Exploring the Mythological Origins of Common Words with Surprising Histories

Exploring the Mythological Origins of the Days of the Week and Common Words with Surprising Histories

Have you ever wondered about the origins of the days of the week or some common phrases we use in our everyday language? While Sunday and Monday are self-explanatory, being named after the sun and moon respectively, Saturday stands out for being named after the Roman god Saturn. The other four days of the week are named after Norse gods, with Tuesday named after Tyr, Wednesday after Odin/Woden, Thursday after Thor, and Friday after Frigg/Freya.

But the influence of mythology on our language extends beyond just the days of the week. Many commonly used phrases have their roots in mythology, such as “Pandora’s box,” “Achilles’ heel,” and “Herculean effort.” Similarly, our vocabulary includes words associated with mythology that have become a permanent part of our lexicon, such as “narcissistic” from the story of Narcissus, “muse” from the nine goddesses of inspiration, and “echo” from the nymph Echo.

It is fascinating to explore the mythological origins of these common words and phrases, and to see how ancient stories and traditions continue to influence our language today.