The pagan origin of “Easter” stems from the names of an ancient pagan Goddess and God. In his book ‘De Ratione Temporum’, the Venerable Bede (672-735 CE.), a Christian scholar, claimed that Easter was actually named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre), who was seen as the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people throughout Northern Europe. This dawn goddess of fertility was also known as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos – her name being derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre."

However, true to pagan culture, there were many other similar Goddesses known by other names in ancient cultures throughout the Mediterranean, who were also celebrated during the springtime. Such as:

• Aphrodite from ancient Cyprus

• Ashtoreth from ancient Israel

• Astarte from ancient Greece

• Demeter from Mycenae

• Hathor from ancient Egypt

• Ishtar from Assyria

• Kali, from India

• Ostara a Norse Goddess of fertility

Goddess Ishtar

The pagan Goddess Ishtar, was seen as the goddess of procreation, and war in Babylon. The story of her descent into the Underworld followed by her timely resurrection can be found in the Babylonian creation myth Enuma Elish and the story of Gilgamesh. These are believed to be one of the oldest writings ever discovered, with a recording date of around 2,100 B.C.E.

Ishtar’s most famous story is that of her descent into the Underworld in an attempt to rescue her lover, Tammuz - Vegetation god that was forced to live half the year in the Underworld. Ishtar pleaded with her twin sister Eresh-Kigel, ruler of the Underworld and the goddess of death and infertility.

Just as with the Greek myths of Demeter and Persephone, which came about much later in time, the earth grew barren during Ishtar’s absence. When Ishtar finally returned, Tammuz and the earth were both restored to life, leading to a celebration.

Attis

Most of the Mediterranean Pagan religions maintained a major seasonal day of religious celebration either on or after the Spring Equinox, otherwise known as the vernal equinox.
Today, Easter is celebrated on the Sunday following the full moon after the spring/vernal equinox.

In one of the ancient Pagan religions, Cybele, the Phrygian fertility goddess, had a consort named Attis, who, it was believed, was born via a virgin birth, later died and was resurrected every year during the dates of 22 – 25 March.

Gerald L. Berry, author of "Religions of the World," wrote:

"About 200 B.C. mystery cults began to appear in Rome just as they had earlier in Greece. Most notable was the Cybele cult centered on Vatican hill ...Associated with the Cybele cult was that of her lover, Attis (the older Tammuz, Osiris, Dionysus, or Orpheus under a new name). He was a god of ever-reviving vegetation. Born of a virgin, he died and was reborn annually. The festival began as a day of blood on Black Friday and culminated after three days in a day of rejoicing over the resurrection."

Such death and resurrection legends were believed by religious historians and liberal theologians alike to be associated first with Attis, who is many centuries older than Jesus. These stories were embedded into the stories of the life of Jesus as an attempt to make Christian theology more acceptable to Pagans. However, in today’s world modern Christians simply disregard the Attis legend as being a mere Pagan myth, and believe that Jesus’ death and resurrection had no association with Attis, or Pagans.

Libbii Armstrong-Brown