Kathleen Herbert sifts through the royal genealogies, charms, verse and other sources to find clues to the names and attributes of the Gods and Goddesses of the early English. The earliest account of English heathen practices reveals that they worshipped the Earth Mother and called her Nerthus. The names Tiw, Woden, Thunor, and Frig have been preserved in place names and in the names given to days of the week. The tales, beliefs and traditions of that time are still with us and able to stir our minds and imaginations; they have played a part in giving us A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Lord of the Rings.