Why Eostre Isn't the Real Goddess of Easter

Easter is such a fun time of year! Ever since I was little, I've loved Easter. I've always felt this connection to the symbols of the hare, the chocolate eggs, and being out in nature.

Since ancient times, we have always celebrated Easter in pagan rituals. Sources from the venerable Bede tell of ancient goddesses like Eostre that ruled over the celebration. After all, the word Easter comes from Eostre. Although a part of me wondered, what about the ancient Brythonic practices of Easter?

If we look back, perhaps we can find the true meaning through the history of Easter.

Is Eostre really the goddess of Easter?

At this time of year, everyone is mentioning Eostre as the Easter goddess. I've never really felt a deep connection with goddesses like Ostara or Eostre that have been mentioned at the Easter goddess. The monk from which we get most of our information on Pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon practices, the Venerable Bede cites Eostre as the goddess ruling over the Paschal month.

“Hrethmonath [March] is named for their goddess Hretha, to whom they sacrificed at this time. Eosturmonath [April] has a name which is now translated ‘Paschal month’, and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate the Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old observance.”

— The Venerable Bede, 672/3–735AD

Contemporary pagans cite this source as a reason to say that Eostre was the goddess of Easter. What most pagans don’t know is that his description of Pre-Christian traditions is contemptible (after all he is a Christian monk, with the sole goal of converting pagans). What’s more, we have to remember that the Anglo-Saxons invaded and merged with the native Britons. The true goddess of Easter to the Brythonic people is probably closer to a Welsh goddess since Welsh mythology is the closest surviving mythology we have of a Pre-Christian, Pre-Anglo-Saxon Britain.

I think this is also the reason I’ve never felt a connection to Eostre. The people of ancient Britain were animistic. In Mesolithic times, they saw spirits in every plant and animal; commemorating this connection through ritual practices. Later in history, these spirits became embodied in the gods and goddesses of the Mabinogion. We can’t just plaster a foreign Anglo-Saxon goddess on top and say she is the goddess for Easter.

The spring goddess of Easter, Olwen

In the Neolithic period, the animistic spirits of old were seen as people. The world around our ancient ancestors was full of deities, including goddesses.

The best records we have of the gods and goddesses of ancient Britain is found in Irish, Welsh, Breton and Cornish mythology. We can stitch these together to find similarities and a cohesive picture.

In Welsh mythology, the goddess Olwen was the goddess of spring. It was said that wherever she walked, white lilies would grow in her footsteps. White lilies are symbolic of hope, fertility, divine femininity, birth, and purity. To me, Olwen is the original Bythonic goddess of the Easter period. Historians today also consider her the original solar goddess -- connecting her with spring, as the days grow longer and hotter into summer. Her name means “golden disk” referring to the sun.

Olwen is a maiden goddess, symbolic of purity, innocence, unlimited potential, and anticipation. Her colour is white, which helps the aura to grow and expand, just like a plant does when it grows into spring. Maiden energy reminds us to believe in miracles, expand our minds to possibilities, and trust in life. Her main message is; 'believe in yourself'.

Since Easter and spring are pretty synonymous with each other, we can assume that the pagan population of Wales and possibly England worshipped Olwen as their Easter goddess.

A New Easter Celebration

Now that we’ve learnt the true Brythonic roots of Easter, perhaps we can invite in a new type of celebration. The energy of the goddess Olwen can be harnessed to help your finances grow, sew your seeds of intention for the coming summer, bring the light of truth into your life, and wash yourself in a pure white light to clean away negativity. Olwen is a maiden goddess, which can help you to believe in your own power. Imagine you are a new shoot of spring, pure and innocent in all ways. Believe in your own purity.

I wish all of you a Happy Easter! Take some time to be slow, enjoy the company of your friends and family, reflect on where you are in life and where you want to be, then go for it!