Is Easter a pagan goddess?

[@Manannan_mac_Lir]

I do appreciate the longer videos that you do to fully explore the origins of our culture, but this was very concise and to the point. Thanks for helping to keep the history alive!

[@TheHeathenCoalition]

Happy Springtide! As someone who is named 'Dawn' I've always taken a liking to Eostre, Eos, etc. Another kenning for the dawn, or daybreak is 'Day-Spring.'

[@Survivethejive]

Love that!

[@100thMkey]

everyone knows easter is when the cadbury easter bunny rolled the rock away from jesus' tomb, freeing him from humanities prison. and he was given special colored chocolate eggs because you'd be hungry too after 3 days with no food...

[@Bern_il_Cinq]

It is known.

[@IrishEyes12]

Thank you for this. I really appreciate your videos. I homeschool my kids, and your videos are a major source for teaching them history. I am just waiting for you to release the homeschool history curriculum for folks like us😉

[@JacksonDunnoKnows]

Right! Haha!. My little girl isn't ready for school yet, but we will be homeschooling as well. My wife isn't a heathen/pagan like myself, but she isn't really Christian either. More or less personal spiritual if that makes sense. She does enjoy the history, and loves when I show her how Christianity messed with history for such a long time. 🍻

[@LittleLordFancyLad]

@@JacksonDunnoKnows It's not "Christian fundamentalists" who question if Bede invented the goddess Eostre, but most secular scholars. Tom is smearing an opposing viewpoint by poisoning the well. I'm extremely disappointed. I expected more from him. Also, @savannahedwards-mcadam5490 Ostern, Eastrun, Eastron, Eastran, Eastru, Eastro, Eastre and Eostre are all just various Germanic forms of the direction "East", and not necessarily indicative of the name of a goddess. Tom's got some good insights here, but be careful of treating it all as historical fact. There's a lot of gray on the subject. Do your own research before using this video, so that when you do show it to your kids you can provide additional context.

[@djprincegrandmasteryrjdalo2905]

⁠@@LittleLordFancyLad I’m sorry but I highly doubt secular historians are the ones with the opposing viewpoint. I won hundred percent agree it’s Christian fundamentalist mostly because I have a lot of them on my family that think that way so I don’t know where you’re getting that from sure there might be some people that are secular that might be opposed to it, but I highly doubt that’s the majority. If anything, I’ll crazy that’s the silent minority. Also, if you guys are using this guy has a history teacher while I will agree that when it comes to history, this dude is a very excellent and knows what he’s talking about I would be Hella careful, I know you guys said that you guys are pagans or whatever, but I would be very careful, considering the fact that he is completing his information as a historian with his pig and this abuse, and the fact that he tends to put a little bit of racism and segregationalism in there is not a good thing…..

[@Mistral434]

@@LittleLordFancyLadI didn’t see Tom smearing an opposing viewpoint here, merely compiling evidence for his stance. It’s not his job to meekly put forth the opinions of others. He has his own, and made a damn fine case for it. If you have good evidence for a different perspective then consider making a video on the matter and I’m sure many would love to see the contrast, me included.

[@wybuchowyukomendant]

I don't think there is a single christian holiday that's not connected with a pagan counterpart. Here in Poland even the small ones are pretty obviously pagan in nature.

[@aadityapratap007]

Rajiv Malhotra has rightly termed cultural digestion.

[@sethapex9670]

And if you keep complaining about it, we'll take over shark week and toyotathon too.

[@useritiswhatitis4655]

Small hats aren't original they just take the hosts traditions and morph it into something that better serves their interests. jewsus sheep lord guiding the gentiles to the small hat shepherd farm.

[@slynt_]

More correct to say the Christians simply appropriated them and sometimes changed the name to some "saint"

[@radwald189]

​@@sethapex9670 You boys are having a hard time keeping control of your churches to try it 😂

[@belisloven4668]

It's called "The great night" in Slovenian. I think that's quite neat.

[@cmbunit01]

Awesome as ever, Tom. Happy Easter.

[@Survivethejive]

Thanks so much

[@oscartango6280]

So great to see another STJ video! Best Pagan content on KZbin!

[@bunddeutscherunitarier9909]

Thank you for your important work! Freyja's epithet Mardöll probably means "sea-brightener" and adds evidence for her identity as a goddess of dawn rising from the ocean. For those who understand German we have uploaded a paper on this subject in the Abholfach of our website.

[@Survivethejive]

I agree absolutely. Also her name gefn is likely the same as gefeon which in old English refers to the sea. She is daughter of Njord the sea god became the dawn rises from the sea

[@babylonsburning1]

That's why East is where the dawn rises from.

[@nullgravity2583]

Interesting concept: if the winter solstice is the midnight of the year, and spring is the dawn of the year, then the dawn in spring is the dawn of dawns.

[@saeedkholghi9657]

The Iranian Nowruz starts right at the time of spring equinox 🙂

[@aethulwulfvonstopphen8013]

Good work as always brother.

[@Jon-mh9lk]

1:16 Short correction: Even most Germans don't know that, but as all traditional Germanic words (excluding some verbs with prefixes) are stressed on the first syllable, the Name Ōstara has to be pronounced with a long ō. This was normal in OHG, but sounds strange in modern German. Therefore most people pronounce it wrong... It also makes the name sound less German in a way, which makes it also believable that it's a fabrication. Jacob Grimm also mentioned an early modern version of the name: "Ostra", which is much better pronounceable in modern German. I would favour this orthography.

