You remember that we started yesterday – Monday – in determining how the days of the week came to be so named. We also considered how the ancients arrived at the order of naming the days, starting with Saturn (for Saturday), and ending with Venus (for Friday). Since today is Tuesday, we shall be focusing on this day of the week. Are you ready for some light learning?
The ”planet” immediately following the Moon (for Monday) is Mars, hence the day came to be known in Latin as “Dies Mars” meaning Day of Mars. But since this is not the name in English, how then was “Tuesday” arrived at?
The Complete Story of how Monday Got its Name
Norse and Saxon Mythology
According to the beliefs of these ancient people, Tiw (in Saxon), or Tyr (in Norse) was the god of combat, victory and heroic glory, who closely mirrored Mars – the Roman god of war.
Hence, in Old English, Dies Mars came to be known as “Tee-wes-dag” or “Tee-wes-dye.” meaning “Tiws day”. Fast forward to modern time, and it came to be called Tuesday.
The Saxons were a Germanic tribe of Northern Germany who later settled in large parts of what is now Great Britain, while the Norse were a Scandinavian tribe – of the countries now known as Norway, Sweden and Denmark. They were the Vikings of popular lore.
Quick Facts
- Most other countries and cultures also associate this day of the week with the equivalent of Mars in their language and culture. An example is Japan, where it is Ka Yobi – meaning “fire day” and is associated with Kasei which means Mars in Japanese. Similar principle is applied in Korean, Hindu, Sanskrit and other Asiatic languages where Mars is associated with fire, and the colour red.
- In the United States, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November is the day assigned for Federal elections – meaning that the 2016 Presidential and Congressional elections will take place on November 8.
- Just like for Monday, countries like Israel, Russia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Poland, and other Slavic countries did not derive a name for Tuesday from Mars because of its obvious pagan origin.
And that’s the history of how Tuesday came to be. This day is called “Ojo Isegun” in Yoruba. Do you know what it’s called in your native tongue? Do hit us back with your replies.
