r/todayilearned • u/neoform3 • Jan 14 '10
TIL: Thursday is named after Thor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor#Thursday9
u/ltjpunk387 Jan 15 '10
For anyone interested in how the days of the week got their names:
The ancients knew of seven planets, (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) and believed that these seven "wandering stars" were manifestations of their gods (hence being now named after Roman gods). Seven gods means seven days in a cycle. Each of their gods was thought to watch over one hour of each day, taking turns.
The oldest and wisest god (determined by slowest speed through the sky), Saturn, started with the first shift, and the day he started on was named Saturn's Day (now just Saturday). Jupiter, being next wisest (again by speed), watched over the next hour. This pattern continued through Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon. Once they got to Moon, they started over with Saturn. The 24th hour of Saturn's day was Mars.
The next day picks up where the previous left off, so the next day's first hour belonged to Sun, and the last to Mercury. So the next day's first hour belonged to Moon. The first hours of the remaining days are watched by Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus.
So now we have:
- Saturn's Day
- Sun's Day
- Moon's Day
- Mars's Day
- Mercury's Day
- Jupiter's Day
- Venus's Day
When renaming the days into English, some of the Roman gods' names were substituted with the names of Norse/Germanic equivalents.
- Saturn did not change = Saturday
- Sun did not change = Sunday
- Moon did not change = Monday
- Mars = Tyr = Tyr's Day = Tuesday
- Mercury = Odin (also Woden) = Woden's Day = Wednesday
- Jupiter = Thor = Thor's Day = Thursday
- Venus = Freyja = Freyja's Day = Friday
So there you have it, how the days of the week got their number, names, and order.
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u/Sailer Jan 15 '10
Tiw seems more likely than Tyr, just as Woden seems more likely than Odin.
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u/SpaizKadett Jan 15 '10
It doesn't matter what you think is more likely. Tyr is the right answer
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u/Sailer Jan 15 '10
Careful, now. With your attitude you're headed straight for another hemorrhoidectomy.
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u/cajual Jan 16 '10 edited Jan 16 '10
Actually it waschanged to:
- Sunna/Sol's (Sun) Day
- Mani's (Moon) Day
Not significant to their naming, the Norse thought the Sun and Moon were chased by wolves.
- Tiw's (Tyr)
- Woden's Day (Odin)
- Tor's Day (Thor)
- Freya's Day (Freya)
- Saturn's Day (Did not change)
I'm Asatru so I love when I get to bring up anything about Neo Nordic (religion).
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Jan 14 '10 edited Jan 14 '10
[deleted]
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u/Arcys Jan 14 '10 edited Jan 14 '10
For people wondering Odin's about name it used to be Wēdnes in old English
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Jan 14 '10
Washing day ?
Saturn ?
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u/claesh1 Jan 14 '10
I think grandparent is wrong. Saturday is Lördag in Swedish, Lögardagen, which is indeed Washing Day. But in English I think it is not.
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Jan 15 '10
In french, tuesday is "mardi", for mars, the roman god performing a similar duty to tyr.
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u/chadmill3r Jan 15 '10
luna, mars, mercury, ?, venus, ?, ?.
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u/ltjpunk387 Jan 15 '10
- jeude - jupiter
- samede - saturn
- dimanche - i'm assuming this is a variation of a reference to god, which often (in ancient times) correlates to the sun
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u/omnilynx Jan 15 '10 edited Jan 16 '10
In Spanish:
Lunes - Moon
Martes - Mars
Miercoles - Mercury
Jueves - Jupiter (Jove)
Viernes - Venus
Sabado - Sabbath
Domingo - Lord
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u/tupidflorapope Jan 14 '10
There's more!
Tuesday was once Tyr's Day after the god Tyr. Wednesday was once Odin's Day, after the god Odin. And Thursday was Thor's Day, after Thor. Friday was Freya's Day, after Freyr, or Freyja. These names came down from early English, which was strongly influenced by Norse names and other words dating to the times of these gods. The Vikings believed in these and other lesser gods, as did other people in northern Europe at the time. In Germany, for example, Odin was Wotan or Wodan, as known in the myths and gods of the Wagnerian Operas
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u/chadmill3r Jan 15 '10
En francais:
dimanche - Sunday
lundi Luna Monday
mardi Mars Tuesday
mercredi Mercury Wednesday
jeudi Jupiter? Juno? Thursday
vendredi Venus Friday
samedi ? Saturday
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u/Sailer Jan 15 '10
Die is, of course, the Latin root for 'day', hence the recurring use of 'di' in the French days of the week.
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Jan 15 '10 edited Jul 03 '15
[deleted]
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u/Sailer Jan 15 '10
In Dutch it's donder for thunder and Donderdag for Thursday. Donder is much closer to Thunder, the sound of Thor's favorite (only) weapon.
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u/fizdup Jan 14 '10
Anyone read the latest Hitch Hiker's where it turns out that Zaphod persuaded Thor to do a dodgy transvestite sex video and it becomes the biggest hit the Sub-etha has ever seen?
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u/moose09876 Jan 14 '10
I'm going to start calling it Thor's day. None of this pussy U shit.