Proto-Germanic paganism was the beliefs of the speakers of Proto-Germanic and includes topics such as the Germanic mythology, legendry, and folk beliefs of early Germanic culture. By way of the comparative method, Germanic philologists, a variety of historical linguist, have proposed reconstructions of entities, locations, and concepts with various levels of security in early Germanic folklore (reconstructions are indicated by the presence of an asterisk). The present article includes both reconstructed forms and proposed motifs from the early Germanic period.
Linguistic reconstructions can be obtained via comparison between the various Germanic languages, comparison with related words in other Indo-European languages, especially Celtic and Baltic, comparison with borrowings into neighbouring language families such as Uralic, or via a combination of those methods. This allows linguists to project some terms back to the Proto-Germanic period despite their attestation in only one Germanic language; for instance, *saidaz ('magic') is only attested in Old Norse seiðr, but has parallels in Proto-Celtic *soytos and Lithuanian saitas.
Deities Proto-Germanic reconstructionRomano-GermanicWest GermanicNorth GermanicEast GermanicEtymologyNotes? *Agjō-þe(g)wazOE Ecgþéow, OHG EggideoON EggþérMeaning 'edge-servant'.Peter H. Salus and Paul B. Taylor suggest that the name may have referred to an arouser of great battles and feuds, although other scholars remain skeptical about drawing a mythological parallel between Old English and Old Norse. See Eggþér for further discussion.? Ala-faderON AlfǫðrFrom Pre-Ger. *Ala-faþēr. Identical to PCelt. *Olo-(p)atīr (cf. Middle Irish Ollathair).An epithet meaning 'all-father', used as a byname of Óðinn in Old Norse. It can be compared with the Middle Irish Eochu Ollathair, commonly used for the Dagda. *Austrōn(See entry notes)OE Ēostre, OHG *Ôstara, OS *ĀsteronFrom the PIE stem *h2(e)wes- ('to shine, glow red'). Cognate with the Lithuanian deity Aušrinė, and further related to the PIE dawn-goddess *h₂éwsōs.A West Germanic spring goddess associated with a festival held in her name during the 'Easter-month', *Austro-mēnōþ, equivalent to modern 'April'. The matronae Austriahenae, if Germanic, derive from the same stem. The Old English and Old High German forms are the origin of the modern holiday names Easter and Ostern, respectively. See Ēostre for further discussion.*Auza-wanđilazOE Ēarendel, OHG Aurendil, Lomb. AuriwandaloON AurvandilGoth. auzandilProbably a compound of PGmc *auzom ('shiny, shiny liquid') and a derivate of *wanđuz ('rod, cane'). The PGmc form would therefore perhaps mean 'Light-Beam'Generally seen as a personification of the 'rising light' of the morning, possibly embodying the Morning Star (Venus). See Aurvandill for further discussion.*BalđrazOE Bældæg, OHG BalderON BaldrFrom PGmc *balþaz ('brave'), which is identical to Lith. báltas ('white', also the name of a light-god), based on the semantic development from 'white' to 'shining' or 'strong' (man) > 'hero, lord, prince'. ON Baldr ('brave, defiant; lord, prince') and OHG Balder are close to OE bealdor ('prince, hero'). The OE theonym Bældæg likely means 'Shining Day', as suggested by his association with 'day' and by the name of the Lith. light-god Báltas. See Baldr for further discussion.Divine horse twins or dioscuri (motif)AlcisOE Hengist and Horsa, Low German Hengist and Hors (Holstein, 1875)Scholars have proposed a variety of figures in the ancient Germanic record as extensions of this motif. Tacitus (Germania), mentions twin deities, the Alcis (PGmc *alhiz ~ *algiz), who he compares to the Greek Dioscuri. The deities are generally seen as a reflex of the Proto-Indo-European Divine twins. Their name either means 'elk' or 'protector'. Some scholars have speculated that it may be related to the z-rune ᛉ (algiz), although evidence is scarce.*Frawja- ~ *Fraw(j)ōnOE frēa, OFris. frā, OS frōho, frāho, MDu. vroon, OHG frōON Freyr (theonym)Goth. fraujaUnclear etymology.An epithet meaning 'Lord'/'Lady'. Occurs as a theonym in Old Norse and, in a Christian context, in Old English. According to Kroonen, "both in form and meaning, fraiwa- ('seed') is reminiscent of Freyr 'fertility deity' < *frauja-. We may therefore consider the possibility that *fraiwa- was metathesized from *frawja-, a collective of some kind." See *Fraujaz for further discussion.*FrawjōnOE frōwe, OS frūa, OHG frouwaON Freyja (theonym)*FrijjōOE Frīg, OFris Frīa, OS Frī, OHG FrījaON FriggFrom PGmc *frijaz ('free'), itself from PIE *priH-o- ('one's own, beloved'). In a clan-based societal system, the meaning 'free' arose from the meaning 'related' (cf. PGmc *frijōnan 'to love', *friþuz 'friendship, peace').Goddess, in most sources partner of *Wōđanaz. Source of *Frijjadag ('Frijjō-day; Friday')., s.v. Friday, n. and adv. See Frigg for further discussion.*FullōnOHG VollaON FullaFrom PGmc *fullaz ('full'), meaning 'fullness, plenitude'A goddess associated with *Frijjō. See Fulla for further discussion.*GautazOE Gēat, Lang.