To Wóden was dedicated the fourth or mid-day of the week, and it still retains his name: this among other circumstances tends to the identification of him with Mercurius[632]. The Old-norse Rúnatale þáttr which introduces Oþinn declaring himself to be the inventor of runes[633], is confirmed by the assertion in the dialogue of Salomon and Saturn, which to the question “Who invented letters?” answers, “I tell thee, Mercury the giant”—that is, “Wóden the god:” and this is further evidence of resemblance. A metrical homily in various collections, bearing the attractive title _De falsis diis_, supplies us with further proof of this identification, not only with Wóden, but with the Norse Oþinn: it says, Sum man was geháten A man there was, called Mercurius on life, Mercury during life, se was swíðe fácenful who was very fraudulent and swícol on dǽdum, and deceitful in deeds, and lufode eác stala and eke loved thefts and leásbrednysse: and deception: ðone macodon ða hǽðenan him the heathen made him tó mǽran gode, a powerful god for themselves, and æt wega gelǽtum and by the road-sides him lác offrodon, made him offerings, and tó heágum beorgum and upon high hills him bróhton onsægdnysse. brought him sacrifice. Ðæs god wæs árwurða This god was honourable betwux callum hǽðenum, among all the heathen, and he is Oþon geháten and he is called Odin óðrum naman on Denisc. by another name in Danish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ðone feorðan dæg hí sealdon him tó frófre ðám foresædan Mercurie heora mǽran gode[634]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The fourth day they gave for their advantage to the aforesaid Mercury their great god. ----- Footnote 632: This probably was the case even before any German settlement was made in Britain. But no argument can be raised on this ground against the genuineness of the Wóden worship here; because, if the continental Germans worshiped him, they probably carried his rites with them to England. We know that he is one of the gods named in the celebrated formulary of renunciation, which the missionary Christians prepared for the use of the Saxon converts. Why the _interpretatio Romana_ (Tac. Germ. xliii.) fixed upon Wóden as the corresponding god to Mercury we do not clearly see: but we are not acquainted with the rites and legends which may have made this perfectly clear to the Romans. Footnote 633: