While it may not seem all that important at first glance to learn about how the days of the week got their names, it is actually very important from a cultural perspective. As many of the weekdays are named after the gods of various religions, we can learn much about the religious practices of certain cultures by analyzing why and how certain gods and goddesses were associated with certain days. Religion and culture are closely intertwined to the point where the English words culture and cult are derived from the same word. Studying a culture’s religion can provide insight into how inhabitants of that culture thought and how they viewed the world.
The word Sunday is, appropriately enough, named after the sun. 1 Specifically, it is derived from the Old English word sunnandæg. Sunnandæg itself is the combination of two words, sunnen, which means “sun,” and dæg, which means “day.”2
The word Monday is derived from the Old English word monandæg, which combines two other Old English words: mona, which means “moon,” and dæg, which, as mentioned above, means “day.” In this respect, Monday is much like the word Sunday in that Monday references the moon whereas Sunday references the sun.3
The word Tuesday is derived from the word Tysdagr, which references the god Tyr. Tyr, also rendered as Tiw or Tiu, is the Norse god of war and justice. The words for Tuesday in other languages also reference other gods of war from various mythologies. For example, in Latin, the word for Tuesday is dies Martis, which means “day of Mars.” Mars is Tyr’s counterpart in the Roman pantheon, being the god of war for the Romans, as well as “protector of Rome.” 4
Wednesday is derived from the Old English word wodnesdæg, referencing the god Woden.5 Woden is also known as Wodan and Wotan, but he is most commonly known by the name of Odin. Due to the multiple different “archaeological and literary sources” surrounding Odin, it is hard to tell what “his exact nature and role” was in the Norse pantheon, though much like Tyr, he is a god of war and poets, as well as the “protector of heroes.” He is commonly depicted as a one-eyed elderly man with “a flowing beard.” In Latin, the name for Wednesday is dies Mercurii, referencing the Roman god Mercury, who Odin was identified as by the Roman historian Tacitus.6 Mercury, also known as Mercurius, is the Roman “god of shopkeepers and merchants, travelers and transporters of goods, and thieves and tricksters.” He is often considered the Roman counterpart to the Greek god Hermes and both have a role as messenger within their respective pantheons.7
Thursday is derived from “Thor’s-day,” referencing the name of Thor, Norse god of thunder.8 Thor is commonly depicted in Norse mythology as an extremely strong, red-haired, “great warrior,” and the son of Odin in some traditions. He possessed a magical hammer named Mjollnir and is fated to die while killing “the world serpent Jormangund” during the Ragnarok, the destruction of the “world of gods and men” in Norse mythology. The Latin term for Thursday is dies Jovis, which means “Jove’s day” and references Jupiter/Jove, the head Roman god that “Thor was sometimes equated with.”9
c. 1670 or 1680-1700 | Courtesy Getty Gateway Images
The word Friday is derived from “Frigg’s-day,” which references the name of the Norse goddess Frigg, also known as Freya, Frea, or Friia. Frigg is Odin’s wife and patron of love, specifically “marriage and fertility.”10
The word Saturday is derived from the Middle English word saterday and the Old English word sæterndæg, the latter referencing Saturn of Roman mythology. Saturn, also called Saturnus in Latin, was the Roman god of “sowing and seed.” He is also identified as Cronus, one of the Greek Titans and father of Zeus. Zeus drove Saturn/Cronus out of Mount Olympus, but Saturn is also said to have given “his people agriculture and other peaceful arts” and “ruled Latium” during a peaceful and prosperous “golden age.”11
Even today, religion has an effect on our culture. Whether it is through our overall sense of morals or through the expressions and idioms we use, religion and religious practice often affect how we think, even if we are not consciously aware of it. How much more would religion have affected older cultures, many of whom were more openly pious than ours? As American culture puts an emphasis on multiculturalism, it is colored by other cultures and often takes aspects of them into itself. Therefore, through understanding other cultures, we can learn more about our own.
- Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016, s.v., “Week.” ↵
- “Sunday | Definition of Sunday by Merriam-Webster,” Merriam-Webster, accessed November 18, 2016, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sunday. ↵
- “Monday | Definition of Monday by Merriam-Webster,” accessed November 18, 2016, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Monday. ↵
- Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016, s.v., “Tyr.” ↵
- “Wednesday | Definition of Wednesday by Merriam-Webster,” Merriam-Webster, accessed November 18, 2016, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Wednesday. ↵
- Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016, s.v.,“Odin.” ↵
- Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016, s.v.,“Mercury.” ↵
- Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016, s.v.,“Week.” ↵
- Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016, s.v., “Thor.” ↵
- Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016, s.v., “Frigg.” ↵
- Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016, s.v., “Saturn.” ↵
66 comments
Steven Clinton
Interesting topic, I never thought about how the days got their name. Its Amazing to see that many different cultures had input in fostering many of these names; whether it be Roman or Latin or even Norse. In seeing this, it really makes you wonder about how other topics, such as planets and months got their name. Overall very good topic to write about.
Natalia Zuniga
I always wondered where we got out names for the days of the week. I was amazed to see how much religion and culture really influenced out daily lives and how they continue to do so without us knowing they were. English being a language that does not conform to a particular country nor religion it is great to see how the days said in that language also don’t follow one set culture.
Aimee Trevino
What an interesting article! We never truly look and see how religion is so prevalent in a lot of our everyday use, and especially the Latin culture. Here is a perfect example of how the Greeks and Norse used their religion to influence the days of the week. It is interesting to see how most of these are interconnected whether in English, Latin, and even Spanish, they all have around the same root or idea. Great read.
Bailey Rider
I enjoyed reading this article. It was interesting to learn how all of the days of the week could be connected back to religion and it was interesting to see the original languages that they came from. I also liked how the days of the week in old English could also be dissected from Latin. It makes me wonder why certain Gods were chosen for certain days. Very cool!
Cameron Adelman
I personally enjoyed this article a great deal, especially since etymology is one of my favorite topics. I was aware that most of the Latin names for days of the week were derived from the names of gods from the Roman pantheon, but I didn’t realize that many of the English names for the days of the week were derived from the names of Norse deities. Thank you for the very interesting read.
Christian Lozano
Very well done! I can see the connection between the Norse/Old English weekdays and the Modern English Calendar days. At the same time I can see the connection between the Latin names for the days of the week and the Modern Spanish Calendar days. Very interesting and well organized. Good job!
Erik Rodriguez
Wow! I never would’ve thought that the days of the week were named after Gods! It amazes me how their is so much culture and meaning within these simple words that we use and are informed about everyday. Not to mention, it is probably safe to say that not many people know about this topic; so it was a real pleasure to read.
Overall, VERY informative and well written article! Great job!
Yesenia Cardenas
Wow, Such an interesting article. I never knew the days of the week were named after gods. It amazes me to learn the origins of common words and terms.
Nicolas McKay
Such an amazing article!I never suspected there was so much culture and history embedded into the days of the week. When you read it, you can see how much effort and research went into writing this article. very well done.
Mariana Sandoval
Awesome topic and awesome article! I never gave it a second thought to learn about the origins of the names of the week. I thought it was interesting to read about the different gods and other religious figures associated with the days of the week. Your use of secondary sources was really good!