Articles Tagged with “Religion”

23/03/2008: Easter

According to the venerable Bede, the term “Easter” comes from the Old English word for what we now call “April”. “Eostre-Monath” was “the month of Eostre”.

Of course, back then months were calculated based on the lunar cycle, which is why Easter is calculated using a thoroughly pagan method: it’s the first weekend on or after the first full moon after the spring equinox.

Eostre is the old Germanic equivalent of the Roman goddess Aurora, or in Greek, Eos. According to Greek legend, Eos is the sister of Helios, the sun. Every day, she opens the gates of heaven so that her brother can ride across the sky — Eos represents the dawn. It is not surprising that April, the time when the long nights of winter are ebbing away should come to be associated with Eos.

Nor is it surprising that at this time of year, when animals are starting to breed again after the winter, symbols of fertility such as eggs, chicks and bunny rabbits are frequently seen.

What is surprising is…

20/11/2007: The Queen & Prince Phillip

Today, HRH Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary.

Little known fact about Prince Phillip:

The Yaohnanen believe Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is a divine being, the pale-skinned son of a mountain spirit and brother of John Frum… When the cult formed is unclear, but sometime in the 1950s or 1960s. Their beliefs were strengthened by the royal couple’s official visit to Vanuatu in 1974 when a few villagers had the opportunity to observe the prince from afar.

Source: Wikipedia

All the best to HRH and the Duke! I know they read this blog.