55. Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians: their original home and migration to the British Isles.

(p.25)

56. Paganism vs. Christianity in Old Germanic ethnic communities.

Germanic paganism refers to the theology and religious practices of the Germanic peoples of north-western Europe from the Iron Age up until their Christianization during the medieval.Paganism is a system of closely related religious worldviews and practices, rather than as one individual religion. Сonsisted of: • individual worshippers, • family traditions  • regional cults: sacrifice to their idols (some idols were worshipped widely across the Germanic lands but under the different names; others were specific located) even blood sacrifice.

About this information: in Anglo-Saxon and in Icelandic texts Germanic paganism took various different forms in each different area of the Germanic world: • 10th and 11th century Norse paganism (documented version) • Anglo-Saxon and Continental Germanic sources.  The information can be supplied by: • archaeological finds  • remains of pre-Christian beliefs in later folklore.

Germanic paganism was polytheistic, revolving around the veneration of various Gods. Some Gods were worshipped widely across the Germanic lands, but under different names. Other Gods were simply local to a specific locality. The Germanic people underwent gradual Christianization in the course of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.( 4; 6-8 century) By the 8th century: England and the Frankish Empire were (officially) Christian,  by AD 1100 Germanic paganism had ceased in Scandinavia lands. In the 4th century, the early process of Christianization in Germans by the influence of Roman Empire. After the collapse of RE –the Germanic tribes ( Saxons, Franks, Lombards,Vandals, Goths) were Christianized as voluntary. Other tribes were Christianized when settle within the Empire. From 6 century – by force of the missionaries of the Roman Catholic Church. The way of Christianization took place “top to the bottom”: at first nobilities were Christianized and then they spread their new faith to the generation. Thus early Germanic Christianity was presented as an alternative to native Germanic paganism: parallel between Woden and Christ.

57. Old Germanic peoples’ beliefs and mythology.

Continental Germanic mythology is a subset of Germanic mythology, going back to Proto-Germanic polytheism as practiced in parts of Central Europe before gradual Christianization during the 6th to 8th centuries, and continued in the legends, and Middle High German epics during the Middle Ages, also continued although in a recharacterized and less sacred fashion in European folklore and fairy tales.

Unlike North Germanic, and to a lesser extent Anglo-Saxon mythology, the attestation of Continental Germanic paganism is extremely fragmentary. Besides a handful of brief Elder Futhark inscriptions, the lone genuinely pagan Continental Germanic documents are the short Old High German Merseburg Incantations. Mythological elements were however preserved in later literature, notably in Middle High German epic poetry, but also in German, Swiss, and Dutch folklore.

Gods and heroes The major gods can be identified by their influence on the English weekday names Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday which come from Tiw, Wóden, Þunor, and Fríge respectively, through the Old English names Tíwesdæg, Wédnesdæg, Þunresdæg and Frígedæg.

Sunday	OE sunne – the sun The first day of the week was named for the sun god
Monday	OE mona – the moon Was devoted to the goddess of the moon
Tuesday	OE Tiw – the war-god Named in honour of the Anglo-Saxon god of war (ON Tyr)
Wednesday	OE Wodan – the god of divination and the dead Was named for the chief god and the giver of wisdom (ON Odin)
Thursday	OE Thunor – the storm-god Was named in honour of the ancient Germ. God of thunder
Friday	OE Fri – the fertility goddess (ON Frigda), goddess of the household and marriage, Oddin’s wife. Later became as Freya, goddess of the Earth
Saturday	OE Setern – Saturn, Jupiter’s father, the god of agriculture and sowing of seeds in Roman mythology.

Paganism. The heathen Germans worshipped. Woden, sacrificed animals to Thor and Tiw. They also worshipped Freya and Nerthus. Their ancient songs tell of the earth-born god Tiusto and his son Mannus, ancestor of the whole German race.

Divination played great role in their life. They invented runic devination

58. Early Germanic society: the material and spiritual culture. (p. 21)

Weapon. The main weapon of early Germans was spear (копье) with thin short tip, iron sword and bow with arrows. For protection they used shield made of leather or wood. The biggest shame for a warrior was to leave his shield on the battle field. The helmet was decorated with fangs of wild boar.

Household goods. The clothes ware kept in separate room. The food (pieces of meat) was taken out from boiler with the help of a big fork made of wood. They used earthenware or made plates and dishes of wood.

Clothes. Germans wore animal and sheep skin. Later, they started to make clothes of wool and flax. Men wore flax shirts and trousers, coarse mantles and jackets with long sleeves. Women wore long shirts, dresses and mantles. Shoes were made of thick piece of leather which was fastened to the feet with to thongs.

Dwelling. Houses of Germans consisted of 1 or 2 parts: one for people and the other for domestic animals. The roof was covered with rush and straw. Inside the house there was a open fire. Germans dug pits for keeping food supplies in winter, sometimes they lived there themselves.

Funeral ceremony. The deads were not buried, they were burnt. Their weapon and horses were buried also.

Beliefs. Paganism. The heathen Germans worshipped. Woden, sacrificed animals to Thor and Tiw. They also worshipped Freya and Nerthus. Their ancient songs tell of the earth-born god Tiusto and his son Mannus, ancestor of the whole German race.

Divination played great role in their life. They invented runic devination