of harvest thanksgiving festival (another festival the christians could not stamp out, so therefore hijack for their own purposes). Foliage and the Gera rune (which represented the harvest), along with the 'corn dolly' (still used today representing the 'Earth-Mother'), were used to decorate the home. Harvest cakes, decorated with this rune, were baked and eaten.
• Winterfylleð - The tenth month was called so perhaps because of the appearance of the first full moon of Winter, Gods and Goddesses, especially Þunor, were priased and asked for protection.
• Blotmonað - The eleventh month means the Month of Sacrifice, this was because it was only practicable to keep a limited amount of livestock through the winter period. Surplus animals were therefore killed and the flesh smoked or salted. All the Gods and Goddesses would be worshiped and a feast held in their honour.
• se Ærra Geola - The last month of the Old Year (the earlier Yule month), called so because it started at the begining of the Geol festival.

The Days

Unfortunately there is no record of the pagan Anglo-Saxon week but at some stage they adopted the Roman calendar and the seven day week. The Englisc forms of the days of the week are the following.

• Sunnandæg (The day of the Sun)= Sunday
• Monandæg (The day of the Moon) = Monday
• Tiwesdæg (The day of Tiw) = Tuesday
• Wodnesdæg (The day of Woden) = Wednesday
• Þunresdæg (The day of Þunor) = Thursday
• Friggedæg (The day of Frigge) = Friday
• Sæterndæg (After Satære, another name for Loki, or a direct transliteration of the Latin Saturni die) = Saturday