[@Friederike_Mueller]

I would not rule out that the goddess was called Ostara. Easter is called Oschtere in some Alemannic dialects (see the KZbin video "Happy Easter in Swiss German").

[@Jon-mh9lk]

Calling Ostara Oschtere is no problem, but it still has to be stressed on the first syllable when pronounced. I just saw the video. She clearly stresses the first syllable when pronouncing "Oschtere". This just shows that Swiss German can be more archaic than modern German, as prouncing Ōstara in modern German is mostly done wrong. It means that the name already sounded archaic to German people who tried revived it. Swiss German, on the other hand, has no problem with these Old High German words, which is no wonder because Old High German originated from the southern dialects.

[@majesticslightlyoutoffocus7573]

Thank you Tom - you are doing such great work. You bring us back to the true and the transcendent.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Wonder what you think of Religion for Breakfast's video saying she never existed.

[@Survivethejive]

He relies on one contrarian linguist who knows bugger all about paganism

[@albertohernandez8721]

Actually he thinks that Eostre was a local goddess and probably existed though

[@PaintPlastic]

Is there a connection between "East" in "Easter" and the fact that the sun rises in the east?

[@danieldelaney1377]

Yes. In geeman east is ost abd the godess is ostara

[@danieldelaney1377]

And she's a dawn godess

[@quezcatol]

I joined youtube back in 2006 and I seen a lot of channels, but survive the jive is one of the best - great content as always!

[@Phorquieu]

Thank you for posting this, and for doing such valuable research. I recently watched a video by some fool who maintained that Bede didn't know what he was talking about, and that there was no evidence for a goddess at springtime. This video of yours is quite heartening, and I am grateful for having watched it. Thousand thanks!

[@janeslater8004]

😊🌞

[@coltondunham695]

@Simpicus Maximus You claiming bede didn’t know what he was talking about is literally conjecture😒

[@JRANDALL93]

​@@coltondunham695yeah they're clearly espousing their own bias of their own worldviews and just dismissing evidence straight off the bat

[@djprincegrandmasteryrjdalo2905]

@@simpicusmaximus Look while I personally don’t like Tom when he talks outside of history with this whole paganism, weird bullshit that he spews every once in a while this is where I’m gonna have to agree with his vans, and say that there is a truth to that because he explained it in many ways, the fact that you didn’t pay attention to that speaks volumes about what you’re talking about…

[@jeremyhennessee6604]

Very informative video. Its Concise and straightforward without seeming overbearingly pedantic or boring. ( which is actually pretty hard for many serious history scholar types to pull off ive noticed. At least while sticking to observable/recorded facts and not overreaching in their analysis.) I'll definitely recommend and share your content with the few history loving friends i have. (I live in the rural south u.s.a. , so im not exactly kicking my way through History Buffs/Scholars. But every view helps) Love from Tennessee man.

[@Mistral434]

Tennessee has the highest concentration of redheads in the USA. I know it’s Bible Belt country but there’s an explosion of interest in Asatru/pagan traditions among the youth in the West - who knows, maybe the ancient magic of the Appalachians can help foster a rebirth of Celtic traditions.

[@jeremyhennessee6604]

@@Mistral434 well said sir, and that would be nice to see. Interesting fact about the highest percentage of redheads. I didn't know that. Ty for for knowledge there. I have an unfortunate love/hate relationship with my Home Place. The Appalachian trail is my back yard, and one of my favorite places to wander though. There's a lot of hikers who pass through my little town.

[@thelonelyarrikirri4575]

1:45 i am a little confused here. You say Beltane, but the festival of Brigid is Imbolc and she is connected to the fire of Kildare, not the fire of Uisneach.

[@liquidoxygen819]

I think Beltane and Imbolc represent a cleavage in two of what was once one festival of the Dawn. This is why some cognate Pagan festivals occur at the beginning of Spring, and some at Midsummer

[@martinm.6459]

A big thank you for your work Tom !!! Your videos are always highly interesting and well-researched !!! 👍 Greetings from Hungary

[@MatthewDaoust]

Thank you for all the great work you do. You've passed on some very important knowledge over the years. Well researched and tons of hard work. You've opened up a world of wisdom for many folks. Thank you for keeping our ancient traditions alive.

[@Survivethejive]

Much appreciated

[@ponypublications]

Thoughts on Religion for Breakfast's video?

[@Survivethejive]

He relies on one contrarian linguist who knows bugger all about paganism. Eastry being a cult centre is not supported by any evidence. There are other names in Yorkshire as I show in this video

[@AitorAxat]

@@Survivethejive But do you concede or not that Easter as a celebration is indeed Christian in origin and is not, as many of your pagan friends here stubbornly continue to affirm, a pagan celebration later hijacked by Christians? The answer to this question will determine your intellectual honesty.

[@Survivethejive]

@@AitorAxat christians undoubtedly have always honoured the death of jesus. this was not always made to coincide with pesach, even in Bede's time there were different dates it was celebrated. However the English have always celebrated Easter in April.

[@janeslater8004]

@@AitorAxat i thought easter was after first full moon after spring equinox so that makes it pagan.

[@AitorAxat]

@@janeslater8004 1. The moon is not pagan in and of itself. Nature as a whole is not pagan and pagans do not have any ownership of nature. So a celebration that follows the moon in any capacity does not smkr it pagan. 2. Easter does not follow the moon at all anyway. It follows the Jewish celebration of Passover, since the Last Supper was a Passover meal and Jesus' resurrection happens 3 days later starring from Passover. And it is Passover itself that moves throughout the years so Easter follows it as well, that's why it's not always on the same date like Christmas.

