Wodin, woah din.
Wednesday is the weekday associated with the planet Mercury, the smallest planet in our solar system (since Pluto was demoted to planetoid), and nearest to the Sun. The English weekday name comes via Wodin’s Day, or Odin’s day. There is some variation in the personalities of these various deities, however, the predominant strain is their association with the messenger and magic.
It only takes Mercury about 88 days to orbit the Sun, and a little less than 116 days for its synodic period (although this varies due to the eccentricity of Mercury’s orbit). Although it can appear bright, its proximity to the Sun hides it from direct observation for the mostpart. A day on Mercury is equivalent to 59 Earth days. This means that for every two orbits of the sun, the planet rotates around its axis three times. It is a dense planet with a relatively large core, and very little atmosphere or magnetic field to speak of.
Observations
Not only has Mercury named the planet, but also the element. I’ll look at our Roman planetary patron, as well as Wodan, our Mr. Wednesday himself.
Mercury was the Roman equivalent to Hermes, and they adapted the Hellenic conventions as it suited them. Mercury is the patron of thieves and merchants (something poetic in that), as well as psychopomp (escorts the souls to the underworld). He has been said to carry dreams to sleepers as well. Mercury’s festival day, Mercuralia fell on May 15 (which would make it the Full Moon on the old calendar). His device is the caduceus, the serpent-twined staff, which is the symbol of heralds.
Then we have Wōden or Óðinn or Wōđanaz (and more names besides). Woden was a darker figure than Mercury or Hermes, yet his ties to magic and the underworld are what hold him in common. He sacrificed one eye at the well under Yggdrasil, the world tree. He hung himself from it, sacrificing himself (compare to Christ on the cross).
In stanza 157 of Hávamál, (part of the Poetic Edda) the runes are attributed with the power to bring that which is dead to life. In this stanza, Odin recounts a spell:
I know a twelfth one if I see,
up in a tree,
a dangling corpse in a noose,
I can so carve and color the runes,
that the man walks
And talks with me
The runes were a Germanic form of writing, and in some circles are believed to be divinitory, and magical.
Other Desities associated with the Planet Mercury:
The Chinese apply the element of Water to Mercury and Wednesday – which follows in the sense of Mercurial.
What’s in a Name?
dies Mercuriī, mercoledì, quarta-feira, miércoles, miercuri, mercredi, mércores, dimecres, miercus, mercuris, Mercuridi, Merkurdio, merkredo, An Chéadaoin, Dé Céadaoin, Di-Ciadain, dydd Mercher, Dy’ Mergher, Dimerc’her, Jecrean, E mërkurë, Miyerkules, Wōdnesdæg, Wôdanstag, Wuotanstag, Mittwoch, woensdag, Woansdei, óðinsdagr, mikudagur, miðvikudagur, onsdag, keskiviikko, kesknädal, सौम्यवासरम्, बुधवार, බදාදා, बुधवार, বুধবার, بدھ,ថ្ងៃពុធ, બુધવાર, ބުދަ,புதன்க் கிழமை, బుధవారం, ബുധന്, ಬುಧವಾರ, ວັນພຸດ, วันพุธ, буд, Buda, ਬੁੱਧਵਾਰ, 水曜日, 수요일, གཟའ་ལྷག་པ།, miðvikudagur, יום רביעי, feria quarta, quarta-feira, Τετάρτη, Չորեքշաբթի, (ngày) thứ tư, Rabu, يوم الأَرْبعاء, L-Erbgħa, Rabu, Rebo, چهارشنبه, çarşamba, törtinç kün, Damóo dóó Tááʼ Yiką́o, среда, Серада, сряда, środa, streda, středa, Sreda, Srijeda, Trečiadienis, Trešdiena, szerda, kolmapäev, гурав дахь өдөр, Лхагва, jumatano, sredu, asteazkena, eguaztena
324 Days to Dec 21st 2012
