Where Did the Names of Week Days Come From?

Last Thursday it was only appropriate that we experienced lightning and thunder, after all “Thursday” is named after Thor the Norse god of thunder, right? But where did the names of the other days of the week come from? Turns out, they’re largely Norse:

1. Monday: In Norse mythology Monday came from Old English “Mōnandæg”, named after Máni, the Norse personification of the moon known as the brother of sunna, the sun goddess in Norse mythology.

2. Tuesday: Tuesday came from Old English tiwesdæg which means ‘Tiw’s day’. Tiw was the god of war and the sky. He resembles the Norse god Tyr. Tiw was one of the sons of Odin, the supreme Norse deity.

3. Wednesday: Wednesday came from the old English “Wōdnesdæg”. It is known as the Woden’s day. Woden was important in Germanic mythology: he was the creator of the universe and master of hunting and war. Woden was similar to the Norse god Odin. Odin was the creator and father of all gods. So, In Norse mythology, this day has been named after Odin.

4. Thursday came from the old English “Þūnresdæg”, which means “Thor’s day”. Thor was indeed the Norse god of thunder, strength, and protection.

5. Friday: Friday comes from the old English word “Frīgedæg” or “Frige day”. This day was named after Frigg, the wife of Odin and queen of the gods who embodied love, beauty and prosperity.

6. Saturday: Saturday comes from the old English “Sæturnesdæg”, which refers to “Saturn’s day”. Saturn was the Roman harvest god, equivalent to the Germanic deity Saetere, who was a harvester of people. In many Roman languages this day is named after their religious term sábado or in Hebrew shabbat, known in English “the sabbath day”.

7. Sunday: Sunday comes from old English “Sunnandæg”, named after the sun. Many ancient cultures have worshipped the sun and sun gods. Sunday means “the day of the sun”.

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