Is Easter Pagan?

[sheep wrecked]

(12-29-2010 06:46 PM)Backpacker Wrote:  Etymologically speaking Ishtar, Astarte and Eostre are cognates, the same word with shifting vowel sounds as it travels through different cultures and languages. This phenomenon is called Grimm's Law. While I may be wrong, I am of the opinion that the German Eostre is a derivative of the Sumerian Ishtar and Easter is a derivative of Eostre.

I did notice that you jumped on the name, but what about the other connections I mentioned between the modern practice of Easter and the mythology of Ishtar including the Bunny and eggs? Just curious about your opinion those as well.

Jacob

That would be like saying bell and ball are "cognates" because they contain the same consonants

The connections between Easter, bunnies, eggs, etc do not bother me. Easter for me is recognition of the death and resurrection of Christ. Easter is simply a term, a word, for that season of the year. If people take traditions for their celebrations does not mean they are worshiping those traditions in place of Christ. Surely you don't believe that Christians are worshiping bunnies and eggs

Ishtar has nothing to do with Easter bunnies and eggs. Again, that is myth. The Grimm brothers ran with that whole concept [taken from Bede, whose writings on Eostre cannot be proved] and now it is accepted as historical "truth"

If you read what I posted about Ishtar and the legends surrounding her, and her "attributes" - I think you would be hard pressed to find any connection between her and Ostara. They are not even in the same league