[@Jtbrahh]

I expect that the lack of a cognate for Freyja/Eostre in Norse Paganism and Anglo-Saxon Paganism respectively is probably related to the Freyja/Frigg question. My theory is that in germanic paganism Freyja and Frigg would have been one goddess, while the goddess known to the Norse as Freyja would have been Ostara or some similar name. I'd guess that in Scandinavia the Norse tradition evolved such that the Ostara goddess became known as Freyja or that her original name may have been lost and only her title remains. And in the lower countries the Ostara goddess never received this renaming treatment which is why we see the Saxons bring Eostre into Britain rather than a cognate for Freyja.

[@WitchHunterSiegfried]

Vaugly heard of this before the Christians were claiming it’s a misspelling of Ishtar and the atheists sure as hell weren’t this knowledgable, Had no idea who was right at the time so just posted art of FGO’s version of Ishtar lol

[@Jimmylad.]

Interesting but I don’t see how this undermines Christian easter It would only show that the name easter derives from this Goddess Unless I’m missing something

[@padmad3832]

Lot of Christians, especially in the east just use their language equivalent of Passover/Pesach instead of any equivalent of "Easter".

[@Jimmylad.]

@@padmad3832 good point

[@stowlicters8362]

@@Jimmylad. jewish

[@erikanatalia2]

@@padmad3832 in Latin America which is a highly Catholic continent we call it Pascua which comes from Pascha

[@Raubabbau]

@@Tzimiskes3506 And their academic references? I can also tell stuff on the internet, whether it's true, whether I have a clue, it doesn't matter.

[@Inquisitor_Vex]

I was just wondering if you’d put anything out recently and this popped up. Perfect! 🍻

[@cardroid8615]

Is there enough information out there to create or reignite a religion from our pagan ancestors?

[@danieldelaney1377]

Yes but that depends on how much spiritual fulfilment you want out if it

[@simonestreeter1518]

Why would you want to? Formal religions are motivated by people thinking they need to control groups of people.

[@ryanorionwotanson4568]

Very important and intriguing information, I really like this kind of research.

[@Survivethejive]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mapigill]

April or pesach is called vaisach in hindi and still celebrated in India as a harvest festival. It used be a huge festive season during Vedic times

[@Aditya-tc7sd]

Peach is not a indo european word,it's an Hebrew word.

[@tusharrao6265]

@@Aditya-tc7sd It's an Indo-European word

[@thoughtfox12]

Another terrific, informative and entertaining watch

[@indo.iranian.Jat.007]

Can tell about Origin of Getae / Geto ( Geto-dacian/Daxia) Massa-getae Thyssa-Getae ?

[@kimashitawa8113]

Damn, just as i watched Religion For Breakfast's video about it debunking it. As someone who has no expertise in it myself, i have no idea what to really believe. Personally i think that yes the name of Easter in English is from a pagan background, but i don't believe Easter itself is derived from Paganism. Especially because only the English have a unique name like that for it (in the Netherlands we just call it Pasen).

[@VisionStorm1]

I was about to watch that one when I saw that Survive the Jive had one as well, so I saw this one instead, since I think that Survive the Jive has better expertise about Germanic and Indo-European religion in general.

[@kimashitawa8113]

@@VisionStorm1 Yeah Religion For Breakfast was kind of dissapointing with how little in depth he actually went with it.

[@BadMotivator66]

why then would christians use a pagan name for a new, christian festival? it doesn't add up

[@devreed5931]

@@kimashitawa8113 yeah just saying that her name probably just means east and didn't look at the related faiths.

[@stephenodubhlaoich]

​@@devreed5931 I thought it was common knowledge that it was derivative of Ishtar..that's what I have always heard at least

[@dayanand649]

Lots of love from a Hindu (last surviving pagan civilization) ❤❤❤

[@sarahgilbert8036]

Norway never deviated from Jul for xmas, but use Påske for Easter.

[@nullgravity2583]

When sKythian video?

[@Survivethejive]

Soon

[@ragnarruckus2825]

Thanks for yet another awesome and beautiful inspiring video!

[@williammatson9238]

Like many things if it depends on the spirit behind the reason why you celebrate it or hold that day as special. If your celebrating it in remembrance of the Lord Jesus their is nothing wrong with it. Even tho it might not be the time of year or day it happened it matters what you're worshiping❤🙏😻🙌 Praise Jesus God bless

[@Survivethejive]

I celebrate the goddess Easter

[@williammatson9238]

@@Survivethejive I'm sorry to hear that. Jesus is the only one who can save us. That's the only one who can deliver us from sin and give us life forever. Please consider have a good day.🙏❤

[@AaronJensen92]

​@@williammatson9238 this is a thinly veiled insult, anti intellectual, anti rational, mindless as usual from you Christ cucks. You're an embarrassment to the west and European people's more generally, passively accepting a foreign Jewish cult which was deliberately designed for gullible goy like yourself. Have a nice day yourself with your delusions. Btw this is it, your only life and noone, not even your fake Jewish Messiah is coming to save you

[@djprincegrandmasteryrjdalo2905]

@@williammatson9238 I don’t know if you realize this, but he’s a paganist, an Odinist. Has in his Lord and Savior is Odin, and not God. I’m kind of surprised you haven’t figured that out already considering the amount of paganist propaganda, he puts in his videos……

[@devreed5931]

last night I watched a video saying that there was no connection between this goddess and the dawn. This morning I wanted to see what you have said on the subject just to find a video on the same subject and several of the same points of physical evidence, the other lacked the linguistic analyst!

