Anglo-Saxon Paganism: Gods

What were the pre-Christian religious traditions of England like? This two part series serves as an introduction to Anglo-Saxon paganism. In this video we will look at the evidence we have for the pagan gods of the Anglo-Saxons and will compare them to what we know about the Norse equivalents that Vikings worshipped. At times it is also necessary to use Indo-European comparative mythology to understand the gods and goddesses of the Anglo-Saxons. “Anglo-Saxon paganism” refers to the Germanic pagan traditions brought to Britain in the 5th century and which persisted in surprising ways even after the Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon England over the 7th and 8th century.
Thanks to Wulfheodenas for modelling their Vendel era Germanic weapons and clothing.
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Art:
Alex Cristi - Erce.
Andrew Whyte - Nehalennia.
Christian Sloan Hall - Eastre
.
Gramanh Folcwald - Hengist and Horsa.
Hungerstein - Tiw
.
Robert Molyneaux - Yeavering temple
.
Ryan Murray - Modra.
1st Aquarian - Migration map.
Music:
Aethelruna - Modraniht Overture
Bark Sound Productions - various
Borg - compositions from The Triumph of Spring
Cefin Beorn - various
Doug Maxwell - various
Elegiac - Ashwind interlude
Halindir - Hedelandet II
Kevin McLeod - various
Ormgård - Sjálfsforn
Sean O Rourke - Contentment is wealth
Sjhof - Loki’s meditation
Stark von Oben - Rise of Tiamat
Sun and moon dance - Hymne til Freyja
Torulf - Rite of the Heart
Wolcensmen - Sunne
Wolcensmen - A fine Way to Die
Xuriuos - Steppe expansion
Sources:
Chaney, W. A. 1972. The Cult of Kingship in Anglo-Saxon England: The Transition from Paganism to Christianity, The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory, 47:2, 141-143
Das, R. et al. 2016. Localizing Ashkenazic Jews to Primeval Villages in the Ancient Iranian Lands of Ashkenaz, Genome Biology and Evolution, Volume 8, Issue 4.
Dowden, K. 2000. European Paganism: The Realities of Cult from Antiquity to the Middle Ages. London and New York: Routledge. p. 229.
amzn.to/2SYhySz
Dumezil, G. 1988. ‘Mitra-Varuna: An Essay on Two Indo-European Representations of Sovereignty’
amzn.to/3gON9iX
Ealdorblotere, T. 2020. To Hold the Holytides.
Faussett, B. 1856, Inventorium Sepulchrale. An Account of Some Antiquities dug up at Gilton, Kingston, Sibertswold, Bafriston, Beakesbourne, Chartham, and Crundale, in the County of Kent, from A.D. 1757 to A.D. 1773 (London 1856).
Grimm, J. 1835. Deutsche Mythologie. amzn.to/2Snskle
Helmbrecht, M. 2012. A winged figure from Uppåkra Helmbrecht
samla.raa.se/xmlui/bitstream/h...
Kemble, J. M. 1876. The Saxons in England. amzn.to/3qioPZT
Kershaw, K. 2000. ‘The one-eyed god: Odin and the (Indo-)Germanic Männerbünde’ (Journal of Indo-European studies monograph). amzn.to/3qrPUKg
Nordberg, Andreas. 2006. Jul, disting och förkyrklig tideräkning: Kalendrar och kalendariska riter i det förkristna Norden. Kungl. Gustav Adolfs Akademien för svensk folkkultur: Uppsala
North, R. 1997 Heathen gods in Old English literature. Cambridge University Press. amzn.to/3gQW03m
North, R. Old English 'wopes hring' and the Old Norse myth of Baldr
www.academia.edu/14327101/Old...
Pollington, S. 2011. The Elder Gods: The Otherworld of Early England. amzn.to/3vKaVkg
Reaves, W. 2018. Odin's Wife: Mother Earth in Germanic Mythology. amzn.to/2TX8wW4
Rowsell, T. 2011. Woden and his Roles in Anglo-Saxon Royal Genealogy.
Schiffels, S., Haak, W., Paajanen, P. et al. Iron Age and Anglo-Saxon genomes from East England reveal British migration history. Nat Commun 7, 10408 (2016).
Stenton, F. 1943. Anglo-Saxon England. Oxford. amzn.to/3qomuMT
Werner, J. 1964. Herkuleskeule und Donar-Amulett. Jahrb. RGZM 11, 176-197.
00:00:00 What is Anglo-Saxon paganism
00:07:51 Woden
00:25:42 Thunor
00:32:20 Tiw
00:35:59 Ing
00:43:00 Frig
00:44:02 Erce
00:48:19 Hretha
00:53:00 Modra
00:56:06 Hengest and Horsa
01:02:09 Nehalennia
01:03:56 Wada
01:07:33 Wayland
01:12:01 Seaxneat
01:14:09 Eostre
01:20:22 Bældæg
01:28:16 Scyld and Sceafa
01:34:38 Sigel
01:36:16 Earendel
01:38:15 Pagan calendar

[@aacistrlcoholic2]

If the BBC made content like this I might consider paying the TV license

[@jespereriksson6147]

Anglo saxon people are n word people

[@jonajo9757]

@@jespereriksson6147 Deep...

[@mostlypeacefulrowan8747]

If the BBC covered this they would employ an ethnic minority to reveal all anglo saxons were brown and gay. And vegan.

[@vdoniel]

Do you have to buy a license to watch tv?

[@mostlypeacefulrowan8747]

@@vdoniel if you dont pay the tax they send a "tv detector" van to sit outside your house. Look it up it's hilarious

[@albionmyl7735]

Hello English people... Greetings from Germany.... I am a native German Saxon from Westphalia northwest Germany.... Anglo-Saxon ties never die... ❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇩🇪👍

[@EuanWhitehead]

Good to be proud

[@Andavel111]

Greetings brother 👍

[@osamabindiesel3389]

Bro you’re German, that’s it. Cosplaying like you’re the same people as the anglos from thousands of years ago is cringe. You don’t drink mead from horns and sail the seas, you wear lederhosen and eat schnitzel.

