The Anglo-Saxons called the Milky Way ‘Waetlinga straet’ after the ancient road that connected (what is now) England and Wales. It is named after the giant Wade who was also known as Vate, Vada, Ivalde and Waetla and was father to Weland the smith. In Irish lore the Milky Way was called ‘Bothar Bo Finne’ or ‘The Track of the White Cow' and there’s a subtle connection to Wade in that he was also known for owning a cow – which his wife walked everyday across another ancient road called ‘Wade's Causeway’ that runs across the North Yorkshire moors.

Wade’s Causeway on the North Yorkshire moors was built, as legend has it, by the giant Wade so that he and his wife Bell could take their cow to pasture. The causeway was also known as ‘Old Wife's Trod’ and ‘Wade's Wife's Causey’. In some legends Bell is the name of the cow and could be related to the Norse Beyla (a servant of Frey) which can mean 'cow'.

John Leland, writing in the late 1500’s noted that …

“Mougreve Castelle stondith on upon a craggy hille: and on each side of it is an hille far higher then that whereon the castelle stondith on. The north hille on the toppe of it hath certen stones communely caullid Waddes Grave, whom the people there say to have bene a gigant and owner of Mougreve.”

Only one stone now stands at Wade's Grave (Barnby North Yorkshire) however two stones once stood, standing some twelve feet apart and were said to mark the head and foot of Wade's grave.

Tolkien’s name for his race of talking trees or Ents came from the Old English word ‘Entas’. But unlike Tolkien’s trees or even the Eoten, these giants were associated with stone and stonework. The huge monuments left across the British landscape that had been built by the Romans were sometimes attributed to the work of Entas. Stonehenge and other monuments were also believed to be their creation.

Today is England’s national day, St George’s day. George may be christian but in his legend we recognise our own Germanic hero of Sigurd. Nor are George's feats tales from far off lands, because Dragon Hill near Uffington got its name as legend tells this is where he slay the dragon.

Hāl wes þū Sigeweard! Hāl Englaland!

This Anglo-Saxon 'Green Man' dates from the 10-11th century and differs from the Green Man whose face is made from foliage. Here we see a man's face with greenery coming from his mouth. This could well depict the Divine Breath (ǣþm) that Woden used to breathe life into Ash and Embla, the first of our folk. We cans equate this idea with the Anglo Saxon Os rune which means both God (Woden) and mouth (Divine breath).

The English Red Deer or Heahdeor was a symbol of Anglo-Saxon royalty. The OE word Hēah meant ‘high or exalted’ and was cognate with the ON Hār, both from *hauhaz, again meaning ‘high or exalted’. Hār was used as a byname of Odin.

The darkness of night was when the woodland filled with spirits and otherworldly beings. But, there are those who don't fear the darkness! The OE nihtwæcce was a name used to describe a night-witch. The nihtgenga (male) was a night−goer, whilst the nihtgenge (female) was a night−prowler, and the sceadugenga, the OE word for someone who wandered the darkness - the Shadow Walker.

The Hama (ON Hamr) is a spiritual skin we all have. It is sometimes referred to as a cloak or coat in the myths. It is formed within the womb (OE cildhama) and covers our body when we are born. This is the spiritual skin that is projected outwards and resembles our natural form. However the gods can change their Hama which changes their shape.

Freya has a fjaðrhamr (feather-hama, cognate with the OE feþerhama) which she loans to Loki. Frige has a fjaðrhamr called the Valshamr in Old Norse. Woden is able to turn himself into an Eagle using his Arnarhamr or Eagle-hama, whilst more than one Valkyrie have an álftarhamir or Swan-hama.

The Hawthorn tree is flowering now, hence the Hawthorn is also called the May Tree or Maybaum (lit. May Tree in German, May Pole in English). The flowers of the Hawthorn were traditionally used to decorate the crown of the May Queen.

Haw comes from the OE hæg – the Hawthorn berry being the hægberie and symbolised the heart due to it's shape and colour (one of the Hawthorns divine signatures). From the same root as hæg was haga – a protective hedge which was planted around enclosures.

Another word we get from hæg is the hægtes or hægtesse (hedge-rider) who became the hedgewitch.

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.

Tonight my family hearth will honour Bældæg (an English name for the god Baldur) as part of our May Day rites. Rudolf Simek claimed Bældæg meant 'shining day', from the OE bæl ‘fire’ and dæg ‘day’. This idea fits with Grimm’s own view that the German fire celebrations of May Day were associated with Pholtag – Phol (Baldur) and tag (day). Grimm also claimed the month of May was called Phol-mânôt ‘Phol’s month’ in parts of Germany.

In England Balderesleg (Baldur’s clearing) and Polesleah (Phol’s clearing) were two names for the same Yorkshire village, showing different names for the same god.

The ritual May Day fires are the Need fires which were lit using friction. Cattle were drove between the fires to cleanse them of disease and ill fortune.

Hāl Bældæg!

When King Halfdan II died of disease he was summoned by Hel to face his judgement, but it was Woden who chaired the Thing and decided his fate.

By Hel's summons, a great king
Was called away to Odin's Thing:
King Halfdan, he who dwelt of late
At Holtar, must obey grim Fate.
At Borre, in the royal mound,
They laid the hero in the ground.

Image - Burial mounds at Borre, the Borrehaugene.

If the English had a separate name for Earth Mother in her harvest aspect, this might have been a name formed from the verbs gifan, to give, or gifian, to bestow gifts, such as Giefu, grace, favour; Gifole, generous, bountiful; Gifiende, bestowing gifts. Such a name would be related to the Norse Gefn, giver, a by-name of Freya and to Gefjon, the giving one.

- Kathleen Herbert 'Looking for the Lost gods of England'

Artwork 'gyfu rune' by Brian Partridge

The Prose Edda describes Gefjon as a virgin, however it also suggests that the four oxen she uses to pull her plough are also her sons, fathered by an unnamed Eoten. The OE cognate is Geofon, which is a kenning for the ocean or sea (Geofenes begang or Gefjon's realm), her name appearing in Beowulf, ‘Geofon ȳðum wēol’, ‘Gefion welled up in waves’.

Image - the Gefionspringvandet or Gefjon Fountain, Denmark.

The Old English term grǣg-hama meant grey-coated or grey-cloaked and was a kenning for a wolf. Tolkien later used the term as a name for Gandalf Greyhame.

As part of our soul, the hama appears as a spiritual covering which is projected outward. It is essentially our true form and can leave the body. This spiritual travel was known in ON as Hamfor ‘The journey of the hamr’, reconstructed into OE as *hamafōr. Hama (not to be confused with Hāma, the English name for Heimdallr) comes from the Proto-Germanic *hamô and is found in the OE words ċildhama ‘the womb’ and lichama ‘corpse’ (‘lic’ meaning dead).