nations: TYRS-DAG or TEIS-DAG, Dan.; TISDAG, Swed.; DINGSTAG, Low Dutch; and TUES-DAY, English.

Wednesday

is a contraction of WODEN'S-DAY, or ODIN'S-DAY, WODNES-DAG, WODEN'S-DEG, ODIN'S-DEG, Sax.; WONSDAG, Ice.; ODIN'S-DAG, Swedish; WOENSDAG, Low Dutch.

This idol, usually depicted armed, says VERSTEGAN, was" among our Saran ancestors esteemed and hos noured for their god of battel, according as the Komans reputed and honoured their god Mars. He was, while sametime he lived amongst them, a most valiant and victorious prince and captaine, and his idoll was often after his death honoured, prayed, and sacrificed unto, that by his ayd and furtherance they might attain victory over their enemies: which when they had obtained, they sacrificed unto him such prisoners as in battel they had taken. The name Woden signifies fires, or furious; and in like sense we yet retain it, saying, when one is in great rage, that he is Wood, or taketh on as if he were Wood. And after this idoll we doe yet call that day of the weeke Wednesday, in steid of Wodnesday, upon which he was chiefly honoured. Menerable Bede nameth one Woden to have beene the great grandfather of Hingistus, that first came with the Barons into Brittaine, but this seemeth to have beene another prince of the same name; and not he whose idoll is here spoken of, who in much likelyhood was long before the great grandfather of Hingistus." While it may be added, that the skates on his feet denoted swiftness, -a quality highly requisite in a warrior.

It appears by the mythology of the Northern nations, that Odin, Wodin, or Wodan, was a SCYTHIAN prince; and he is stated to have been the leader of a band, who made their escape from the Romans under POMPEY, and to have conquered Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and all the Northern powers. The numerous

accounts of his prowess in war, and wisdom as a ruler, are indeed marvellous: he is reputed to have possessed every power of witchcraft, prophecy, and transformation; and in the shape of a Lion, or other beast of prey, to have destroyed whole legions. Hence he was invoked by the Northern nations, as the god of battles and of victory; and a festival to his honour was held in the spring of each year, to obtain through him a prosperous issue to their martial enterprises.

Dr. HENRY, speaking of this Pagan deity, says, "Odin is believed to have been the name of the one true god among the first colonies who came from the East, and peopled Germany and Scandinavia, and among their posterity for several ages. But at length a mighty conqueror, the leader of a new army of adventurers from the East, over-ran the North of Europe, erected a great empire, assumed the name of Odin, and claimed the honours which had been formerly paid to that deity. From thenceforward that deified mortal, under the name of Odin or Woden, became the chief object of the idolatrous worship of the Saxons and Danes in this island, as well as of many other nations. Having been a mighty and successful warrior, he was believed to be the god of war, who gave victory, and revived courage in the conflict. Having civilized, in some measure, the countries which he conquered, and introduced arts formerly unknown, he was also worshipped as the god of arts and artists. In a

word, to this Odin his deluded worshippers impiously ascribed all the attributes which belong only to the true God; to him they built magnificent temples, offered many sacrifices, and conse. crated the fourth day of the week, which is still called by his name in England, and in all the other countries where he was formerly worshipped. Notwithstanding this, the founders of the whole of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy pretended to be descended from Woden, and some of them at the distance only of a few generations."

Odin was considered the father of all the other Pagan gods of the Northern nations; and it was the boast of the powerful rulers of the North that they were also descended from him. Hengist and Horsa, in particular, [See Gibson's Chronicles, &c.] were extremely vain of such reputed ancestry, as were most of the antient British princes: or rather from Odin, a considerable warrior, distinct from the idol, but who, as well as a third great leader, was distinguished by that high-prized name. When it is considered, that Odin adopted as his children all those who were slain with swords in their hands, the claims of the Northern and British chiefs to the honour of such parentage, may be much more easily accounted for, than at first appears, Bravery was a quality not only held in the highest esteem, but was absolutely necessary to sustain them in their precarious power; hence they seldom failed

to point out to their followers the most brilliant examples of hardihood and courage, and thereby naturally roused the energies of their subjeets, who gloried in warfare, and even rejoiced at the chance of receiving a violent death, which was to render them the eternal companions of their venerated Odin.

The Romans dedicated WEDNESDAY to Mercury, from which cause it was called Dies Mercurii, feria quarta: Thence the Roman Mercury, and the Saxon Odin, in despite of the Roman idol not having been a warrior, were usually regarded as the same deity; perhaps from their respective attributes bearing in many instances a close resemblance, and from both having been the reputed patrons of arts, inventions, &c.

Thursday,

the fifth day of the week, was dedicated by the whole of the antient Northern nations to the adoration of Thor, "the bravest of the sons of Odin," or Woden,-who was worshipped on Wednesday,and of Fria or Friga, to perform homage to whom, Friday was peculiarly set apart. Authors are generally agreed as to the etymology of this word. THUNRESDÆG, THURSDÆG, THORSDAG, Saxon, DONNERSTAG, old Teutonic.