RSS feed02 May
Weekday Origins
By Vega
We saw how the Hebrew weekdays have no names (except Shabbat). The secular weekday names, however, have very different and unbiblical origins. Every day name is associated with a planet and a pagan god.
| Weekday | God Name | Origins of Name |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Sun Sun god |
[Sax. sunna-dæg; G. sonntag; D. zondag; Dan. söndag; Sw. sondag; so called because this day was anciently dedicated to the sun, or to its worship.] The first day of the week. |
| Monday | Moon Moon god |
[Sax. monandæg; D. maandag; G. nontag; moon and day; being formerly sacred to that planet.] The second day of the week. |
| Tuesday | Mars Tiw |
[Sw. Tisdag; Dan. Tirsdag; D. Dingsdag; G. Dingstag; Sax. Tiwæsdæg orTuesdæg, from Tig, Tiig, or Tuisco, the Mars of our ancestors, the deity that presided over combats, strife and litigation. Hence Tuesday is court day, assize day; the day for combat or commencing litigation. The third day of the week. |
| Wednesday | Mercury Woden |
[Sax. Wodensdæg; Woden's day; Sw. Odenstag or Onsdag; from Wodin or Odin, a deity or chief among the northern nations of Europe.] The fourth day of the week. |
| Thursday | Jupiter Thor |
[Dan. Torsdag, that is, Thor's day, the day consecrated to Thor, the god of thunder answering to the Jove of the Greeks and Romans, L. dies Jovis; It. Giovedi; Sp.Jueves; Fr. Jeudi. So in G. donnerstag, D. donderdag, thunderday. This Thor is from the root of W. taran, thunder; taraw, to strike, hit or produce a shock; Gaelic, Ir. toirn, a great noise; toirneas, thunder. The root of the word signifies to drive, to fush, to strike. In Sw. thorndon is thunder.] The fifth day of the week |
| Friday | Venus goddess Frigg or Freia |
[Sax. frig-dæg; G. freitag; D. vrydag; from Frigga, the Venus of the north; D.vrouw, G. frau, Ir. frag, a woman.] The sixth day of the week, formerly consecrated to Frigga |
| Saturday | Saturn Roman god Saturn |
[Sax. Sæter-dag; D. Saturdag; Saturn's day.] The last day of the week; The day of the Sabbath. |
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