[@antoniescargo4158]

In the Netherlands, the 'paasvuur =Easter fire' is now nearly forbidden. I have once seen such a fire in the province Utrecht. This was decades ago.

[@Survivethejive]

what a shame, you must relight it!

[@simonestreeter1518]

Forbidden to light a fire to celebrate something? What, do you live in a police state?

[@djprincegrandmasteryrjdalo2905]

@@simonestreeter1518😂😂😂

[@-Blackberry]

Nice video, I didn't realise how relatively unique our English name Easter is for the holiday. I will be drinking some mead and eating some roast lamb to welcome in the spring this year!

[@danieldelaney1377]

Germans have it too I think

[@jwelke9]

Seeing as Freyja is also the daughter of Njörðr to the Norse who is a sea god, every morning at dawn the first surface that the sun passes is the sea level. Every morning the Lady Easter comes from her father the sea. Germanic peoples are also very coastal tending and seafaring folks so they would definitely have some esoteric conceptualization of this.

[@Survivethejive]

I agree but not necessarily esoteric

[@pikachue602]

Goddess USHA is highly revered in the Vedic culture she's called as the 'breathe of all breathes ' 'life of all life ' in Bihar and Jharkhand states people still celebrate the spring by offering water and flowers to the river at early dawn praying chants and songs atlast they celebrate it by distributing sweets to the people in the village

[@チョンブリーラームトルテ]

Thank you so much for this! I had read that same thing about Bede and Eostre recently and didn't question it like I should have. Thank you for sorting it out for us by providing your research for all to enjoy. Hál wes þú.

[@Survivethejive]

Glad it was helpful!

[@aspiringdad5040]

Is that the medieval 2 Britannia soundtrack? I've always loved that DLC. Wonderful video as usual.

[@Sam-lm8gi]

So, is there a linguistic connection between Eostre and the word "east?" I mean, the sun rises, at dawn, in the east, so it would make sense. Is that really just a coincidence?

[@Survivethejive]

Yes they are cognate

[@Sam-lm8gi]

@@Survivethejive Ah, I thought so. Thanks.

[@stampatron]

Happy Easter to you and your family Tom

[@planetlondon6145]

Is there any relation of Easter to Babylonian goddess Esther or Astarte ?

[@Survivethejive]

None

[@misswestt]

Venus is both morning and evening star at different stages of her orbit......does anyone know of pagan words or deities or myths associated more specifically with the EVENING star?

[@Spenglenoodle]

is that you playing the lyre at the start?

[@Survivethejive]

no it is sun and moon dance

[@davidprice5678]

Have you ever visited Jorvik Viking Centre Tom, and if so what did you think of it?

[@Survivethejive]

No

[@egillivaldason7238]

Rydberg states that Nátt is Eostre or Ostara. However, I agree more strongly that Freyja is Eostre and not Nátt. If Freyja isn't a dawn goddess what role would she be? A goddess of love? A goddess of seiðr? I believe strongly that Freyja is a dawn goddess cognate to Eostre. Freyja cries tears of red gold and wear her iconic necklace, Brisingamen which may relate to the rays of dawn. Freyja is also married to Óðr, an Alfr who are usually associated with light or some aspect of brightness.

[@wegfarir1963]

Freyja is Frigga-Freyja. Goddess of love, eggs, female fertility. Eostre is an aspect on her. A word for reproduction takes itself from the first part of her name. Óðr is another name for Odin, god of wisdom, knowledge, tribe/clan, and ancestors. Elves are ancestral spirits. Freyja being married to Odin should point you to the right direction.

[@egillivaldason7238]

@@wegfarir1963 None of that is true first of all. Frigg and Freyja are separate goddesses. I don't believe in the theory that they were one goddess because there's no evidence of that. Rudolf Simek proposed that idea and currently I saw no evidence of that. Eostre is just Eostre. Only one attestation from Bede. There are scholars like Rydberg that propose that Eostre is the goddess Nátt while others say that she is Freyja. My personal theory is that we will never know exactly of whom she is due to one attestation and no solid comparative mythologies due to what little evidence we have. Óðr is the husband of Freyja. He is also called Óttar in Hyndluljóð where he reddens Freya's altar. Óttar is known as Svipdagr from the Svipdagsmal where he woos for Menglöð, who is Freyja. Snorri mentions Óðr as being wife of Freyja in Gylfaginning. The Álfar are described as making the likeness of men in Völuspá. The Álfar are known as Ljósálfar and Dökkalfar because they work with the cosmos. The Ljosalfar are responsible for the course of the sun, such as Dellingr. This information should kindly point you in the right direction.

[@wegfarir1963]

