Curiouser and curiouser. This was a big deal back then. Supposedly we in Ireland got Christianity very late in the day from Patrick, who was trained in Rome? So how did we get Easter so wrong. And we were not the only ones.
Patrick banished snakes from Ireland according to myth. We NEVER had snakes, EVER. How could he banish what we never had? Unless it was figuratively, like the shamrock!
So what is the connection between the snakes that never were and Easter? Anyone have a guess?
Patrick banished snakes from Ireland according to myth. We NEVER had snakes, EVER. How could he banish what we never had? Unless it was figuratively, like the shamrock!
So what is the connection between the snakes that never were and Easter? Anyone have a guess?
The Synod of Whitby was a seventh century Northumbrian synod where King Oswiu of Northumbria ruled that his kingdom would calculate Easter and observe the monastic tonsure according to the customs of Rome, Background Christianity in Britain during the seventh century existed in two forms distinguished by differing liturgical traditions, labeled the “Ionan” and “Roman” traditions. The “Ionan” practice was that of the Irish monks who resided in a monastery on the isle of Iona (a tradition within "Celtic Christianity"), whereas the “Roman” practice refers to the practice of the remainder of the West, which kept observances according to the customs of Rome. One of the main differences between the two traditions, and hence a source of controversy, was the proper calculation of Easter The issue was therefore a question over the proper celebration of the most significant Christian feast, and the situation in Northumbria had resulted in visible disunity, even in the royal court.
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6 comments:
wiccantexan says ...
The idea was that the snake represented the pagan religions in the area, which were replaced by Christianity. The Germanic Goddess Eostre's story/customs were merged with the incoming faith, which is why Easter has so many pagan elements.
You'll love my Sheela-na-gigs
There were NO snakes ever in Ireland, so your very plausible explanation isn't feasible here.
In my explanation Easter and Snakes are connected. A further clue is Egypt, but not as you will think. You must think Christian not pagan. (I'm godless by the way.)
Sean Nós Irish Singing is also a clue but a bit obscure.
Sean-nós is a specific style of unaccompanied singing in the Irish language. There are three main styles of sean-nós, corresponding to the three areas where Irish is still spoken as a community language; the Gaeltachtaí of Munster, Connacht and Ulster.
http://www.osiochru.com/2004/08/about-sean-ns-music.html
Sean Nós
Wiccantexan says...
There were no snakes physically in Ireland,agreed. But the snake was an important symbol of the Celtic culture, of which Ireland was a part.
We have a Sheela-na-gig over our door, which can disconcert non-pagan visitors.
I'll have to look into the snake/Easter connection.
Wiccantexan
A quick thought:
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The ancient Egyptian mythology states that the world was created by four powers, or Gods. One was the sun God of Amun-Ra which took the form of a snake and emerged from the water to inseminated the cosmic egg which was created by the other gods. It was said that all life on this earth stemmed from this egg.
In “The Book of the Dead”, we learn that snakes were the first to acclaim Ra when he appears from the surface of the waters, and hence, snakes were referred to as the lowest strata of life. Therefore man, who is considered to be at the very top of the strata of life, wearing a snake as in our aprons, continually reminds us of where we came from, and of what we are in search.
It is also similar to Baptism, which took place in the river Jordan on Easter, where people would be submerged in the water, where it was said that a beast of the underworld devoured their soul, after which one would re-emerge a new man.
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:0_rF1Gl-rd8J:www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/~jafarr/SLANG.html+snakes+easter+egypt&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us
Great stuff.
I mentioned Sean Nós Irish Singing because only in North Africa is there a singing style similar that may have a common root - as old as Christianity!
For there to be a virtual schism on Easter there would to be an Irish tradition of the alternate Easter, and not from Patrick. Conversion consisted only in convincing the local chieftain/king that the latest is the best. It suits the authorities to say that Ireland was pre-Christian prior to Patrick.
Contact with North Africa and Ireland was more common that with Rome. Ireland was the centre of the world slave trade! We were great travellers then as now. Contact with the original Christian churches were normal and regular long before Patrick was born.
The symbol of an Egyptian Christian church still there today is the SNAKE! They are the xxxxxx church?
(Should I email you Sheela-na-gig data that might not be suitable here? I'm not sure on ethics here!)
COPTIC Church
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copts
Copt
Today, more than 95% of the Copts belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church. The remaining (around 500,000) are divided between the Coptic Catholic and the Coptic Protestant churches. The Copts are by far the largest Christian community in North Africa and the Middle East. The word "Coptic" was originally used in Classical Arabic to refer to Egyptians in general (see etymology section), but it has undergone semantic shift over the centuries to mean more specifically Egyptian Christian after the bulk of the Egyptian population converted to Islam
"more specifically Egyptian Christian after the bulk of the Egyptian population converted to Islam".
is worth repeating as we often believe all Egyplians 'converted'.
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