Names of the Days of the Week.
E. E. wants to know "When, and by whom, were the days named as we have them now, Sunday, Monday, &c.?" Ans. The different days of the weekly cycle receive their names from the old Anglo Saxon divinities. Thus, SUNDAY. Anglo Saxon, Sunnesday; from sunnan, sun, and dag, day; so called because the day was anciently dedicated to the sun, or its worship. MONDAY. Saxon, Monandag, moon and day. Day of the moon; day sacred to the moon. TUESDAY. Saxon, Tuesdag; from Tiwes, or Tuisco, the Mars of our ancestors, the deity that presided over combats, litigation, and strife. Hence Tuesday was court-day, assize-day, the day for combat, or commencing strife. Mars was the god of war. WEDNESDAY. Anglo Saxon, Wodensdag; i. e., Woden's day. The god Woden of our Saxon ancestors is supposed to correspond to Mercury of the ancients. Mercury was the interpreter, or messenger, of the gods, and was called the god of eloquence and commerce. In mythology he is represented with wings on his feet. See Acts xiv, 12. THURSDAY. Anglo Saxon, Thunresdag, from thunres, or thunor, thunder, and dag, day. [Danish, Thorsdag, Thor's day.] It was so called because it was originally consecrated to Thor, the god of thunder, and corresponds to the Jove of the Greeks and Romans. Jove, or Jupiter, was their supreme deity. FRIDAY. Saxon, Frigedag, from Frigga, or Fria, the Venus of the North, the same as Juno. This deity was the goddess of marriage, the wife of Woden, and in mythology was supposed to preside over marriages, and protect married women. SATURDAY. Saxon, Saternesdag, Saturn's day. Saturn was one of the oldest and principal heathen deities, the son of Cœlus and Terra (heaven and earth), and the father of Jupiter. Saturn corresponds to the Greek divinity, Chronos, Time. Does this meet your wishes, E. E.? G.