[@Rymontp]

@@osamabindiesel3389 I agree with your first statement, modern Germans are quite different to Germanic people 1.5k years ago. The second doesn't make any sense though. Maybe it's just a joke but you're confusing Bavaria with the rest of Germany. Westphalia has a very different sub culture

[@redwolf7929]

Hi Anglo - Saxon people of England ,and of Germany, our tribe has spread far and wide , from the dark European forests across the seas ,and even to Australia, my home!! Hail the Gods , and the ancestors!!!@

[@EuanWhitehead]

I'm so proud of my British English heritage, I think most British people forget about their rich ancestry. It's so deep, interesting and vast I don't know how people forget it.

[@conman9957]

you seen that sky drama they have been making that makes pagans out to be savages and drug addled freaks? such a shame to see these myths persist

[@Stylin0]

I'm of British, welsh, and modern day frisian and its amazing seeing how closely related these practices all were, this has helped me immensely in magic, it seems the more accurate the practices feel to our ancestors the more effective it feels, but they seem to realize that traditions are meant to be built upon. This channel has been essential for me in the past two weeks haha love this man.

[@noodlyappendage6729]

Hello Eve, I have a community on Reddit for people of British heritage called the Temple of Britannia. If you have a Reddit account put you Reddit name here and I’ll send you an invite. It’s a private community. It’d be great to have you!

[@redshift1223]

we have long been ignorant victims of traitors and infiltrators who have vast wealth to undermine and destroy our people for their perverse ideals.

[@fusion9619]

@@Stylin0 you actually do magic? Can you describe it? I guess it's probably not shooting fireballs, as awesome as that would be..

[@parchment543]

The best video I’ve ever seen on Anglo Saxon paganism. PLEASE keep this series going!!!

[@wayneinteressierts5295]

really good. started just to see...and dropped all other things for today for cross checks. everything in german and on german gods is profound. Even looked up the areas were Frau Holle is called Frau Holle, Frau Perchta or others. ah, I still got one little thing, STJ linked the masked deamons in south germany, switzerland and austria (and romania, and north italy) to christmas. but we have an additional holidays here called "Fasnacht" (hundrets of names for it). Some would say carnival. In some regions it lasts form november till februar

[@eriktheranga2410]

Not if they can help it

[@mymybabybear]

@@wayneinteressierts5295 ]

[@Samdegraff]

Lost it at: "Until they found this one that said "This is a Hammer"."

[@nilsolofleif8886]

That part is great. Kinda ends the debate 😅

[@toddovall2389]

Same. As if speaking to the future

[@sallyonthegini3349]

28:58

[@nilsolofleif8886]

@@Io-vz2jq the man who made the necklace did of course. With your reasoning a lot of things must be fabricated.

[@azurephoenix9546]

@@Io-vz2jq Danish people.

[@moritzsprung3699]

Thomas is one if not the most important person in the struggle to reconnect our people with our traditions and faith. This video is your masterpiece in terms of knowledge and production value in my opinion, and in a righteous world you had a TV show and your videos were shown in school classes all over europe. It was a pleasure to watch and I am greatly thankful for your work.

[@swarmofmudkipz]

Agreed. It makes me sad how often the power plays by kingdoms and churches denied us our cultural heritage.

[@neilog747]

The shift of England's rulers away from England's culture after 1066 explains some of this cultural neglect I think, although the Christian church would have been an earlier opponent of this knowledge.

[@sel1736]

​@@neilog747the church has brought nothing but lies and cultural genocide .. wherever they've been allowed to indoctrinate!!

[@jamesblobb7115]

Odin's/Wotan's abillity to make statues speak is absolutely fascinating in regard to his connection to Hermes/Mercury/Thoth, as Hermes is said to possess the very same abillity in the Corpus Hermeticum.

[@andrewwicks8352]

It's also one of the accounted acts of magic by Egyptian priests, to bring statues to life. Probably due in part to the connection between Hermes and Thoth. Obviously Egypt isn't Indo-European, but the trade across the eastern Mediterranean goes back to the Early Bronze (they're the only reason a Bronze Age could exist) and there is probably quite a lot of cultural interaction that is obscured by overly-thorough appropriation. It's possible that Thoth was an Egyptian borrowing of the Poetic/Magical aspect of the Sky Father. Either that, or both Hermes and Thoth originally developed independently, but then their cults developed a mutual respect and started borrowing from one another later on in their development to provide a false sense of similarity.

[@user-qf3lq4zj8g]

​@The Star Adding to yours and James comment: *hermetic* = "completely sealed; impervious to outside interference" and that is why the body ( _corpus_ ) of sealed-knowledge ( _hermeticus_ ) refers to Hermes having the ability to make what is sealed (frozen/stone mouth) to be opened and reveal its knowledge.

[@dontdeletemeyoutube6689]

Statues speaking crops up in mr whatever and Jonathan strange. It was mr whatever’s first proof of his magic.

[@Survivethejive]

@@andrewwicks8352 I demonsrated in my video in Sumatra that the exact same belief exists there so we don't need to show a link over the Med - it is quite clearly a perennial belief that many cultures have.

[@ugadugaga4972]

Could the golems from Hebrew mythology be connected? I know its more about having your ancestors from the earth rise yo to protect but I also get imagery of living statues. Just a thought guys.

[@halbeholt]

"Although some skeptical people questioned if they even represented hammers at all, until 2014, when this one was found (...) with a runic inscription that says 'this is a hammer'." Hahaha

[@iBlagg8]

I'm going to inscribe "this is a hammer" on it. why? only a fool would doubt these are hammers!

[@delphinidin]

i almost died laughing at that part

[@Wieslawson]

Today's humanities...

[@3rdeye671]

Runes are not just a form of writing, it was believed that the runes carried magical properties and that inscribing runes gave the object added intentions wished for by its maker or owner. Thus inscribing "This is a hammer" was a point of specifically dedicating the object to a given task and adding the will of its maker or owner into the ability of that object to better perform that task. You need to put your mindset into the same as the ancient peoples who believed everything possessed a form of spirit or a life of it's own and it's handlers own spirit was also becoming imbued into the object everytime he used it. So it's not just any old hammer but the owners own hammer sort of bonded to him and his intentions flowed through the object giving it purpose and was believed better at doing it's specified tasks.