@@egillivaldason7238 It is true. Frigg and Freyja are the same: Freyja is married to Óðr (another name for Odin, meaning ecstasy, inspiration, furor, Odin meaning coming from Óðr). Óðr spends a long time away from home, just like Odin, so we can identify them to be the same. Óðr being gone for most of the time causes Freyka to be unfaithful. Absent husband + Unfaithful wife. Concerning Frigg, her husband Odin was exiled from Asgard for a long time, leaving Vili and Ve in Charge. They both slept with Frigg. Sometimes, it is a slave in Saxo's account. The relationships between Óðr and Freyja and Odin and Frigg is virtually the same. Frigg is a Volva, practicing seiðr. In Lokasenna after Loki blames Frigg for her infidelity, Freyja warns him the Frigg knows the fate of all, implying she has the power to change them as well. Frigg's spinning an weaving practices are an allusion to magical work. Frigg weaves and creates clouds, the concept of seiðr is centered around spinning and weaving. Freyja is Frigg, but Christianity censored every magical work linked to Freyja, but weaving and spinning was not, as it was a household chore. Freyja's magical practices survived through Frigg. Shapeshifting was a magical practice, and Freyja has a shapeshifting falcon cloak, and Frigg has falcon feathers for the same purpose, and in myths she has a falcon dress for the same purpose. Frigg means beloved, linking her to love, desire, and sexuality. It is through love and sexuality that Freyja manifests herself. Those are her main traits aside from magic, which itself includes love magic and love poetry. Freyja means Lady, a title. In the Viking age and sometimes in Medieval Iceland aristocratic women were called Freyjur, plural of Freyja, connecting her to aristocracy and nobility. Frigg is queen of Asgard, primarily linked to nobility. One's name is identical to the other's attributes, simply because they are the same. Two aspects of the same Goddess. To my knowledge, no other Germanic people spoke of her as being different goddesses, only the Norse. Elves are ancestral spirits. Ingvi-Freyr was referred to as lord of the elves, and rules over Alfheim. Freyr is also said to break free elves from their chains, that being he allows them to reincarnate as he is the personification of male reproduction and seed. There was also someone called olaf geirstaðaalfr after he died and was placed in his mound. They typically reside in or around places like mounds or stones, connecting them to the belief of dying into mountains. The Gods are those forces that control nature and it's cycles. They don't physically exist. Same goes for the spirits. They are representations in the style of the culture they come from.

[@egillivaldason7238]

@@wegfarir1963 It is not true. Frigg and Freyja are not the same. Freyja is married to Óðr, yes that is true. However, there are no attestations of Óðr and Oðinn as the same god. In chapter 35 of the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, the enthroned figure of Hár (who is Óðinn) says that the goddess Freyja "was married to someone named" Óðr. Hár details that the two produced a daughter, Hnoss, and that this daughter was so fair that the term hnossir (meaning "treasures") derives from her name and is applied to whatever is "beautiful and precious." High adds that Óðr would go off traveling for extended periods, all the while Freyja would stay behind weeping tears of red gold. However, Freyja would travel "among strange peoples" while looking for Óðr, and so had many names. In chapter 36 of Gylfaginning, the stanza of Völuspá mentioning Óðr is quoted. Scholar Viktor Rydberg proposed that Freyja's husband Oðr is identical with the hero Svipdag from the eddic poems Grougaldr and Fjölsvinsmál. Jacob Grimm and others have long identified Menglad ("the neck-lace lover"), Svipdag's love interest in that poem, with Freyja the owner of Brísingamen. The fact that Frigg and Freyja are argue against Loki separately in Lokasenna should be proof that they're separate goddesses. Freyja's father is not Fjorgyn but Njord. Seiðr is magic associated with the Jötnar as quoted from Hyndluljóð 35 where the origin of Seiðr is from Ymir. Freyja practices Seiðr when she kidnapped by the Jötunn brothers Grep (see Saxo Grammaticus) and then Gullveig taught her Seiðr which caused mind-games (hugleikinn). The Alfar were originally the third divine clan of the gods. Christian influence diminish them into being mere spirits. The story about King Geirstad is christian influenced.

[@wegfarir1963]

@@egillivaldason7238 Dude, it so damn obvious that Frigg is Freyja and Odr is Odin. Use your common sense, not all truth comes from scholars.

[@gnomelordfyriforest]

Amazing video as always

[@Survivethejive]

Glad you enjoyed

[@lmonk9517]

I think it is more accurate to say that the name easter derives from this Goddess but I don't see much in the way of pagan influence in the easter celebrations as they are in modern times. Obviously there are elements of rebirth and general spring time elements but I think easter is more of a Christian festival that, in the anglo-world, has borrowed it's name from a time of year associated with the dawn goddess. This is likely part of general acculturation by the Catholic church, as recommended by pope gregory I. Can you think of any obvious easter practices or imagery that might origin from the worship of this goddess? I like the theory that Eostre and freyja are cognate though.

[@babylonsburning1]

Christianity stole all the pagan festivals and renamed them for themselves.Easter, Christmas, Harvest festival. It was all part of imposing the new on the old. All roman and Anglo-Saxons Christian churches were built upon the shrines and worship sites of the ancients.

[@lmonk9517]

@@babylonsburning1 it's not a direct stealing. the pope issued a letter to those trying to convert the saxons saying that instead of pulling down pagan shrines and banning pagan festivals, they should instead convert pagan sites into chirstian sites. Turn the pagan stapol's into high crosses, turn the pagan wells into saintly springs and of course match up christian festivals with established festivals from around the same time. this is a good thing, since it means that more knowledge of pre-christian customs has survived to the current day. The alternative of completely erasing paganism in every aspect is far worst.

[@babylonsburning1]

@@lmonk9517 I call that stealing. It shows that there is no substance to Christianity. The Church is about wealth and power.

[@lmonk9517]

@@babylonsburning1 It's really a form of Religious syncretism, this wasn't just done by Christianity but it was even more prominent in paganism. all religions borrow and take from neighboring faiths and have done so throughout all of history. even scripture based faiths like Catholicism.

[@vajamasaurusrex]

PG Austrōn was the name for the spring equinox, more specfically the celebration held on that day. More likely it is derived from PG *austran, *auzran, a schwebeablaut form of *wazran, meaning "spring". Any connection to "dawn" or a dawn diety is unfounded, and should be rejected. That all being said, it doesn't preclude Austrōn being personified as a spring diety, as the personification of nature is "very Indo-European".

