The image above shows Romanian dancers around a Maypole, a scene which would look more fitting had the picture been taken in England. However the May Day similarities are because these Romanians are Siweberjer Såksen or Transylvanian Saxons.

Beltane is rooted in the Celtic *belo-tanos ‘bright fire’. *Belo maybe cognate with the OE bǣl (fire / pyre) which gives us the word balefire and is found in the name Bældæg, an English name for the god Baldur. Bældæg literally means Fire-Day!

This Bronze Age petroglyph at Tanum is thought by many to be the oldest depiction of a maypole.
Happy May Day!

Art by Luise Danker, 1914

Folklorist and author Nigel Pennick makes an interesting claim in saying the AS Ger rune symbolises the May Day garland. I would certainly agree that as a pictogram the Ger rune does resemble one.

Art by Nigel Pennick

The Maypole is called the Maibaum or May Tree in Germany. In England the Hawthorn is also called the May Tree as the tree is in full bloom right now and it’s the flowers of the hawthorn which were traditionally used to decorate the crown of the May Queen.

The English called May Þrimilcemōnaþ (Thrice-Milk-Month). According to Bede -

...Se fīfta mōnaþ is nemned on ūre geðeōde Ðrymylce, for ðon sƿylc genihtsumnesƿæs geō on Brytone and eāc on Germania lande, of ðæm Ongla ðeōd com on ðās Breotone, ðæt hī on ðæm mōnðe þriƿa on dæge mylcedon heora neāt.

'..the fifth month is called Ðrymylce in our language, because before, there was such abundance in Britain and also in Germania, whence the Angle-people came to Britain, would milk their cows thrice a day.

The goddess Eir is associated with healing. Her name actually means mercy or help (giver). As such a possible cognate in OE would be Âr, which means the same. Eir is a handmaiden to Menglöð, whose name (according to J Grimm) means ‘one who takes pleasure in jewels’, no doubt a kenning for Freya who wears the Brísingamen necklace. Eir uses herbcraft (OE lybcræf) in her healing magic and is a Lybbestre. She resides in Lyfjaberg (the Hill or Mount of Healing), a name which once more connects her to herblore. Lyf means medicine and comes from *lubją meaning both herb and medicine.

The Scina or Scinan (shinings) were what the English folk called the super-natural lights that appeared then disappeared, that floated in the air and caused fair folk to follow them! The word is connected with Elves via aelfsciene which meant 'Elf-shining' and scinnlac meaning magic - these wisp's of light are what we would probably call a will-o the wisp.

Eofor-līc scionom, ofer hlēor-bergan: gehroden golde, fāh ond fýr-heard, ferh wearde hēold: gūþ-mōd grummon.

'Boar-shapes shone over the cheek-guards adorned with gold, gleaming and fire-hard; keeping guard of life, raging with warlike spirit' - from Beowulf

Image is a depiction of a Germanic Boar crested helmet from the Gundestrup cauldron.

Odin, friend of altars

It is interesting to note the similarity between the English understanding of Woden and Norse understanding of Óðinn as the creator of shrines, altars, and temples.

In the Ynglinga Saga, it is stated in a euhemerised account that Óðinn is the builder of temples, and in the Anglo-Saxon source Maxims I, Woden is described as a constructor of idols:

Woden worhte weos
"Woden wrought idols"

This is reflected in some toponymic place-names in England such as Woden's Dyke and Grim's Ditch. Grim being an epithet of Woden meaning hooded or covered, with the Old Norse name being Grímr. This can also be connected to another one of Woden's epithets in Old Norse - vinr stalla - Friend of Altars.

Wīg meant the same as wēoh (idol or shrine). Bob Trubshaw suggests the term wīg survives in various place names such as Wymondley (Wīg-mund-lēah) mund being OE for mound. The village of Wymondley in Hertfordshire has an ancient mound which once had a fortified defence around it. We also find wīg in wīglian and wîgweorðung, words christians say meant divination or sorcery, but likely described the act of honouring the gods and ancestors at a Wīg.

This amazing weohstæd with horse head staves and the Woden, Thunor, and Ingwe-Freyr were carved by Ron in the majestic White Mountain state of New Hampshire. Note the attached armaments.

A number of Woden’s Burg’s can be found across England including Wednesbury in Essex. A church now sits on the highest point and probably replaced a Weoh dedicated to Woden. This church uses the Three Seaxes of Essex as an emblem and boasts a ‘Woden window’. Another church which unconsciously continues to hold the spirit of Woden is at Woodnesborough, spelt Wodnesbeorge in 1100. The current church replaces the far older Saxon one – however a local legend has it somewhere either in or under the church a Golden image of Woden still remains!

Adam’s Grave was a Neolithic long barrow as was once known as Wodnesbeorh as recorded in an Anglo-Saxon charter. Two battles were fought there (or nearby at Wanborough) in 592 and 715 - Her micel wælfill wæs æt Woddes beorge, 7 Ceawlin wæs ut adrifen." (There was great slaughter at Woden's hill, and Ceawlin was driven out.) It is also believed that one of the hills had a chalk figure of Woden carved into it.

Image- Wodnesbeorh barrow by Hedley Thorne

Cambridge tells students Anglo-Saxons never existed.

The prologue to Bishop Asser’s Life of King Alfred in a 16th-century copy of a manuscript that was lost in the 1731 Cotton Fire. In it, Asser describes Alfred the Great as 'Angul-Saxonum rex' or ‘King of the Anglo-Saxons’.