Ostara (1884) by Johannes Gehrts.The goddess flies through the heavens surrounded by Roman-inspired putti, beams of light, and animals.Germanic people look up at the goddess from the realm below. Ēostre (Proto-Germanic: *Austrō(n)) is a West Germanic spring goddess. The name is reflected in Old English: *Ēastre ([ˈæːɑstre]; Northumbrian dialect: Ēastro, Mercian and West Saxon dialects ...

Dec 9, 2022 · Eostre, also called Ostara or Eastre, is a Germanic goddess associated with spring and the dawn. She is particularly known in Anglo-Saxon and Old High German traditions and is believed to be the namesake for the Christian holiday of Easter. Notably, there is limited historical information about Eostre, and much of what is known comes

Mar 31, 2025 · The Anglo-Saxons worshipped the goddess Eostre, referred to by the Venerable Bede in De Temporum Ratione (AD 725), in which he also mentions the indigenous English name of the month: “Eostur-monath has a name that is now translated as ‘Paschal month’, and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in …

Mar 13, 2024 · Eostre was a pagan deity worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons and also one of the Celtic goddesses.While Eostre doesn’t seem to be a Norse goddess, a few scholars claim that she is a hypostasis of Freyja.Under that consideration, Eostre could be an Old Norse Vanir deity.Yet, the true origins of this mysterious figure are not clear.

Mar 18, 2022 · Similar to many other Christian holidays, during the Middle Ages the church adopted some customs from pagan religions to make the church more inviting and bridge the space between the two worlds.

Mar 17, 2022 · In the Christian tradition, Easter and its connection to the hare can be traced to the Legend of Ostara (sometimes Eostre or Oestre). Ostara/Eostre/ Oestre is the Germanic goddess associated with Dawn and Spring – a time of new beginnings.

Jan 4, 2020 · Eostre's first appearance in primary sources in when the Venerable Bede tells us that April is known as Eostremonath, named for a goddess that the Anglo-Saxons honored in the spring. Jacob Grimm claimed that he found evidence of her existence in the oral traditions of certain parts of Germany.

She has her own festival on 21 March, the Spring Equinox, in which bouncing springy behavior is encouraged. A Germanic goddess, Eostre was very popular with the Anglo-Saxon pagan brigade who worshiped her under the name — and kicked off the whole Easter business without a Jesus in sight. If you ever wondered what eggs and bunnies have to do with crucifixion and resurrection, the answer is ...

Mar 5, 2020 · Returning to the topic of Eostre, the evidence for her as an actual goddess people worshipped is a bit uncertain. She’s mentioned in the writings of an 8th century monk known as Venerable Bede, who reported that pagan Anglo-Saxons in medieval Northumbria held festivals in her honor during the month of April.

Feb 9, 2022 · Everyone looks forward to the spring season every year because of the feeling of freedom it brings. After dealing with the harsh realities of winter for several months, it’s time to look forward to new beginnings, as ushered in by the gods and goddesses of spring. 🌼🌷🐣. At the tail-end of the winter season, the deities associated with winter are putting finishing touches to their ...