Hreðe

Hreða was an Anglo-Saxon goddess mentioned by Bede for whom Hreðmonað (roughly March) was named for. Some derive her name from Old English hréð "glory, fame, triumph, honor," which is cognate to Old High German hruod and Old Norse hroðr, both of which mean glorious. It was Grimm that first put forth a possible connection to Old High German hruod and Old Norse hroðr. The scholar Phillip Shaw put forth the theory her name came from Old English hræd "swift." Hræd is hred in Mercian and Kentish. And others derive her name from hréðe "cruel." Figuring out which word her name derives from is complicated by the fact Bede used "d" for both "d" and "ð." With so many theories as to what word her name is derived from it is difficult to formulate anything about her. Brian Smith, Alderman of White Marsh Theod believes her to be a winter goddess. He ascribes to the idea her name is derived from hréðe "cruel." Still others believe she is a warrior goddess drawing on hréð "glory, fame, triumph, honor." It would be difficult to arrive at any conclusions. It perhaps only through her worship we will ever know anything about her.