333
THE SAXONS IN ENGLAND.
[book i.
the divinity of Woden is abundantly clear : he is
both in form and in fact identical with the Norse
OJrinn and∙ the German Wuotan, the supreme god
of all the northern races, whose divinity none will
attempt to dispute ɪ. Nor was this his character
unknown to our early chroniclers; Malmesbury,
speaking of Hengest and Hors, says : “ They were
the great-great-grandsons of that most ancient Wo-
den, from whom the royal families of almost all
the barbarous nations derive their lineage ; whom
the nations of the Angles madly believing to be a
god, have consecrated unto him the fourth day of
the week, and the sixth unto his wife Frea, by a
sacrilege which lasts even unto this day 2.” Mat-
thew of Westminster3 and Geoffry OfMonmouth4
repeat this with characteristic variations, both add-
ing, apparently in the words of Tacitus5, “ Colimus
maxime Mereurium, quern Woden lingua nostra
appellamus.” Ab1Sthelweard, an Anglosaxon noble-
man of royal blood, and thus himself a descend-
ant of Woden, had previously stated the same thing
after the fashion of his own age,—the tenth cen-
dago, reges Northanhuinbroruni, sive Berniciorum; ex quinto, Weg-
dego, reges Deirorum ; ex sexto, Kasero, reges Orientalium Λnglorum ;
ex septimo, Saxnad, reges Orientalium Saxonum originhɪn Iiahere di-
cuntur; octavus vero, id est, rex Auscralium Saxonum, ex eadem gente,
sed non ex eadem stirpe, originem sumpsit.” Flor. Histor. i. 346.
ɪ It is a peculiarity of the Old-horse to omit the initial W ; thus
ormr for wyτmr, a dragon or serpent: ulfr, for wulfr, a wolf : hence
ObinnisliterallyWoden. TheidentityofWuotan is ClearIyshown
in Grimm’s Deut. Mythoi, p. 120, seq.
3 Will. Malm. De Gest. 1 § S.
3 Mat. Westm. Flor. Hist. p. 82 (Ed. 1601).
1 Galf. Monum. lib. vi. p. 43 (Ed. 1587).
, “ Deorum maxime Mercurium colunt.” Germ. iɪ.
сн. хи. J
HEATHENDOM. WO'DEN.
337
tury ; he says of Hengest and Hors : “ Hi nepotes
fuere Uuoddan régis barbarorum, quem post, in-
fanda dignitate, ut deum honorantes, sacrificium
obtulerunt pagani, victoriae causa sive virtutis1.”
Again, he says : “ Wothen, qui et rex multarum gen-
tium, quern pagani nunc ut deum colunt aliqui.”
Thus, according to him, Woden was worshiped as
the giver of victory, and as the god of warlike va-
lour. And such is the description given by Adam
of Bremen of the same god, at Upsala in Sweden :
“ In hoc templo, quod totum ex auro paratum est,
statuas trium deorum veneratur populus, ita ut
potentissimus eorum Thor in medio solum habeat
triclinium, hinc et inde locum possident Wodan
et Friccoj Quorum Significationes eiusmodi sunt :
Thor, inquiunt, praesidet in aere, qui tonitrus et
fulmina, ventes imbresque, serena et fruges gu-
bernat. Alter Wodan, id est Fortior, bella régit,
hominumque Hiinistrat virtutem contra inimicos.
Tertius est Fricco, pacem Voluptatemque Iargiens
mortalibus. Cuius etiam simulachrum fingunt in-
genti Priapo. Wodanem vero sculpunt armatum,
sicuti nostri Martem sculpere soient. Thor autem
cum sceptro Jovem exprimere videtur.” The Ex-
eter book names Woden in a similar spirit:
HaiStium synne
ΛVoden worhte weohs,
wuldor alwealda
rume roderas2,
that is, “For the heathen Woden wrought the sin
Æ'Selw. Clιτon. lib. ii. cap. 2. 2 Cod. Exon. p. 341.
VOL. I. 7