Language

Metaphor is one of the most dangerous tools in use today.
— David Reed

10:39:15 AM #
categories: Language

Summer's End

While AKMA and others discuss the suitability of hallow as a translation of ̔Αγιασθήτω in the Lord's Prayer, we begin the day of Hallowe'en, the Eve of All Hallow's. The syllables of Hallowe'en are most often, in my hearing, broken "hal-lo-ween" rather than "hal-ow-een." And so we miss hearing the missing "v" in "een."

Unfortunately, I can't find the pretty site I liked which covered the various seasonal holidays. This page offers a good textual overview of the holiday. What I find extraordinary are the similarities in this list from The Wheel of the Year [links added]:

• 10/28 to 11/3: Isia
  Old Egyptian festival recalling Set (God of Destruction) killing God Osiris; Goddess Isis mourning Him, resurrecting Him, and conceiving God Horus with Him; and Osiris becoming Lord of Amenta, land of the dead.
• 10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Old Sumerian & Canaanite-Hebrew fast recalling the descent of Inanna/Astarte (Goddess of Life) to the Underworld. Ereshkigal/Sheol (Goddess of Death and Rebirth) held Her until She agreed to have Dumuzi/Baal (God of Life and Death) remain there each Winter.
• 10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Samhain
  Old Celtic New Year and feast of Morrigan/Cerridwen (Goddess of Death) and Balor/Beli (the Holly King--God of the Waning Sun).
• 10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Old Teutonic fast marking Hod (God of Darkness) unintentionally killing Balder (God of Light), and devoted Nanna (Goddess of Flowers) dying of a broken heart.
• 10/31 eve to 11/4 eve: Old Greek festival in which Goddess Kore (Queen of the Living) became Persephone (Queen of the Dead). She abandoned Her Mother, Goddess Demeter, and eloped to Elysium for the Winter to be with Her partner, Plouton (God of Death). She was accompanied by Goddess Hekate and spirits of the dead.

See the Encyclopedia Mythica for more details on the deities mentioned.

9:16:19 AM # Google It!
categories: Language