What Paulus Diaconus, Jonas of Bobbio, Jornandes, Adam of Bremen, Alcuin, Widukind, and the monks of St. Gall, assert of other German races, Beda asserts of the Anglosaxons also, viz. that they worshiped idols[611], _idola_, _simulacra deorum_; and this he affirms not only upon the authority of his general informants and of unbroken tradition, but of Gregory himself. Upon the same authority also he tells us that the heathen were wont to sacrifice many oxen to their gods[612]. To Beda himself we owe the information that Hréðe and Eostre, two Saxon goddesses, gave their names to two of the months; that at a certain season cattle were vowed, and at another season cakes were offered to the gods[613]. From him also we learn that upon the death of Sǽbeorht in Essex, his sons restored the worship of idols in that kingdom[614]; that Eádwini of Northumberland offered thanks to his deities for the safe delivery of his queen[615]; that Rǽdwald of Eastanglia sacrificed victims to his gods[616]; that, on occasion of a severe pestilence, the people of Essex apostatized and returned to their ancient worship[617], till reconverted by Gearoman, under whose teachings they destroyed or deserted the fanes and altars they had made; that incantations and spells were used against sickness[618]; that certain runic charms were believed capable of breaking the bonds of the captive[619]; that Eorcenberht of Kent was the first who completely put down heathendom in his kingdom, and destroyed the idols[620]; lastly that at the court of Eádwini of Northumberland there was a chief priest[621], and, as we may naturally infer from this, an organized heathen hierarchy. ----- Footnote 611: What Tacitus says of the Germans (Germ, ix.) not having temples or images is to be taken with great caution. It is clear from other passages of his own work that some tribes had such, even in his time; yet if rare then, they may easily have become universal in the course of two or three centuries, particularly among those tribes whom military service or commerce had gradually rendered familiar with the religious rites of Rome. Footnote 612: