EMC Entertainment - Have you ever wondered why the days of the week are named as they are?

Smiths Falls native Hugh Long (aka Eoghan Odinsson) has the answer in his first published book 'Northern Lore: A Field Guide to the Northern Mind-Body and Spirit'.

The novel offers introductory information on the ancient practices of North Western Europe from the runes to herbal medicine to spirit guides (known as Fylgia).

"That's another topic I need to dig into in future books," Long said of spirit guides.

Interested persons can log on to his website (www.northernlore.com) and listen to his meditation to discover how they can create their own spirit guide.

Long has always been interested in Northern Lore with its strong connections to the ancestry of many North Americans, but felt its history has been lost in North American textbooks that focus mostly on Roman and Greek mythology.

"It struck me, why don't they teach this stuff?" Long asked.

Northern Lore hopes to fill this gap by providing information on the history of the North, the guiding life principles of the North known as The Havamal and basic information on every day events like Easter, Christmas and the days of the week.

According to Northern Lore, all but Saturday is named after Germanic gods and goddesses. Sunday (Sun's day), Monday (Moon's (Mani) day), Tuesday (Tiw's day - god of law and justice), Wednesday (Wodan - poetic and musician and leader of souls), Thursday (Thor - thunder) and Friday (Frigg - for Venus and beauty and love).

The legacy of the Northmen on our day-to-day lives is something Long strongly feels need to be brought into the mainstream.

"People need to know this stuff," Long said.

The Smiths Falls author credits prolific writer J.R.R. Tolkien with bringing ancient traditions back to the mass population.

"The whole fantasy resurgence is a result of his work," Long said.

The names of the dwarfs and hobbits in Tolkien's extremely popular work The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings all have their origins in mythological creations.

Long set aside approximately nine months to work full-time on Northern Lore.

"I'm hoping to write more," he said.

Currently, Long is working with an American chef on a Viking cookbook and hopes to publish a third book on ancient herbal lore.

Northern Lore can be purchased in Smiths Falls at Spotlight on the Rideau on Chambers Street and online at Amazon.ca.