[@charlesreid9337]

@@Wieslawson i went to college for computer science. The only thing i value about my time in college were the humanities courses

[@landofthesilverpath5823]

THIS IS A HAMMER

[@ProfessorShnacktime]

Really glad the ancestors had the foresight to clear that up.

[@landofthesilverpath5823]

@@ProfessorShnacktime just in case future archeologists had any doubt.

[@twilightknight2333]

@@landofthesilverpath5823 No doubt modern day liberal archeologist would claim it was a dildo and that Anglo-Saxons were gay or something like that.

[@helmortkuper2626]

Wish England would embrace their western Germanic heritage more.

[@keighlancoe5933]

Many of us do, but as all things English, they're looked down upon and sneered at by a section of the population. Our traditions are, for now, alive and well in many places and people are alot more aware and proud of their heritage than you see at first glance. You kind of have to dampen it down a bit in England, as the aforementioned snobs will look down on you, if they're in managerial positions you could be passed up for a promotion, accused of all manner of things etc etc. English is a dirty word for some, and whilst I believe it is their right to not feel English, attached to England or even remotely fond of the place, that is absolutely fine; what I can't abide is that they believe that we must all feel this way, and any who don't are to be belittled, sneered at and treated with general contempt. We are too tolerant a people, that stiff upper lip is acting as a leaden weight.

[@TheWizardOfTheFens]

@@keighlancoe5933 perfectly explained.

[@channelfive7883]

@@keighlancoe5933 England has no culture

[@keighlancoe5933]

@@channelfive7883 of course it doesn't *wink wink*

[@channelfive7883]

@@keighlancoe5933 My English white wife agrees and says "England doesn't actually have any culture, apart from a bit of drinking at the pub" haha

[@garthmcripfist2944]

Everything about you screams trustworthy and scholarly. Even your beard is scholarly, I'm very jealous.

[@Survivethejive]

thank you!

[@MattyRlufc]

Very Indo-European

[@kubobetterrelax7435]

@@MattyRlufc very old English

[@Sandwich13455]

The beard of ancient knowledge!

[@airborneranger-ret]

Really :)

[@thomaspiotrowski3382]

In Germany we have Wieland the blacksmith forging swords, in the Nibelungen saga

[@Peter-lm3ic]

Of course in England we have Weyland the goldsmith as portrayed on the whale bone Franks Casket in the British Museum. Making a drinking cup out of a skull! All from Germanic origins.

[@iBlagg8]

Forget Harry and Megan, this is where its at just gone midnight UK time.

[@pendaofmercia7892]

Has she divorced him already?

[@Evan_Bell]

@@pendaofmercia7892 Who tf cares. They're not our royals anymore.

[@pineapplepen540]

The ginge and the whinge.

[@pendaofmercia7892]

@@Evan_Bell Not me, that’s for certain.

[@gonefishing167]

Agree, forget Harry and Megan. If they’d been in Henry the V111 time it would’ve been ‘off with their heads’. Save us having to listen to ‘victim hood’ ad nauseam 🤣🤣🤣🤣🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@richardmangelmann4975]

German here, its pretty sad we don't know that much about our very ancient ancestors and will maybe never really regain that knowledge or tradition. I don't know why it makes me a bit down but for some reason it really gets me. So I really appreciate the effort you put into your videos!

[@Kadukunahaluu]

I'm Pacific Islander (Chamorro) and I don't know anything about my people past the 1600s other than the fact that we were expert voyagers, so I know the feeling :( But here's to our mysterious, unique origins

[@MrMaltasar]

This was fantastic. Also so interesting how close the Anglo-Saxons were in religion to their cousins in Scandinavia, considering how they become mortal enemies come the viking age. In a sense they were vikings before the vikings. Brilliant video! Can't wait for part 2!

[@topaz898989]

I read the Vikings raided England. They drove the English north to Scotland and settled in England. The hated each other with the raid but when they colonized that is why it's the same. They also did a raid south on land, moving down Germany via Bavaria, Austria, to Northern Italy where they settled with their slaves. Their name was Lombard. They were used to working ports by the Danish shore where they are from. So, that is what they did in Venice. They made a ton of money as the merchants of venice, built palaces, and called themselves royalty. At that time north Italy was Lombards pagan, mid was catholic rome, bottom was byzantine (three stripes like the flag) they also became the royals of Venetian Austria and Bavaira (I think via marriage? They had been through the area) Meanwhile back in England, they read a story about having sex with a sheep (I am not joking seriously) or was it a gold goat? And they decided that meant they were important too and make themselves queen mum. They rowdy members of the family stormed Normandy and settled there, becoming the French royal family (off with her head!). So I always thought they were all in bread because of 500 years of inbreeding but it turns out they had been inbreeding looooong before that. Makes sense. Scotland has Odin come Christmas eve night to this day. They are the original Real English and not the fake Ole and Swens and Lena's with horns and body paint in England now. They continued to have a trading relationship with the neighbors in the port of Bremen, the Fresians. They were taller, more well liked, smarter, and better sailors. They wanted to read a book under a tree and not exploit people and their land like resources throughout the globe.

[@topaz898989]

@Denise Bond im confused. I'm not an anglophile, its my family history. And I just thought it was interesting because its not well known. Not sure if that means I like them or not.

[@Peter-lm3ic]

@@topaz898989 You write as if you are a gothic weido!

[@topaz898989]

@@Peter-lm3ic nah. Furthetist thing from it but I just never thought of how royal families came to be before and found it fascinating to learn. They were just someone's loser neighbors that stole a bunch of stuff and called themselves royal. There are jokes they are all related but I didn't realize how much from the very beginning. I, in fact, pay very little attention to it except for loving myself a royal wedding but didnt realize how destructive they continue to be behind the scenes.

[@ramon2008]

@@topaz898989 what the hell are you talking about, the Vikings did not venture into Germany. The German regions had tribes and the Vikings were a seafaring people who raided coastal settlements, England and France being the prime examples.

