The Anglo Saxon Calendar

The Cycle

Nothing in truth is really known of the calculation of the year in heathen times, but the Venerable Bede (an eighthcentury Monk) gives us names and descriptions in De Temporum Ratione which seems to have their origins in there. It seems a mix of both Lunar and Solar cycles were used, months being taken from new moon to new moon, and the year between Winter solstices. The problems we have with our calendar of having to use Leap years to even up the odd quarter-days are nothing compared with trying to make the heathen calendar come out even, as the months only make up 354 days - 11 days shorter than our modern calendar! A system was used which introduced an extra month into the year and brought the two cycles back into line.

The Year

The year began at the Winter Solstice, this festival was known as Geol (Yule), this is said to be related to the word 'wheel' (the wheel of the year which starts turning at the New Year), the Anglo-Saxon New Year festival started on what we now call the Christmas Eve night and went on for twelve days (the twelve days of Christmas?). The origin of both the name and the festival go back so far it has long been lost. Bede speaks of certain pagan ceremonies, (which unfortunately are not described), that cause the first night of the New Year to be called Modranect, which in normal Englisc (early English), becomes Modra Niht (Night of Mothers), the 'Mothers' were goddess 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.
  • Solmonað - (possibly meaning Sun Month, also known as 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).
  • Hreþmonað - The third month was called after the Goddess Hreþe, some sources suggest she did not exist because her name does not seem to appear in any other connected mythology, although in other sources she is known as a War Goddess, this month fell at the end of winter and may have been named after her as she battled the Frost Giants(?). However, yet other sources point out the contrast between Hreþe, Nerþus the Germanic God, and Njorðr the Scandinavian God.
  • Eostermonað - The fourth month was named after the Goddess Eostre, again some sources suggest that she may not of existed because her name does not seem to appear in any other connected mythology. But what is obvious is that Easter is a Christian hi-jack of a pagan festival, (as they did with Christmas (Yule)).
  • Ðrimilcemonað - The fifth month was named so as because as Bede states, "because cows were then milked three times a day".
  • se Ærra Liþa - The phase of the Summer Solstice was known as Liþa, 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 and the Sigel & Tir runes would be used to decorate the home, a large representation of the sun wheel would be made, set alight and rolled down a hill. The extra month used to bring the yearly cycle back into line was also called se Æfterra Liþa.
  • Weodmonað - The eighth month (Weed Month), called so maybe because of the ample summer growth of vegetation.
  • 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, (sound familiar?). Foliage and the rune Gera (which represented the harvest) were used to decorate the home. Harvest cakes, decorated with the Gera rune, were baked and eaten, the 'corn dolly' (still used today), representing the Earth Mother, was used as decoration as well.
  • Winterfylleð - The tenth month was called Winterfylleð 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 due to the process of fodder storage, 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 ancient 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, or Tyr) = Tuesday
  • Wodnesdæg (The day of Woden or Odinn) = Wednesday
  • Þunresdæg (The day of Þunor, or Þor) = Thursday
  • Frigedæg (The day of Frige, or love, or Freyja) = Friday
  • Sæterndæg (After Sataere, another name for Loki, or a direct transliteration of the Latin Saturni die) = Saturday

    Each new day began with sunset of the previous day. So, the sunset on Saturday (known as Sunnanniht), became Sunnandæg with sunrise, the days seem to been counted in nights (hence the word fortnight, or fourteen nights, half the length of a lunar month).

    Recap

    To recap then. The year was divided thus:

    There were only two seasons to the Anglo-Saxon year, sumor and winter.

    SUMOR,Eostermonað, Ðrimilcemonað, se Ærra Liþa, summer solstice, se Æfterra Liþa, Weodmonað, Haligmonað.

    WINTER, Winterfylleð, Blotmonað, se Ærra Geola, winter solstice, se Æftera Geola, Solmonað, Hreþmonað.

    The week was divided thus: