Wondering in the West End writes: How did the days of the week get their names? The English language has been constantly changing and evolving since people first starting speaking it many centuries ago. Anyone who has read a manuscript from the Middle Ages, taken a walk through a Colonial burying ground, or even read the Declaration of Independence can tell you that things like spelling and punctuation weren’t even invented until well into the 1700s. And even then it took another hundred years before people knew the difference between an “F” and an “S”. For many years, the only day of the week was Sunday. That was because back then everyone was Catholic and everyone knew that if you missed just one Mass on Sunday you were going directly to Hell, do not pass Go, do not collect 200 shillings. They called it Sunday because they figured there it was, the Sun, up there in the sky day after day, something everyone could relate to and as good a name as any for a day. People got along fine for centuries referring to the other days of the week as “The Day After Sunday”, or “The Day the Peddler Comes”. In 1302, however, King Earl II of the British Protectorate of Hamm upon Rye, became frustrated with the confusion which inevitably arose when “The Day our Molly Flips the Cheese” fell on one day in one village and on another day in the next village. In the first of its kind, King Earl sent out a proclamation to all who could read and write (which, admittedly, was little more that 25 people or so) announcing a “Nayme the Dayes of Ye Weeke Conteft!”, with prizes and awards for the six winners. After a few weeks and much excitement in the kingdom, the winners were finally announced: MONDAY- Sir Dion of Warwicke, astronomer to His Majesty. Originally, it was “Moon-Day”, but as mentioned earlier, spelling had not yet been invented. TUESDAY- George W., Village Idiot. So-named for being Two Days after Sunday. THURSDAY- Sven the Marauder, retired Viking. Mr. Marauder had originally suggested naming the day “Thor’s Day”, after one of his local gods, but his accent had everyone in Hamm pronouncing it “Thur’s Day”. FRIDAY- Michael of Shay, Esq., landlord and innkeeper. In a brilliant stroke of Dark Ages marketing, Master Shay saw his opportunity to remind locals of his weekly Fish Fry, a tradition which still survives to this day. SATURDAY- Count Azimov, Russian diplomat. Originally “Saturnday”, after the planet and the Roman God of Agriculture, the spelling was officially changed in 1973 after a song by the Bay City Rollers swept the planet. The one mystery which still remains is “Wednesday”. Researchers can find no evidence, nor see any reason or logic behind the name of that particular day or its remarkably byzantine spelling. Any insight from the public would be greatly appreciated.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Aug 2013 15:39:21 +0000