[@e.mailissimo2146]

Well, that one guy had incredible foresight to inscribe "This is a hammer" on a piece of jewelry wich everybody back then would have known what it is, just to put arguments way into the future to rest XD

[@stoltobot]

What if he was just being a smart arse and actually it is something else?

[@hunterswepic]

Or perhaps it’s something along the lines of “this is my rifle, there’s many like it, but this is my rifle...” etc

[@Survivethejive]

there is a stool with a runic inscription that says "stool" irrc. People just did stuff like that for some reason

[@hunterswepic]

@@Survivethejive The PIE roots of IKEA

[@silasfrisenette9226]

Oh yeah, I believe the majority of objects found just say what it is .. Like a comb would have "comb" inscribed .. For some reason very common

[@kingofthemoon2395]

Production quality and value of this is insane for a youtube video, excellent work!

[@Corgio22]

I know. No misspellings.

[@DanDavisHistory]

Feature length! Nice one. This is the quality historical content we need.

[@Glassandcandy]

This video is a hidden gem. Fantastic research. Kudos for looking into the etymological evidence as well. I’ve seen many historians just wave off ænglisc paganism as unknowable because of lack of evidence, and it always bothers me because there’s actually quite a bit to be known both from probing the old English corpus and through archeological evidence. We don’t necessarily need an English equivalent of the sagas in order to reconstruct the basics of Anglo Saxon cult beliefs and practices.

[@OrthoKarter]

England’s foundation is inherently Orthodox.

[@user-pp6fx7si4g]

There just isn't enough money for proper research into the gods of the Angles and Saxons.

[@SamtheIrishexan]

​@@user-pp6fx7si4gbecause they are white unfortunately. Hopefully the West is coming back to its senses.

[@masterlee9822]

Similarities , differences and parallels are not uncommon among religions. Religions are not normally like the Satanists and Christian opposing ideologies that share the same mythologies and are in a sense the same religion. Religions are born in all kinds of ways, some over ages of collective stories and experiences and others over a very short period with much fewer people adding to the stories. A selective process happens over the ages with customs, traditions and stories become more popular and others less and this can also be said of the gods. Some die out and others live, some become less popular while others become more popular. The realities of times and ages. Genetics are going to have a effects on religious outcomes. Effecting dislike., likes and behavior. Oppression and dictatorships including religious dictatorships normally slows this down and forced lies can be used to prevent the people rising up against you. The people not knowing who is a ally and who is a foe. Christianity and Islam both arise through forced conversation after gaining enough power that was maintained through brutality. Christianity grow weaker when the church no longer had the power to oppress and imprison the people.

[@norsemagicandbeliefs8134]

Love it! People should be doing more of this. So many people cling on to the Norse gods. Its good for Scandinavians, but its amazing when we can use this info to reconstruct paganism for the Anglo Saxons or other Germanic peoples.

[@mortenthorsen8994]

It should be clear by now that the Scandinavians, the North Germans, the Dutch and the English are of a common ethnocentric background sharing both language and religion. It is not just Scandinavians and particularly Icelandic ones that owns the Norse Gods its just the stories of them were not wiped out there as fully as in England and Germany

[@JuanMartinez-ly9ij]

How is that a good thing about paganism?

[@deannawoods9776]

bCuz... Ummm I think it's Important to Kno that ULTIMATELY the Truth is that Every ancestor EVERYwhere has had the same beliefs yet Also individual Tribes have their own beliefs and They aLL SURVIVED for 10,000 years or more BEFORE the time of the "Christ God "

[@JuanMartinez-ly9ij]

@@deannawoods9776 the history shows that humanity was actually monotheistic and because humanity decayed into polytheism, so why celebrate evil? Like e michael Jones said, your gods are useless and can't save anyone.

[@deannawoods9776]

btw... I knO useGys can C the Many Waze They ALL believe in the same thing They just broke apart for Money and the ability to abUz In ALL waz Bcuz they Are allowed to make their own "rules" and Blame it on "God's Rules" and it happened for NO REASON

[@celticsaxon7609]

I've been researching this topic just recently so thanks a lot tom.

[@JackSardonic]

The information you've provided and sequenced on deities like Hretha is extremely enlightening.

[@kyledavisnorroena]

It's safe to say STJ is one of the most important voices in AS heathenry. These videos are great. Well done Thomas.

[@sleepywoodelf]

Absurdly high quality content. I didn't know a lot about this topic, and I think in general Anglo-Saxon paganism flies under the radar because the sources are more fragmentary than the Norse, so this is a great contribution to public knowledge. Also, may the gods look on you with friendly eyes for citing your sources. One note: it might be good to brush up your Old Norse pronunciation. A New Introduction to Old Norse by Barnes and Faulkes, or Jackson Crawford's videos, are clear and helpful. As always, love the work you're doing.

[@MrAwrsomeness]

Uploading at 12 in the morning? Absolutely barbaric

[@dontdeletemeyoutube6689]

Such heresy

[@FortressofLugh]

Great work brother

[@3rdeye671]

As are your own videos too.

[@BikingVikingHH]

ᛁᛏᛋ᛫ᛟᚲ᛫ᛏᛟ᛫ᛒᛖ᛫ᚹᚺᛁᛏᛖ

[@jurikurthambarskjelfir3533]

Heil FoL!

[@caoimhingibson2803]

As someone who grew up Christian and has spent years coming to grips with my Pagan calling....thank you for your videos. They have been well received by me.

[@markcotton3481]

prove it

[@markcotton3481]

@Skydaddy Myth-Busters Prove they were well received.

[@markcotton3481]

@RUKMINI TALUKDER I'm not into capital-G-God

[@user-qj3cm4go4s]

In the Netherlands we have places like Woensel (Wodans hall) and Woensdrecht (Wodans dredge). A wish is a Wens. And our Wednesdays are Woensdagen.

[@3rdeye671]

It appears that the Dutch pronounce Woden/Wotan/Odin as 'Woen', just as the ancient southern or Mediterranean Indo-European peoples referred to him as 'Ofnir'.

