Cameron's Easter message

In times like this, it is easy for us to forget what Easter is truly all about. It's not just about eating chocolate eggs and wearing rabbit ears. This year I hope you all remember and celebrate the true meaning of Easter.

Easter, of course, is the celebration of Ishtar, also known as Inanna, as the Semitic goddess Ashtart, and is also known in Greek and Roman mythology as Athena, Aphrodite and Venus.

The Sumerian Inanna was first worshiped at Uruk (Erech in the Bible, Unug in Sumerian, and where modern day "Iraq" gets its name) in the earliest period of Mesopotamian history. In incantations, hymns, myths, epics, votive inscriptions, and historical annals, Inanna/Ishtar was celebrated and invoked as the force of life. But there were two aspects to this goddess of life. The goddess of fertility and sexuality could also destroy the fields and make the earth's creatures infertile. She was invoked as a goddess of war, battles, and the chase, particularly among the warlike Assyrians. Before the battle Ishtar would appear to the Assyrian army, clad in battle array and armed with bow and arrow. She was the guardian of prostitutes, and probably had priestess-prostitutes to serve her. She was served by priests as well as by priestesses.

The origin of Ishtar worship is also sometimes connected to Sammuramat, or Semiramis, the Queen of Assyria from 811 - 808 BC, and now thought to possibly be the builder of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.

However, it would seem that Ishtar worship is also closely connected to the much older worship (14th BCE) of the Egyptian goddess Aset, also known as Isis, the goddess of motherhood and fertility and associated with the constellation Virgo (and, as such, the progenitor of "Virgin" Mary worship... note the images of Isis with baby Horus on her lap... look familiar???).

SO... this Easter, when you (particularly those of you who live in countries that are currently invading, sorry "liberating", Baghdad) are gorging yourself on chocolate and wearing rabbit ears, please remember that you are continuing the 3000 year old worship of an Iraqi goddess, who was the protector of prostitutes, loved a good war, and loved to hang a pot plant.

Comments

[Nicole Simon]

Where do I put my vote for the entertaining history show? :)

No, honestly, when put into good context, filled with passion of interest, I might even be interested in literature ;o)

Ni'I will eat the ears first'cole

[Phillip "Molly" Malone]

I'll bite!
This is very interesting, and I support the freedom of religion and believe that is no reason why you shouldn't believe in what ever religion you like (as long as the basic teaching is be good to people) but I personally will be remembering the true meaning of Easter (as I see it) which means I will be at a Church tomorrow at 3pm Morning (for want of a better word) the death of the Son of God (well the son of My god). Then on Sunday (apart from hopefully celebrating a Hawthorn victory in the AFL,) I will be celebrating him rising again.

Just my 2 cents
Molly
PS. I am not a great studier of these matters, but wouldn't this easter (the one with the Greek gods) by the one that the Greeks celebrate in May (I believe)?

[Rob Barac]

Bugger me Cam....

And I thought Easter sucked before!!

Enough of the "My invisible mate is better than your invisible mate" bullshit.

I'm going skiing for easter.

[Paul Scarfe]

Laying the ground work for 'The History Show'? hehe. Seriously though, stuff like this is really interesting, you could easily make a podcast on it for the podcastnetwork. And it's History, so it's not like there isn't enough material :)
Also, it might give you an open vessel to bring Napoleon to the masses? Oooo, I've said too much now....

Paul

[Cameron Reilly]

oh yeah I'd love to have a history show on TPN but I need somebody smarter than me to host it. any takers? I'll just come on when the topic is Napoleonic.

[Shane Williamson]

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

[Rosky]

Well Orthodox Christians will be feasting on Lamb and chocolate eggs and trying to beat the shit out of each other with hard boiled eggs for a bit of fun after having tons of retsina and ouzo..
Greek Easter falls in May this year because different religious calendars are used vs. Catholic and protestant faiths. The term for Easter in Greek is "Pascha” and has evolved from the name of the Jewish festival of Passover. It is the most important religious festival followed by Christmas for the Orthodox. The Greek Easter tradition also has its origins in pagan winter festivals associated with the end of winter and beginning of spring hence Jesus rising from the dead is celebrated when new life and growth springs from the earth. Lamb is a symbol associated with Greek Easter also its origins connected with Jewish Passover festival where Jews traditionally sacrificed a lamb. The feasting on lamb is preceded by a fast during Easter Holy week. The fast is broken on Easter Sunday - hence Greek feast – this is serious gorging of food and mega wine drinking and song and dance. The first Christians (i.e. Jews) associated lamb with Christs sacrifice on the cross. On eggs - the egg was a symbol of springtime fertility rituals symbolising birth and regeneration for many pre Christian and Indo Europeans. The egg therefore became a symbol of the resurrection. Egyptians and Persians coloured eggs as part of their spring rituals. The Greeks colour eggs red or scarlet to symbolise Christ’s blood. On Easter Sunday each person is given an a coloured hardboiled egg which they hold and they must try to crack / chip their opponents hardboiled egg - whoever is left with uncracked egg is the "lucky " one for the rest of year.. Hence why he/she is pelted by hard boiled eggs of losers...well in our family at least!!!

[Cameron Reilly]

ah yes, and do you know why it is called "passover" and why you eat lamb?

When God pronounced to the people of Israel enslaved in Egypt that he would free them, he said he would "Smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt." However, he instructed the Israelites to put a sign of lamb's blood on their door posts: "and when I see the blood, I will pass over you."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover)