By GardenStone
© Copyright GardenStone 2006.

With thanks to Loren Hokanson, for setting the original text in much better english.

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The Codex pal. 577 from the Vatican Library contains an 8^th or 9^th century Saxon baptismal vow which asserts the baptismal subject forswears three Germanic gods:  Wotan, Donar and Saxnot: 

“ec forsacho allum dioboles uuercum and uuordum, Thunaer ende Uuöden ende Saxnote ende allum them unholdum the hira genötas sint”

which translates as

“I (do) forsake all diabolic works and words, Donar and Wotan and Saxnot and all those demons that are their companions.”

Jan de Vries writes in his Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte:

“The third named God must have been commensurate with the first two, therefore a local God is out of the question.”

This seems logical and acceptable.

However, de Vries goes on to state:

“Here one can only think of Tiwaz, as the only God who could have the same rank.”

It is here, beginning with this statement, that de Vries’ statements have to considered in a more critical light.  Although he is noting this as a fact, it is just a hypothesis, and he leaves it unsupported by any clear arguments.  
Despite the unsubstantiated nature of his assertions, de Vries’ view remains widely accepted, which is unfortunate because there are sound arguments to see Saxnot (Seaxnet) as another name for Freyr or Ingwe.

De Vries continues to stray further from empirical consideration of the subject by concluding:

“…the fertility gods here, unlike Njord and Freyr in the North, are completely absent.”

In response it should first be noted that we know far too little to draw such a general conclusion.  More specifically in contradiction to De Vries’ statement is the correlation between Freyr’s role in the North and Saxnot’s in the South.  A good example of this is noted by Adam von Bremen, who indicates that Thor (Donar), Odin (Wodan) and Freyr (Fricco) were honored in the main temple of Uppsala.

De Vries continues with his assertion by indicating that the Saxons took Saxnot with them to England, where they preserved his role as a son of Woden in the genealogical tree of the Kings of Essex, specifically as ‘Seaxneat or ‘Saxniat’. 

This particular contention of De Vries is offset by the mention of “Frealaf” as Woden’s father in the tree of names for the Kings of Northumbria (Deira and Bernicia), Lindsey, Kent and East-Anglia. The first part of that name (Frea-) could well refer to the God Ingwe-Frey(r), Fricco, Fra. It seems reasonable to suggest that Freyr’s name is also preserved in the geneology of the kings of Wessex as ‘Freawine’, specifically in the family tree of Eethelwulf. 

The fact that Ingwe-Freyr is known in other places as the ancestor of royal families may well suggest the existence of Freyr in England as well.

The Germanic tribes who conquered England, including the Angels, Saxons and Jutes, came from the continental North Sea coast, undoubtedly the main Ingwaonic area (Ingwe). It seems completely unlikely that, following their movement to England, a God of such importance in their traditions would completely disappear. That makes the appearance of parts of Freyr’s name in those family trees even more logical.

It’s certainly worth noting that Frey(r)-Ingwe was definitely not unknown to the Saxons. This is supported by the Weser-Runebones find, where the names Ingbari and Ingwe are clearly evident. These bones, and their numerous inscriptions, were found in the former land of the Saxons and indicate that Frey(r)-Ingwe was an important god there.

Finally, an inspection of the name itself yields persuasive evidence against De Vries’ assertion.  The original meaning of Saxnot, (Sahsginöt) is sword-companion, which might have given De Vries some reason to think of Tiwaz, although that subsides on closer inspection.
 We know that Freyr-Ingwy had a powerful sword, in fact, he is the only one among the gods who possesses a magic sword at all. This fact alone, that in the myths only Freyr-Ingwe had such a sword, could well indicate that he was known among Germanic tribes as a sword god. He may even have been considered to be the sword god.  This could explain the underlying reason why he would be called Saxnot, even if they also knew him under another name.