[@ProperZen]

@@3rdeye671 To the extent that a comment section can be a community, Tom’s work seems to bring discussions I rarely fail to learn from. Thanks for sharing this @93; good to get examples straight from the source like this. It’s amazing to connect the echos of the past surrounding us - and to have guides capable of pointing them out.

[@BikingVikingHH]

What do you call Africans? 😂 I call em mondays, nobody likes a Monday

[@3rdeye671]

@@BikingVikingHH nobody likes a rascist either. We should be embracing our differences not segregating and dividing one another. We learn and advance by embracing diversity, not by dividing ourselves into antagonistic divisions, that is devolution due to lack of diversity. There is only one race; the human race.

[@helmortkuper2626]

@@3rdeye671 Oy vey

[@jandergermane1561]

Never clicked so fast

[@grantquinones]

Preclickulated

[@franziskanerthenoble]

Lol, same. Literally stated out loud, “Oh yeah!”

[@georgehardr.martin5586]

Same here

[@franziskanerthenoble]

@ZebraZ probably the most unintelligent take on WWII - and history as a whole. Every pagan tribe fought with every other pagan tribe... Rome? Celts? Greeks? Vikings? Like seriously try harder.

[@jandergermane1561]

@ZebraZ what?

[@mattjackson]

This is fantastic. It always bothered me that the Anglo-Saxons were assumed to have followed the same gods as the Danes/Norse people so I am glad to see your presentation here. Thank you for making this!

[@LynxSouth]

Impressive. Jaw-droppingly, staggeringly impressive. The attention to detail, the tracking everything back so far, the correlating of X to Y to Z and beyond, the listing of such a list of sources. It's intellectually and spiritually orgasmic. My heart leaps and my brain dances (or vice-versa). You are an exemplar of the proper combination of intelligence and passion.

[@candylandi5351]

Very interesting, this is for me the record of the longest video in English language I ever watched and you are able to explain things is an easy way so I enjoyed all the video. As an Italian I knew Sceafa as the 1st king of the Longobards but I didn't know that he was also in other nations mythology.

[@Survivethejive]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lukewhite8930]

The longboards in layman’s terms, were cousins of the saxons

[@candylandi5351]

@@lukewhite8930 Yes, some Sexons went in Italy with the Longobards too but at the end they returned back while Longobards stayed in Italy.

[@jfwizard1]

Found your channel after watching the yule video on history bro's channel. I've been obsessed since lol, but I think there's been a good reason. Your videos have been so educational and I really appreciate the work you put into them.

[@nigo-]

Absolutely incredible video! Jive himself is rekindling a fire of ancient knowledge for the new generation.

[@TheNaturalLawInstitute]

Tom Rowsell, you are a treasure. Thank you for your work. This piece in particular.

[@adventussaxonum448]

Wade's ship was "Wingelock "..... Good old Tolkien. Earendil the Mariner (another name from Anglo-Saxon literature) had a ship called Vingilot....

[@paulwhite6626]

And after pleading for aid with the Valar, Earendils ship was set in the sky because he could not return to mortal lands and thus Vingilot (built by Cirdan the shipwright) becomes Venus Great stuff, my love for Tolkien only increases with time

[@Ardepark]

@@paulwhite6626 I am certain Tolkien would have greatly approved of Thomas Rowsell's work and would have volunteered much time and effort to help a project such as Survive the Jive.

[@paulwhite6626]

@@Ardepark I doubt it not. I don't have the ability to read Old English or Old Norse, but if I could, I would probably find plenty more of the seeds that sprouted into Middle Earth. Apparently the Silmarillion was begun to give the English a mythology set in a timeless elder age but because of his perfectionism and constant editting, the project consumed Tolkiens free time until the end of his life. Much respect should also go to Christopher his son who tried with varying degrees of success to make some kind of sense out of what his father left behind

[@carrieeloff2220]

They probably worshipped the harvest gods in March because that's when you start the seeds.

[@karlosthejackel69]

Been waiting for this one for a long time, thank you very much. Also, Anglo Saxon baby no.4 on its way. Middle name will be Aethelwolfe, just to honour the ancestors.

[@patrickhenryhansen8161]

Love the name and glad to hear I’m not the only one honoring our ancestry. I have 6. Last one named Britannia Saxony.

[@pineapplepen540]

Love the name, but don't make it easy to dox yourself, bro. It's not common.

[@karlosthejackel69]

@@pineapplepen540 There’ll be too many soon. When my last was born, my missus was waiting in the clinic for a routine check up. All the babies were called up one by one. The last baby ‘according to my missus’ was called Odin. A bit cheeky I though, going right to the top for a baby name. But I wouldn’t have complained lol

[@JuanMartinez-ly9ij]

Why is paganism a good thing?

[@markusbuelow7871]

Nice ! Tube search - Dr.ludwig - wir rufen deine Wõlfe "" or you might like ? """Warunda Gra "" because of the wolf ! The one my ancestors gave to me - A Pirol all our clans have and the Oak Eiche - Leaves - but our clan a few left also had the Walking Wolf ! I like your choice of name !

[@LifeAdviceSite]

15:39 I’ve been wondering about the difference between Woden’s Day and Mercredi/Miércoles/Mercoledi... Now it makes sense! I love how language differences can teach so much about history.

[@aSandwich.13]

"And I do walk upon Wan's Dyke And I do survey the land And I did become the Reaper with my own bare hands. For I am Wodan Though, some call me Hermes Some call me Roman Mercury God of cargos God of weather Hanging God of boundaries Hanging God of Gibbet Hill Killing God of hidden doorways."

[@samiam2971]

Brilliant presentation by Mr. Rowsell (as always) on one of my favorite subjects, what can be reconstructed of the native Gods and Goddesses, folkways of my distant ancestors. Cheers from the U.S. where I wish we had adopted Thomas Jefferson's awesome idea for a national seal featuring old Hengest and Horsa.

[@afgone]

That factoid about Jefferson was really interesting. I also am deeply fascinated by the ancient Gods of our Ancestors. I am particularly interested in the Greek and Celtic pantheons.

[@laurasmith3243]

True.

[@3rdeye671]

@@afgone hey they're my two favourite mythologies as well 👍 Closely followed by the Norse/Germanic warring Gods, love their storytelling ability, same reason I grew up filling my head with the ancient Greek Epic tragedies like the Illiad, or the 300 Spartans, or the adventures of the early demigod heroes defeating fantastic mythological creatures. Even the much later tale of Alexander the Great, last of the Heroes from an earlier Age. Gotta admire that bold warrior spirit of honour, bravery and never say die ethos that is the defining feature of all three of these most prominent of the Indo-European tribes. I've been drawn much more lately to the ancient Celtic mythology, mainly because it's much older and more shrouded in mysterious, dark, violent ways. It's mythology touches on aspects of the Old European Neolithic cultures and of that time when the old ways blended with the new, the continuation of Stone & Wood Henge construction, the remembrance of the ancient ones who still inhabit the Old Barrows, even aspects of the original Western Hunter Gatherers stories of the little folk who went to live in their faerey mounds, entrances to their Kingdom of the Underworld, tales of primeval forest Gods and ancient times when all the lands were covered in year round ice and snow, the Land ruled by Tyrant Kings or powerful sorceress Queens and magic was something that was believed real. Echoes of these most ancient stories are still told and passed on down the generations today. That dimly remembered time that resonates throughout Central & North Western European folklore, the essence of which J R R Tolkien captured so well.

[@fyrdman2185]

Why would you wish for that? Americans aren't English

[@tfan2222]

@@fyrdman2185That’s…so stupid. Believe it or not, the average American is still ethnically Germanic. Hence, also ethnically English.

[@jimmyoflogerty9982]

One of the (sadly)few remaining quality channels on YT. Thank you STJ!

[@johnlomax2502]

This... Is a brilliant historical documentary. I am proud to be an Anglo Saxon descendant.. strong paternal ancestry in northwest England I have. Thank you for putting this beautiful narrative together. John Lomax

[@chucklebutt4470]

You got a bit of a fash smell coming from yah, bud hahaha.

[@johnlomax2502]

@@chucklebutt4470 ... And what would that mean exactly? Not sure that I follow you?

[@DAEDRICDUKE1]

Chuckle has brain difficulties, he watches videos that make him mad all day

[@z1ll4jr53]

@@DAEDRICDUKE1 Avarage Redditor

[@domeniclocalzo9498]

Outstanding. Very well done ! And your annunciation is impeccable, even in multiple languages ! Thank you.

[@tovhenderson9855]

There's a lot of great content on KZbin, but none I enjoy more than your channel. You do a bang up job on your documentaries. Best channel on KZbin. Keep up the great work.

[@gratius1394]

Maybe you'll find it interesting that different forms of "Wada" in Slavic languages (like Polish "woda" or Russian "воды") still mean "water". Also, "Perun" literally means "thunderbolt". It's fascinating how many European religions can be traced back straight to their proto Indo-European origin.

[@richard66754]

Growing up in Appalachia, the word “Frig” was used as a swear word for having sex. I wonder if this word can be traced all the way back to the fertility goddess Frig?

[@Survivethejive]

I have wondered that myself in the past. Frigg in UK means to masturbate and may come from OE *frygian (“to rub, caress”)

[@michaelkrull3331]

That's a really interesting connection! I'm originally from Missouri and a long time resident of South Dakota, and I've heard "friggin'" as a substitute for the F word all my life.

[@jackbroughton1431]

@dee K not much German or Irish, in fact Catholics were heavily discriminated against in the cities and settlements around Appalachia; this ultimately ties back to the conflicts/wars fought between the Protestants and Catholics of Ireland. The Appalachians themselves are largely the descendants of the Scots-Irish/Scotch-Irish, also known as the Ulster-Scots in the UK and other commonwealth nations such as Canada. The Scots-Irish are the descendants of Protestant, Presbyterian Lowland Scotsmen and Northern Englishmen, who in the late 17th century, left their homelands close to, or along the Anglo-Scottish border, to settle in the province of Ulster, which today constitutes all of Northern Ireland, and three counties in the Republic of Ireland. There were other Protestant groups who settled Ulster and Ireland with them as well, and they too would become apart of this Scotch-Irish yolk. These people primarily came from southeastern England, northern England, the Isle of Man, and Wales, while others were Protestant refugees from France, Flanders, and the German Palatinate. There are some Scots-Irish families that have actual Irish ancestry as well. These groups however, only made up a small minority of the Ulster-Scot population, the great majority were of Northern English and Lowland Scottish ancestry. Their descendants would migrate to British North America in the late 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries. Known as the “Scots-Irish” or “Scotch-Irish,” they would heavily settle what was then the frontier of the Thirteen British Colonies.

[@Anaris10]

@@michaelkrull3331 Same here in Commiefornia.

[@Survivethejive]

Appalachians aren't really irish or German - they are mainly British - that is Ulster Scots, Scots and Northern English

[@yakuzzi35]

I love how these videos also teach a lot of Germanic etymology. I'm a South African that speaks Afrikaans, which is a daughter language (creole) of Dutch, yet I can "see" the roots of some words in my own language too, for instance, furious in Afrikaans is "woedend", when God is mad in the Bible, it's called "toorn", rough/hectic is "woes". Maybe I'm reaching, I'm not a linguist, but it makes sense to me and also sounds similar.

[@mayamaeru]

this one is worth watching twice

[@Son-of-Tyr]

So crazy how much old English you can understand if you really listen 👍

[@margaretyoung991]

It has a beautiful sound to it ,doesn't it?

[@margaretyoung991]

Maybe we should bring it back, and demand special schools and everything else just as they do with Gaelic.

[@Son-of-Tyr]

@@margaretyoung991 sounds good to me

[@tfan2222]

…English a direct descendant of Old English, though? The vocab got really screwy by French, yes, and I support going Anglish with that. But…the majority of the words you use everyday and read everyday, are native. Now, the grammar? Well, it IS Germanic, but not likely what English would’ve been like. It has to do with the large amount of Nordic immigrants in northern England, in which Old Norse and Old English meshed and the inflections were gotten rid of and spread south. The Anglish Miraheze has some nice articles covering what English grammar could’ve been like without Norse influence.

[@josephanglada4785]

The documentary is great, but it has many parts you can put in their own shorter videos. It would be great for sharing!

[@osgar333]

I live near to Westmeston, East Sussex. As an Anglo Saxon heathen, I was intrigued to find the following: In 1879, the Devonshire folklorist Sabine Baring-Gould supplied a note in Henderson’s Folk Lore of the Northern Counties, to the effect that in the Weald of Sussex he had often observed dead horses and cows hung up by the four legs from the horizontal branch of a tree - “a sufficiently ghastly sight”. As an example he names a magnificent elm in Westmeston, just under the Ditchling Beacon, that was constantly loaded with dead animals. One spring he had for instance seen two horses and three calves thus suspended. For his part, he confidently advances a mythological explanation, to the effect that the animals were sacrifices to Odin, “hanging being the manner in which offerings were made to him”. Baring- Gould further alludes to the custom kept by ancient Germanic tribes of hanging upon trees the heads of horses killed in battle, “as offerings to the god” (Henderson, 1866, p. 134).

[@redghost6386]

When I was a kid I used to really like the cartoon Prince Valiant. A children's cartoon telling Anglo saxon stories with your voice and style would be something amazing. You should do it.

[@sergeymikhailov9234]

"The Lost Gods of England" by Brian Branston is good on the subject too.

[@admiralkipper4540]

@Nina de B I’d rather have moustache man as a prophet than the jew guy

[@z1ll4jr53]

@@admiralkipper4540 Larp and false

[@westchesterfarmer4439]

Congratulations on this superb two part documentary. A very useful and convenient source for those interested in the pre-Christian faith of the Anglo-Frisian people. There really is no point watching BBC television when programmes of this quality are being made by independent historians. As a footnote, I remember meeting a very old lady in about 1980, she could still remember a song she sang in her school playground, the words included 'Huddersfield, field of God'. Have often wondered if it was connected to the old religion.

[@masterlee9822]

Similarities , differences and parallels are not uncommon among religions. Religions are not normally like the Satanists and Christian opposing ideologies that share the same mythologies and are in a sense the same religion. Religions are born in all kinds of ways, some over ages of collective stories and experiences and others over a very short period with much fewer people adding to the stories. A selective process happens over the ages with customs, traditions and stories become more popular and others less and this can also be said of the gods. Some die out and others live, some become less popular while others become more popular. The realities of times and ages. Genetics are going to have a effects on religious outcomes. Effecting dislike., likes and behavior. Oppression and dictatorships including religious dictatorships normally slows this down and forced lies can be used to prevent the people rising up against you. The people not knowing who is a ally and who is a foe. Christianity and Islam both arise through forced conversation after gaining enough power that was maintained through brutality. Christianity grow weaker when the church no longer had the power to oppress and imprison the people. When the people where no longer forced many turned away from Christianity. No longer having to keep silent or lie. A religion that calls itself faith always allow people to leave just not return without effort. who forces out corrupt , criminals and immoral people out of the religion .A very moral pale skin anti- universalists European group that disagree with race mixing. Who normally get away with their killings of criminals. Self defense and no criminal records. The church believes in the negative impact of evil blood-lines , genetics and poor upbringings on their members. Hundreds of churches in the USA and not one of them are willing to speak English at church only their European native tongue. Uncommon for them not to speak two tongues even in their homeland in Europe. a much older version of their modern tongue. English is considered a trade tongue in the USA that is to do with Jobs, profit and selling and buying goods. Their preferred reading books are not in English. The faiths average intellect is higher then normal. over 130. 30-40 points over the average Christian in their own homeland that is around 100-104 on average for a white Christian.

[@feedYOURchildrenKORN]

This quality is unreal! How can your content keep getter better, Tom?? Every time I think you've hit a peak, you go far beyond. Well done!

[@weenerdik]

Very pleased to see you back here! Awesome content

[@Plentisaki]

Brilliant! I live in a very 'historically active' Anglo Saxon area of East Kent, so this superb presentation really is interesting to me.

[@fadista7063]

Glad you use subscribestar, going to support your work there. Thanks for all your depth of research and excellent production values!

[@bmayden]

Thank you for quality listening walking through the woods in the mountains to work at 5am. Much mood. Keep on keepin on

[@pablomontagna2502]

Mesmerizing!! We'll have to replay your video five to eight times to capture all its beauty and information before we move to part two.

[@TensorCalculusRobertDavie]

Absolutely fascinating! Well researched and put together.

[@ProfessorShnacktime]

Tom you've done it again, can't wait to watch all this! Your work is consistently peerless.

[@leopoldjenkins]

This was absolutely superb. I'll rewatch this a few times as there's just so much in it. There's such a gap in Anglo Saxon paganism and I'm delighted this is being addressed with content like this. Thank you for your huge efforts.

[@Treetalker]

This is fantastic Tom, thank you for passing down your knowledge

[@seventus]

I'll watch tomorrow since it's 2am. But I'm sure it's going to be a stellar video mate. Thanks in advance hero.

[@SungazerDNB]

Thank you so much for your hard work. I keep stopping the video to reference other sources and I keep learning so much. Thank you!

[@henrimatisse6890]

This is definitely my favorite channel! Thank you so much for the great content.

[@ironwolf2244]

This is a great comprehensive piece on the subject. Very much appreciated!

[@adrazuel]

its amazing to hear all this and understand where tolkien got his inspiration from...

[@richb3802]

Fantastic research and presentation. One of your best. Look forward to pt2. Cheers Tom

[@joolzwebbA1]

Yes!! At last! an in-depth study of Anglo Saxon paganism. Knowledgable, great presentation and, most pleasingly, great pronunciation of the Old English. Happy to have found your channel. 👍🏼⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@GriffinParke]

Been looking forward to this!

[@20Eyes1974]

Never heard Odin equaled to Mercury but made perfect sense. Thoth/Hermes Trismigistus and Ningishidda in ancient Mesopotamia. Excellent video again. TY

[@ProtoIndoEuropean88]

Humm Mercury/Hermes is the God of messaging, thieves and light footing.