[@Survivethejive]

Germanic people had a lunar-solar calendar with celebrations on lunar phases so Austron was unlikely to refer to the equinox. No celebration of the equinox is attested in any Germanic culture. More likely it was on the full moon of Eastermonth

[@vajamasaurusrex]

​@@Survivethejive the year for Germanic pagans was divided into both solstices and equinoxes, and to cite Sanders (2015) The Christianization of the Germanic Tribes, they "held festivals and rituals based on the equinoxes as well; the Yule celebration in particular was important to them."

[@DVX_BELLORVM]

Einhard, in his 9th-century Life of Charlemagne, also includes the name "Ostarmanoth" as the original Frankish name for April.

[@nullgravity2583]

Germans still call Easter "Ostern"

[@billmclaurin6959]

Ishtar is a fertility goddess from the ancient Middle East and sounds remarkably similar to Eostre/Easter. Ishtar is also associated with bunnies and eggs.

[@stampatron]

Dont forget Ishtar is also the morning star

[@stephenodubhlaoich]

I'm trying to find the connection between north Africa and mesopotamia and Europe because I have seen multiple words and stories in northern European stories that parallel those from even all the way to Sumeria

[@Dunge0n]

​@@stephenodubhlaoich Moses is a fictional character stolen from Sargon of Akkad / Sumeria. His mother also sent him down a river (the Euphrates) in a reed basket, to save him from murder. Yima, from Zoroastrianism, was told by his gods to build (multiple) arcs for a flood. Stolen, not borrowed. There's your reason. Semites and Abrahamists don't want these origins discussed.

[@Survivethejive]

​​@@stampatron the morning star god in English is Earendel not Easter

[@billmclaurin6959]

@@stephenodubhlaoich If the Phoenicians did indeed visit Britain during the Bronze Age, then there is every chance that they visited other parts of northern Europe.

[@Michael_the_Drunkard]

The word easter has pagan connotations, the holiday is descended from passover.

[@craigmcbride8226]

What is factual about the Easter/Eostre idea: 1.) Venerable Bede (673-735 CE) is the one and only source of claim of a goddess named Estroe and she was celebrated in April. Nothing else is known or exist about her. The name was not known until Bede's work, The Reckoning of Time. The earliest recorded Easter celebration is found in the 2nd century. (Encyclopedia Britannica: EASTER) 2.) Jacob Grimm (1785-1863 CE) 1/2 of the Brothers Grimm, seemed to have supported Bede's claim by comparing localized Germanic mythologies and language etymologies. He gave the name Ostara to the goddess Eostre and came up with the conclusion that there ''MUST'' have been a goddess, but stops short of saying there ''IS'' a goddess. As like Eostre, nothing is known about Ostara. 3.) Matronae Austriahenae monuments with/without inscriptions (2/3 CE) in Rhineland - western Germany. Almost nothing is known about the Cult of Matronae and all the information has come from the 1,100 Stone monuments. For example: The altar of Q. Vettius Severus translated into English: To the Mothers of Aufania, Q. Vettius Severis, quaestor of the colony of Cologne, freely and deservedly fulfills his vow, Macrinus and Celsus being consuls. 4.) The use of words that do not indicate concrete evidence such as but not limited to, suggest, perhaps, could and at the time of 2:34 the host of the video uses the word ''MAY.'' '' There are also place names (names of places) that may attest to her worship in England...''

[@Rhaenarys]

I have an argument that April is actually named after Persephone, not Aphrodite. I wonder if there's a connection with Freya, as well, since both her and Persephone are said to have their true names hidden. Does anyone know if there was a cult for Freya as well?

[@liquidoxygen819]

I just read today that the Albanian Dawn Goddess, Prende, daughter of the Sky Father, Zojz, is theorized to be connected with Persephone 🤯

[@jbstarkiller4626]

So just the word "Easter" itself? Then yes. The stuff about Jesus dying on the cross and three days later ascending therefore the flesh becoming the word again, then no.

[@Survivethejive]

No of course not

[@Dunge0n]

Yes, you came up with worshipping divine mothers and blood all on your own.

[@stowlicters8362]

hebrew nonsense

[@jbstarkiller4626]

@@Survivethejive it’s so cool you replied to me. I’m a huge fan of your work. 👍🏻❤️❤️

[@janeslater8004]

This is excellent and very interesting..much better than religion for breakfast analysis as he didnt give very good reason

[@nordfreiheit]

Odin is my patron deity, but Freyja ranks second for me. I make offerings to Her regularly. Her association with love, fertility, and the rising sun are all beautiful and glorious things to consciously focus on and bring forth in your life as a man.

[@voltairedentotalenkrieg5147]

Hello Thom, any chance you could do some videos on how people are supposed to practice paganism?

[@devreed5931]

he has a great video on how to pray to the gods!

[@xiuhcoatl4830]

He has some on that

[@danieldelaney1377]

"How to pray like a pagan" is one of his I think

[@sponge5196]

While the educational videos are highly informative and entertaining, I have been dormant in my practice as I don't really know how to practice. The 'How to Pray like a Pagan' video is helpful, but not much. I have to be a solo practitioner as I'm surrounded by Christians and atheists; so a detailed guide would be nice. I guess I just miss the structure and order of the Catholic Church. Edit: it also doesn't help that a lot of self-proclaimed pagans out there are leftist New Age types who are completely unreliable.

