Northern mythology

:
in
APPENDIX. 229
over the larger portion of Germany and the Netherlands ?
By Paulus Diaconus (De Gestis Langobard. i. 8) we are
informed that Wodan was worshiped as a god by all the
Germanic nations. And Jonas of Bobbio (Vita S. Columbani,
in Act. Bened. sec. 2. p. 26) makes mention of a
vessel filled with beer, as an offering to Wodan, among
the Suevi (Alamanni) on the Lake of Constance ^ Hence
it is reasonable to conclude that his worship prevailed
especially among those tribes which, according to their
own traditions and other historic notices, wandered from
north to south 2. Whether Wodan was regarded as a chief
divinity by all the German tribes is uncertain, no traces
of his worship existing among the Bavarians; and the
name of the fourth day of the week after him being found
chiefly in the north of Germany, but in no High German
dialect^.
The following is Snorri^s account of Odin^s course from
the Tanais to his final settlement in Sweden
" The country to the east of the Tanais (Tanaqvisl) in
Asia was called Asaheim ; but the chief city (borg) in the
country was called Asgard. In this city there was a chief
named Odin (Wodan), and there was a great place of
sacrifice
(offersted), etc."^
^
Sunt etenira inibi vicinae nationes Suevorura, quo cum moraretur et inter
habitatores illius loci progrederetur, reperit eos sacrificium profanum litare
velle, vasque magnum, quod vulgo cupam vocant, quod viginti et sex
modios amplius minusve capiebat, cerevisia plenum, in medio habebant
positum. Ad quod vir Dei accessit et sciscitatur quid de illo fieri vellent ?
lUi aiunt : deo suo Wodano, quern Mercurium vocant alii, se velle litare.
2 Grimm, D. M. p. 49. Miiller, pp. 80, 85.
3 Miiller, p. 86. In the Westphalian dialect Wednesday is called
Godenstag, Gaunstag, Gunstag ; in Nether Rhenish, Gudenstag ; in Middleage
Netherlandish or Dutch, fVoensdach; in New Netherl., Woensdag; in
Flemish, Goensdag; in Old Frisic, TVernsdei-, in New Fris., Wdnsdey, in
Nor. Fris,, Winsdei\ in Anglo-Sax., Wodenes- and Wodnesdceg
',
Nor., O^insdagr.
^ Ynghngasaga, c. 2.
Old