German Sagas
List of südgermanischen deities and mythical heroes: Balder, Thor, Fol, Folla, Fositae, Fricco, Frija, Gaus, Hathagât, Hirmin, Iring, Saxnôte, Sinthgunt, Sunna, Wieland, Wodan / Wuotan, Wurth, Ziu. Not attested, but often mentioned in the literature, are * Ostara * FRO. They are joined by another pseudo- deities such as Cisa, Krodo or stuffo that are discarded by the research.
The Südgermanen generally include in ethnography - from south to north - Lombards, Alemanni, Bavarians, Thuringians, Franks, Saxons and Frisians. However, the Bavarians must be taken in this context, since there is no evidence of a pre-Christian religious parallelism of the Bavarians to the other Germanic tribes.
Germanic deities in the early medieval tradition
Balder
In the second Merseburg Spell called, where he eventually get into as a gloss. As a personal name Paltar is handed down.
Discussion: Wolfgang Beck comes after a reassessment of the Merseburg Incantations to the conclusion that Phol and Wodan Balder are different shapes. See also below at Fol
Donar
God of thunder. His name appears on the North Strand runes clasp as Wigi - Thonar ( ᚹ ᛁ ᚷ ᛁ ᚦ ᛟ ᚾ ᚨ ᚱ ) ( " guns blazing " or " consecration Thunder " ), in the old Saxon abjuration as Thunaer and in a letter in verse to Charlemagne by Paul the Deacon: Thonar. Interesting are two Old High German, difficult to interpret spells against epilepsy (Paris blessing 1; St. Emmeraner blessing). The blessings begin with the words: Donerdutigo dietewigo or Donerdutiger dietmahtiger. Presumably, this is a altheidnischer call the god of thunder before: " Donar confidant, the people fighters ( or pond ) ". As a personal name Albthonar, Donarpreht, Donarad and AS. Thunerulf have survived. It is known to Donareiche (Quercus robur Iovis ) in Geismar, which was given by Boniface. A chapel for St. Peter was built from the wood.
Discussion: The Germanic gods went partially into Christian saints. Show Some versions of the Old German horses blessing that Wodan in St. Michael and folic in St. Stefan. have been merged, while Thor lives in Saint Peter, who is still responsible for the weather. But can locally also other saints have occurred.
Fol
Only in the second Merseburg Spell preserved as Phol. This God goes together with Wodan in the forest around the injured foot of Balder's foal einzurenken again. Several goddesses summon the horse. Finally, Wodan to her work, which " could well ".
Discussion: Fol and Folla correspond in all probability the Norse gods Freyr and Freyja pair, deities of fertility. So does the name Folla also "Abundance". Equating of Fol with the Nordic Balder is not mandatory by the spell.
Folla
Survives only in the second Merseburg Spell as Uolla, sister of Friia. This goddess is also called in the Edda, as Fulla and there is a servant of the goddess Frigg, the Norse equivalent of Frija.
Fricco
In a Capitulare the year 802 by Charlemagne in the levels of penalties for fornication are determined, and these practices are described as " as Fricco exercised as the first". Since Adam of Bremen in his description of the Temple in Uppsala there worshiped the god of fertility Fricco calls and this is shown with a huge Priapus, Fricco may have been the name of the Saxon god of fertility.
Discussion: The founding legend of the monastery Freckenhorst suggests that there once had been a sanctuary of Fricco and possibly his sister: The Swineherd Freckyo drove the pigs of his Lord Evverwordus ( " Eberward " ) in the forest and saw a mysterious light, where latter then built a monastery and named it after his servant. In Scandinavian mythology, the god Freyr rides on a boar.
Frija
In the legend of the origin of the Lombards, is Frea, the wife of Odin worshiped for victory in the battle against the Vandals by the brothers Ibor and Agio on the advice of her mother Gambara. Frea outwitted her husband, so that he gives the Lombards victory. In the second Merseburg Spell Friia tries to heal the fallen foal with her sister Volla. The so-called sorceress goddess on five Bracteates ( Welschingen, West Germany, Oberwerschen, Großfahner ) are likely to represent the mother of the gods Frija according to the evidence of Brakteatenhortes Gudme on Funen (Denmark).
