Easter: A Pagan Goddess, a Christian Holiday, and their Contested History
By Richard Sermon
Uppsala Books
ISBN: 978-1-961361-17-1
The origins and practices associated with the Christian festival of Easter are often a hotly debated topic. This book examines history of Easter and its connections with pagan religions.
Excerpt:
In these chapters I demonstrate the fallacy of neopagan claims that the early Christians (living around the eastern Mediterranean) appropriated either the name, timing or symbols of their Paschal festival from a yet to be recorded Anglo-Saxon (or Germanic) goddess. Nevertheless, I also argue that it seems doubtful that Bede, as a devout Christian scholar and historian, would have fabricated a pagan goddess (and her month) in order to explain the Old English vernacular name for the Pascal festival.
Who is this book for?
This book offers a valuable exploration of religious developments and interfaith interactions in early medieval Europe, making it a worthwhile read for anyone interested in Christianity, paganism, or the broader religious landscape of the period.
The Author
Richard Sermon was a senior archaeologist at the Museum of London. You can read several of Richard’s articles on his Academia.edu page.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
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