[@lucapandini909]

I read that this goddess is only said as an hypothesis by Beda and from a words trick from Grimm brothers. So actually it seems more a wiccan invention than somenthing else. Do you think some toponomastic demonstrates this goddess existed ? really?

[@Survivethejive]

watch the video

[@OttarErOsom]

The only testament to this goddess comes from Bede which only states that the word Easter is derived from her. Any further information on the nature of this goddess comes from speculation alone. This speculation varies from educated guesses to made up fantasies.

[@lucapandini909]

I did , that’s why I wrote a critic.

[@stowlicters8362]

@@lucapandini909 Rewatch the video

[@lucapandini909]

@@stowlicters8362 don't you think it's very weak your argument just using cognate names of the down goddess? It's disputable and there is no ancient artefact connected to such a presumable wide spread and long lasting cult, isn't it? the roman epighraph hardly demonstrates anything about Ostara , it could be connected to the geographical region name. I've nothing against a possible Ostara goddess , or to the pagan origins of Eastern (many gods like Attis for example died and after 3 days resuscitated ). But I find not so much convincing the argument for Ostara, as I'd like having a mosaic, an artefact, or a text in latin, or in the Edda, something more than conjectures .

[@radattk3145]

which mump

[@mercianthane2503]

Also, in the greek tradition, is Helen of Troy the daughter of Zeus (Sky Father) and sister of the Dioskouri (the Divine Twins), which means she cannot be a legendary character, but a true goddess married to another god, Menelaus, who is the Mitra-Lugh of Greece

[@Friederike_Mueller]

1:05 The obsolete German word Ostermonat literally means Easter-month (April). Easter is called Ostern. In some Alemannic dialects, Easter is called Oschtere ​(ˈo​ːʃ​tɐ​​ʁɐ).

[@divisionvalkyrie1579]

Can her name somehow be connected to the word “East”?

[@Survivethejive]

Yes it is

[@saeedkholghi9657]

So the Iranian Nowruz is Indo European too! 🙂

[@Survivethejive]

Yes

[@HolasoyMai]

I knew you were going to respond to the latest ReligionForBreakfast's video hahaha, great

[@thebeautifulones5436]

St Brigit's day is in February

[@Survivethejive]

Saints come later

[@VitorEmanuelOliver]

The resemblance to the name of the goddess Astarte is just a coincidence?

[@Survivethejive]

There is no real resemblance and yes its coincidence. That's not Indo-European

[@raclark2730]

People get horny in the spring, just like the animals. Facts.

[@nullgravity2583]

I've been having to keep my dog on the lead all the time, yestermorning he ran off towards a main road after a bitch.

[@raclark2730]

@@nullgravity2583 Spring has sprung.💖

[@asherdobrovolsky1977]

Like + comment. Thanks for important topic 👌

[@dracodistortion9447]

i saw somewhere that the Norse word for April was Austrmonþ or something like that. If that's so, could one argue that Austra or something could be a name for Freyja?

[@Survivethejive]

Hadn't considered that

[@FelixGWilliams]

Excellent video. Scholarly and concise. I don't know if shoter or longer form content is better for STJ as a channel but I do think there is something to be said for how accessible vidoes of this length are.

[@tomemery7890]

I'd like a mix of both

[@lectorintellegat]

This analysis feels shaky to me. It is an argument based on cognates, basically. That Easter is connected to Auster is easily explained in exclusively Christian terms; you don’t need to invoke a (non documented) pagan theological frame to explain it. Moreover, you say ‘fundamentalist’ Christians (what does that mean?) say Bede is the only explicit attestation for Eostre being a worshipped deity - but, they’re not wrong. Not at all. Grimm’s account is a reconstruction. Not just that but bede ‘making her up’ remains a valid possibility - he himself admits that the practice had died out. He was reporting something WAY out of memory. You don’t believe he’s right about King Lucius being an early Christian king do you? Such that pagan accounts of British history are wrong? He was capable of being mistaken. Again, the eostre stuff is not theologically substantive - there is no good reason to think a deity lies behind all this linguistic reconstruction. That’s the only question that counts because ultimately it stops us claiming such silly things as ‘Easter was originally pagan’. There’s no evidence for that. Auster is a reference to the dawn, which, again, makes sense as a reference to the resurrection of Christ. You don’t need to posit some conveniently undocumented pagan goddess.

[@4li3n.t.p]

I've been seeing a lot of ppl make videos saying she isn't even real to begin with.

[@Survivethejive]

Lot of cope

[@gladeloy3341]

also where the term East originated. due to the rising of sun

[@fizeekpoaster]

Best pagan content on youtube!

[@berserker4940]

Yes, literally

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

I always thought Brigit and Freya were one and the same.

[@Survivethejive]

I think they are equivalent

[@kavikv.d.hexenholtz3474]

The name does, but not the celebration itself. Assuming of course you're referring to the Christian holiday.

[@Leo-us4wd]

Do Loki and Prometheus have a common origin as trickster fire gods? Both (maybe by coincidence) were chained to rocks as punishments for their trickery

[@Survivethejive]

Possibly .Loki means bound. He is related to his own son the bound wolf. He was probably originally a jotun who was tied up to protect the world and then got divided into Loki and Fenrir. He is the adversary of the gods, so yes he is cognate with a Titan who is also bound and punished

[@stephenodubhlaoich]

​@GOVERNMENT = 💩 Easily most common between Indo-Europeans and caucasoids from North Africa and west Asia though. I remember reading some seemingly obvious connections between even Sumerian stories and European

[@conorhenderson8537]

Loki is Not a God though. He's Frost Ice Spirit Monster and Uses His Supernatural powers and Dark magic to fight The Gods. Thor and Odin take pity on him and have him like a pet.

