Woden and The English Landscape: The Naming of Wansdyke Reconsidered

Abstract

The present article reconsiders the interpretation of Wōdnes dīc (‘Woden’s Dyke’), the ancestral form of the name currently borne by the earthwork(s) known as Wansdyke. New forms of evidence and argumentation are adduced in support of the claim that Wōdnes dīc attributes the construction of the dyke to Woden and hence reflects a belief in its supernatural construction. Evidence for a conception of Woden as a builder is presented; the possibility that Wōdnes dīc is related to the tradition of regarding inherited structures as ‘the work of giants’ (enta geweorc) is explored. Counterarguments are presented against the recent claim that Wōdnes dīc was a name devised by Christian West Saxons to highlight descent from Woden as a human ancestor. The balance of probabilities suggests that Woden was understood as the supernatural builder of Wansdyke rather than its dedicatee.