Saxon Name for Vidar

The Saxon form of our religion uses different pronunciations for the names of the Gods and Goddesses, and often emphasizes different aspects of the faith. This is fine, of course; Saxons speak a western Germanic language and Scandinavians speak northern Germanic languages. However, the Saxons do seem to be missing Vidar from their known pantheon.

In general, from a linguistic and cultural aspect, I tend to fit more closely to the Saxon side of things. The lack of my favorite deity from their lists worried me a bit. To settle my mind, I decided to ask the One who would know best.

I took a scrap of leather and an apple to the Boot Rest of Vidar. There, I sat quietly and listened for His presence. He knew my concerns and knew that Saxon heathens everywhere could benefit from the answer. He gave me a vision.

In a dark cave in what we now call Norway, a woman under a cowl spoke with spirits. The spirits showed her a God who ripped a monstrous wolf apart. My vision then shifted to a Saxon village where several people wore crosses.

As my vision faded, the understanding settled in. It was fairly late when humans heard about Vidar. Among the Scandinavians, there was time for His tale to spread. In Saxon lands, time was running out. The Saxons in Britain converted to the worship of the undead early on. The Saxons on the continent were in a constant fight with the Franks and didn't have time to learn of or build monuments to the God of which they had lately heard. For the ones who did know, nothing written survived.

That's why there are no Saxon references to Vidar. That doesn't mean you can't still worship Him. He is OK with you using His Scandinavian name; you don't have to come up with a Saxon translation. If you want to refer to Him as Leathershod, Far-Seeing, or Wolf-Ripper in the Saxon language, that is OK too. He even is OK if you call Him the son of Wotan.

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