To: R_Kangel
Don't ask me to cite references because I can't remember them all, but research I did years ago into the origins of the name Easter suggested that it derived from the same word as the compass direction "east" in old Anglo-Saxon. Its meaning was the place where the sun rises and the act of rising like the sun. After the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ came to be associated with the word which they associated with rising as the sun seemed to rise from the darkness. I have heard that association and dubious claim concerning the Germanic fertility goddess Eostre. This may be more on the order of a false cognate. At best there may be a tenuous etymological association with the concept of rising that could be related to Christ rising from the dead, but there is nothing of the Eostre cult that was related to Jesus Christ. Nor can any association with the myths surrounding the pagan goddess and the truth, reality, and historicity of Our Lord be substantiated, but the would be debunkers of Christianity will make the argument anyway. The same people will make the argument that Christianity appropriated the Roman holiday of Saturnalia for Christmas. Certainly the term Easter as it has evolved linguistically has no association or inspiration with pagan myths of resurrection.
16 posted on
04/10/2020 3:57:18 PM PDT by
RightSpirit
(Theophilus in Babylon)
To: RightSpirit
.... Yes.... But you are citing evidence that the author of this article says there is no evidence of the word being of pagan origin....
29 posted on
04/10/2020 4:49:54 PM PDT by
R_Kangel
("A nation of sheep will beget a nation ruled by wolves")
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