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name of Freytag, Friday, or Frea’s day, was rendered into Latin Dies Veneris, or Venus’s day[1].
The third principal deity of the ancient Scandinavians was named Thor, and was no less known than the former among the Celtic nations. Julius Caesar speaks expresly of a God of the Gauls, who was charged with the conduct of the atmosphere, and presided over the winds and tempests[2]. He mentions him under the Latin name of Jupiter: But Lucan gives him a name, which bears a greater resemblance to that of Thor, he calls him Taranis, a word which to this day in the Welsh language signifies thunder[3]. It plainly appears, and is the express opinion of Adam of Bremen, that the authority of this god, extended over the winds and seasons, and particularly over thunder and
- ↑ She was also known under the name of Astagod or the goddess of love, a name which is not very remote from that of Astarte, by which the Phenicians denoted her; and under that of Goya, which the ancient Greeks gave to the earth. She was sometimes confounded with the moon who was thought as well as her to have influence over the increase of the human species, for which reason the full moon was considered as the most favourable time for nuptials.
- ↑ Cæsar Comment. L. 6. c. 17.
- ↑ Pellout. Hist. des Celtes. Lib. 3. c. 6.