[@20Eyes1974]

@@ProtoIndoEuropean88 correct

[@NefariousKoel]

Polytheistic faiths often associated other cultures' gods with their own, and regularly blended aspects of them together after being in regular contact. A popular example being how the Greek and Egyptian gods were blended together when the Macedonian Ptolemy took rulership of Egypt. The polytheistic faiths were usually far more flexible than monotheistic ones. I always found stories of their associations fascinating.

[@dseelenmagie8811]

Another series I've watched multiple times... always something more to learn. Such a thorough researcher, thanks Tom.

[@wihtdeva1320]

One of, if not THE, best videos from you that I've seen. Thank you for your hard work!

[@Survivethejive]

Thank you too!

[@Iukeeey]

22:05 In the rural parts of Northern Ireland, when something bad or shocking happens people often say "Wisht!". If this were to come from Woden it would make sense because invoking the name of a God is often the first response when something bad happens ie. "Jesus Christ" or "Oh my God". Most people in Northern Ireland have Lowland Scottish and Northern English ancestry so it could well be an old Anglo-Saxon custom carried forward to this day. Interesting stuff!

[@NoName-lo9ym]

In Scotland there is a phrase "hold your wheesht and get on with it" Whisht appears to be cognate with "oaths" so it would not be unsurprising if there is a religious root to it. Before reciting a tale, as recorded in Beowulf, it was a form of art to begin the recitation by calling out "What" which could have a similar root

[@Iukeeey]

@@NoName-lo9ym that phrase survived in Northern Ireland too were we say "Haul your wisht" to mean "keep quiet". Considering then that Woden was said to have given runes to mankind, perhaps "hold your wisht" originally meant "hold your words"? This would also tie "word" itself to Woden since word comes from Proto-Germanic "Wurda", very close to "Woden". The word "What" also comes from PIE "kwod", sharing the wod with "Woden".

[@jakeharrison6136]

North East dialect (Newcastle etc) also has this word. For example, in the folk song 'The Lambton Worm' - 'Whisht! Lads, haad yor gobs'

[@SulienSulis]

In Ulster-Scots, they also say, “Blythe Yuletide” instead of Merry Christmas.

[@jameshill6653]

My papa, a scot would often say Whisht to my sister and I. Could barely understand the man as a kid. Spent decades in Australia but never lost his heavy northern accent.

[@irishoak7269]

Celts, Norsemen, Anglo-Saxons, & Slavs, we're All a lot closer to each other then many want to admit.

[@christopherbell4543]

5 minutes in and this is already better than anything else I've seen on KZbin, excellent job. Thank you. 🤜🤛✊👊

[@cristianguanziroli3648]

Wow! I cant believe the mass amount of data you gathered! some i read back in the day, but never organized and commented in such a beautiful way. You do an amazing job, and i look forward to your job. Thank you very much for this!

[@ottovonbismarck4308]

Your production quality and videos only keep getting better. At this rate you should be able to put out a full length theatrical documentary in a couple years!

[@aydanjesson9748]

Thank you for making such a deeply researched video, and doing it with style! Right on for so thoroughly presenting the evidence for your conclusions (along with various theories), leaving the viewer to make their determinations

[@anointingofseer2596]

Took me a few days to get through stopping and starting, but what a terrific job you've done on this video. So many interesting topics I'll be surely watching again. Cheers.

[@georgehardr.martin5586]

This video was so good I had to watch it twice. Amazing work Tom.

[@XnecromungerX]

16:04 i know no one will care really, but i suffer from an extreme fear of inanimate objects coming to life, statues or dolls or idols coming to life. in my dreams they become animated and it puts me in complete terror. i was amazed to hear this because iv never been able to find any connection to the fear EDIT: Thank you friends =)

[@gonefishing167]

Well, people should care. I do hope his answers give you some peace. A lot of people have inner fears they can’t put an answer to. We are all a product of our ancestry I think. We Carry it forward with us. Hope you sleep better now. Perhaps try thinking that they’re there to help you find answers to the past. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@grimmwolf9690]

Perhaps a past life regression meditation could help get you closer to the root of the fear. It may be linked to an event that was so poignant that it has left an echo.

[@3rdeye671]

@@differous01 you've been reading 'New Scientist' magazine.

[@3rdeye671]

@@differous01 your opening line about sleep paralysis and the ape falling out of a tree if they don't have it, is the opening line in an article I was just reading about evolution and why many people don't fall out of bed at night.

[@XnecromungerX]

@A salty Saxon yes haha it has made my week

[@drraoulmclaughlin7423]

Brilliant! Will watch the full documentary after work.

[@namesjw]

Fantastic! Great work as always Mr. Rowsell

[@harley7356]

Great video Thomas I am looking forward to part 2, I was wondering if you could do a video on the Britonic Deities sometime such as Nodens, Maponos, Leucetios ect?

[@andrewrecard5857]

Now I know how ragnar lothbrok learned old english in like 2 days.

[@EuanWhitehead]

And many other vikings lol

[@wadestoss3325]

There is a modern survival of Mothers Night in Orkney, it was part of the 12 days leading up to Christmas and it involved mothers going to their sleeping children in the night and saying prayers/charms over them as they sleep.

[@nicholasward8358]

Absolutely fantastic video. The editing and presentation is next level.

[@marcusanark2541]

Amazingly well researched and done! Good job.

[@christopherneil6117]

This content is so well made. There is nothing like this, even from neo-pagan creators

[@redrose97]

I respect you put a terrific amount of research into this, Cheers

[@ralfgroh2719]

I really enjoy your presentations. Intellectual yet clear and accurate. Thanks!

[@mot10nmusic11]

Just stumbled across your videos, im currently transitioning through a pagan journey, and as a proud Englishman, videos like this are amazing. Especially with the lack of inofrmation. I think yours is one of the more in depth and informative out there. Thank you.

[@jessicahopkins1001]

This is probably the best video on the whole of KZbin. You sir are fantastic and your videos are a pleasure to watch. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@Survivethejive]

thank you Jessica!

[@JackSardonic]

Holy moley I've been looking forward to this

[@landofthesilverpath5823]

This video is massive! Good work, very informative-- I love the animations too.