[@danieldelaney1377]

@GOVERNMENT = 💩 no they are just related religious

[@sponge5196]

I don't know if this is the proper place to ask, but what makes Christianity theologically inferior to paganism?

[@airplanetowardsthesky3265]

Did you hurt your arm with how much you were reaching in this video?

[@danieldelaney1377]

Where is the reach?. He's comparing her with cognate goddesses in related religions

[@Survivethejive]

@@danieldelaney1377 he doesn't understand

[@insearchoftruth07]

The song, this supposed to be group sang in the advertisement.... just before the video about the pagan goddess... why did they even have the Black male with this group? He wasn't allowed to sing the way the other members all got a chance to sing. He was allowed to only sing a few words. I wouldn't even allowed myself to be used as a token...just for show.

[@richlutes3480]

Easter, and other spring festivals, are not sexual rites. They are fertility rites. May the crops, animals, and our families grow.

[@Survivethejive]

None of them grow without sex

[@varjovirta3085]

Hahaha paska means s**** in finnish, maybe that's why it is called pääsiäinen 😆

[@robloxmaniacdanceandshake7871]

would someone ask him to reupload his video Boobs and revolution... This doc was gold.... Apparently, too good???

[@Survivethejive]

you can stil see it. try a google search

[@Survivethejive]

survivethejive.blogspot.com/2010/05/boobs-and-revolution.html

[@borovik8714]

In Polish "Jutrznia" means "dawn". "Jutro" means "tommorow"

[@nullgravity2583]

Easter/may day/bealtaine is my favourite pagan topic

[@fartz3808]

Ostara in Dutch

[@danieldelaney1377]

Dutch is just swamp German

[@height5558]

Not really

[@keepthecircleclean]

Dawn❤

[@sirzorg5728]

As a Christian, I can't understand why some Christians would be afraid of understanding the pagan roots of our beliefs.

[@sirzorg5728]

@@musashidanmcgrath like most atheists, you have a strawman of Christianity in your mind that you use to justify your own (unjustified) feelings of superiority. Jesus spoke the truth to an empire of lies, which is why he was killed. But his truth was real, hard truth, which could not be destroyed, which is why it eventually took over most of the world. I am not afraid of any truth, because the truth is what brings me closer to God. I believe that God spoke the world into being. That means that I believe that everything that is true (the world) is the word of God. To fear the truth, therefore, is to fear the word of God. Therefore I do not fear the truth, and any Christian that does is not a true believer. If you truly believe something, then you will not fear those who try to disprove it, because you already know that they will fail. Truth is infinitely stronger than lies, because the whole universe proves every truth, while lies are limited to the finite ability of the liar to warp reality.

[@killingtime9283]

I agree, there's no reason for us as Christians to fret. It's just that in this case there is no pagan origin of Christian _beliefs_ . The only connection is the name for the holiday, not the _origin_ of the holiday.

[@djprincegrandmasteryrjdalo2905]

Bro, I’m sorry but is this like a stupid question? Are you seriously asking that? Did you forget that the reason why all pagan festivals and rituals and traditions were destroyed was because of the corruption and influence from sad religions do you like forget about that on the way or some thing? Did you forget that the reason why Christianity is a big thing and paganism is not is because Christians were assigned to destroy and not be influenced or manipulated by pagan religions did you seriously forget about that?

[@sirzorg5728]

@@djprincegrandmasteryrjdalo2905 Like most self-righteous athiests, you unquestioningly believe everything you can find that makes christianity look bad. Christianity mostly spread through voluntary conversions. The old gods weren't as compelling as Christ, because Christ is true and stands up to scrutiny. Many Pagan idols and practices were destroyed, and some of that wasn't just, but overwhelmingly the people of Europe chose to be christian. Odin died when the Odin mens' sons heard the Gospel and found it to be more true. Nobody forced the Vikings to convert, the Church spread because it was recognized as better by the Scandinavian people. Iconoclasm has it's tragic side: the destruction of history. The catch is that destruction of idols is a great way to prove that they have no power. The good part of old traditions survived. Easter was a pagan festival that lined up reasonably well in time with the time of year that Jesus came back from death, so many of it's customs were incorporated into the celebration of the ressurection.

[@djprincegrandmasteryrjdalo2905]

@@sirzorg5728 I’m confuse here are you defending or are you for Christianity because it seems that you’re also for pagan religion but also Christianity and that does not work it will never work in your world. Because the point is is that Christians in Christianity despises paganism and vice versa they will never be a world where Christianity and paganism and hold hands and walk off in the sunset like you think. And by the way, I’m not an atheist I’m a agnostic theist.

[@shannondavis3686]

Keep the flow of knowledge coming forth. In this world of corruption, narratives, and lies, hearing The Truth of purposely hidden knowledge is a direct confrontation to those who spent the last centuries destroying our culture. Alfǫðr would be proud, to see us striving for hidden knowledge, while simultaneously reawakening our ancestors pride in us. Continue to be the Scald and lagman, for us here in KZbinLandia.

[@djprincegrandmasteryrjdalo2905]

I really hope you’re not that guy that says that it’s love those who destroy paganism, cause I’m damn sure the one to destroyed your “culture” was Christians, and not leftist…

[@ansuzsociety]

Hail the Goddess! Hail the Birch! Hail the Spring!