Before Christianity's arrival, England thrived with gods, spirits, and ancient rituals. The Anglo-Saxons, who settled between the 5th and 8th centuries AD, practiced a rich tapestry of beliefs now known as Anglo-Saxon paganism—a Germanic faith shared across northwestern Europe.

This religion originated from northern Europe's Iron Age traditions and reached Britain with the Anglo-Saxon migrations in the mid-5th century. For centuries, it influenced daily life, from seasonal cycles to kingly authority. As Christianity spread in the 7th and 8th centuries, remnants of the old faith lingered, merging into folklore and memory.

We learn about these ancient practices mainly from Christian chroniclers like Bede and Aldhelm, who documented a world their faith aimed to replace. Temples and altars were destroyed, sacred groves vanished, and rituals stopped. Yet, the old beliefs left enduring marks: in the days of the week, named after gods like Woden and Thunor; in royal genealogies linking kings to divine ancestors; and in archaeological treasures like Sutton Hoo, where a helmet with dancing warriors reflects the spiritual imagination of a people who revered both natural and supernatural realms.

Join us on a journey to uncover what remains of this once-dominant religion in England: its gods, sacred traditions, and magical rituals that guided life, death, and the invisible forces surrounding them.

00:00 Introduction
02:11 Woden (God of Wisdom)
04:31 Týr (God of War, Law & the Sky)
06:38 Thunor (God of Thunder)
08:31 Frīg (Goddess of Marriage, Childbirth & prophecy)
10:30 Ing (God of Fertility)
12:52 Ēostre (Goddess of Spring & Renewal)
14:40 Siġel and Mōna (The Solar and Lunar Deities)
16:34 Seaxnēat (The Warrior God of the Saxons)
17:53 Shamanism, magic, and witchcraft
21:07 Legacy

Music by Alexander Nakarada: Grundar (Royalty Free)