Afterlife: In Northern Germany, a legendary figure Fru Freke lives on. The name is not as a form of AISL. Frigg, but diminutive of Frija, as there lives Wodan as Wedke.
Saxnot
Only called in the Old Saxon abjuration. Its function is unknown and opinions of the research differ. In the Anglo-Saxons, a son of Woden is named Saxnéat. The name means " sword comrade".
Sinhtgunt
In Merseburger spell the sister of Sunna.
Discussion: The interpretations of the goddess diverge. Whether it needs to be a sister of the sun goddess necessarily a moon goddess, is questionable, especially in the Germanic always thought the moon as masculine, see Máni.
Sunnah
Sun goddess. Only in the second Merseburg Spell along with her sister Sinhtgunt called.
Wieland
The blacksmith. Mythical hero. In Latin epic poem written Walthari Manufortis called the sword of the protagonists fabrica Vuielandia.
Discussion: A runic inscription from Pforzen is: Aigil andi Aïlrûn, elahun gasôkun. ( Aigil and Ailrûn condemned the moose. ) Since in the Norse heroic saga, Egill, the brother of Völundr with the Valkyrie Ölrún is married, a context, the runic inscription was adopted by the Wieland saga. But the interpretation is controversial.
Wodan / Wuotan
Chief god. He is the bestbezeugte God, yet its nature remains unclear and can really only be understood by comparison with the Norse Odin. In the Lombard Sage Wodan / Gwodan is asked by the Vandals to victory, but gives him by outsmarting his wife Frea the Lombards. This legend has been handed down in several versions, as in the Origo gentis Langobardorum in Godfrey of Viterbo, the Dane Saxo Grammaticus and the Lombard scholar Paul the Deacon. The latter also wrote a poem about a Danish king, in which he called them gods wading and Thonar. The form of the name most closely matches the Alemannic form Woatan that is handed down as a personal name ( next to Wotan and Wuotan ).
The Vita Columbani reports a beer sacrifice that offer the residents on Lake Constance in Bregenz to Wodan. Mention of God is also on the clasp of runes Nordendorf: ( ᚹ ᛟ ᛞ ᚨ ᚾ ) here along with Wigi - Thonar. Whether referred to in the same inscription logathore ( ᛚ ᛟ ᚷ ᚨ ᚦ ᛟ ᚱ ᛖ ) denotes a God or rather with " liar " to translate, remains controversial. Similarly, it is translated into an Alemannic gloss Wotan " Heru malus tyrannus, ". In the second Merseburg spell he appears as a skillful magician who heals an injured horse. When the Saxons were converted, they had the gods " Thunaer, Uuoden and Saxnote and all comrades who are with them " renounce. Controversial in the authenticity of the runes clasp of Kärlich that the inscription " Wodani hailag " is ( ᚹ ᛟ ᛞ ᚨ ᚾ ᛁ ᛡ ᚨ ᛁ ᚨ ᛚ ᚷ ) ( " The Wodan holy" ) bears. In contrast, the Runensteinchen of Arguel (sv Besançon) is definitely a fake. The god is obviously mapped to the Bracteates of Daxlanden and Ash home.
Afterlife: the legends of the Wild Hunt or Furious Army are also known. For the first time occupied in the high medieval night blessing from Munich, where by " Wutanes ago and all sine they are spoken.
Zio
The name survives only as the name of ᛠ Rune, a variation of the old ᛏ rune. Include it in the name of Tuesday, OHG ciestag and still Alemannic Ziischtig. As a personal name, we know a Ziolf ( " Zio - Wolf ").
Discussion: Whether the peoples name Cyuuari Suuapa back to the God who remains questionable, likely is a prescription * Raetiwari di "Residents of Raetia ."