Article: WORD PLAY: Ancient origins of Easter.(Features)

Byline: WITH A R TULLOCH

WE all look forward to Easter. For almost as long as Man has been on the planet,he has rejoiced in the fruitfulness of the Earth and the renewal of life. The word Easter is derived from the pagan Goddess of the Dawn,known to the ancient Britons as Eostre. And this name was linguistically connected with the word `east' as both are derived from the Germanic austo, which was applied to both the east and the dawn and was closely associated with the idea of the rising sun.

But the Germanic root can be traced further back to the Greek word Eos `the dawn' personified in mythology as the goddess who rose every morning (her Latinname was ...

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