The Spring by Franz Xaver Winterhalter
Every year, as the Spring Equinox arrives, a familiar debate reignites: Is Ostara real? Was Ēostre worshiped, or was she an invention?
Detractors often claim that Ēostre, the supposed Anglo-Saxon spring goddess, is nothing more than a fabrication by the 8th-century monk Bede. In contrast, others dismiss Ostara as a 19th-century reconstruction by the Brothers Grimm. Meanwhile, some try to connect Easter to the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar, a linguistic mix-up with little historical backing.
But the evidence tells a far more compelling story.
Through linguistic studies, Indo-European mythology, archaeological discoveries, and even regional folk traditions, we find deep-rooted connections between Ostara, Ēostre, and the veneration of a Dawn Goddess who was honored across ancient Indo-European cultures.
Let’s set the record straight.
Ostara (1884) by Johannes Gehrts.
Bede, the Reckoning of Time & the Name Ēostre
The earliest written reference to Ēostre comes from Bede’s De Temporum Ratione (The Reckoning of Time, 725 CE). He states:
“Eosturmonath was once called after a goddess of theirs named Ēostre, in whose honor feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate that Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new festival by the time-honored name of the old observance.”
Skeptics argue that because Bede was a Christian monk, we should question the legitimacy of his claim. But there are several problems with dismissing Ēostre outright. First, Bede was known for his accuracy. He was a meticulous historian, and if he included a reference to an Anglo-Saxon goddess, he likely had sources to support it. Additionally, no other English month names are based on deities. The Anglo-Saxon calendar had months named for seasons and agricultural cycles. The presence of a deity-named month (Ēosturmōnaþ) suggests a real religious significance.
Another important factor is that Christian chroniclers rarely “invented” pagan gods. They recorded existing beliefs to discredit them—not to fabricate them. While we lack extensive writings on Ēostre, this is not surprising. Pagan traditions were primarily oral, and Christianity often erased or absorbed existing beliefs.
But Bede’s account is only one piece of the puzzle.
Aurora Taking Leave of Tithonus- j. Paul Getty
Jacob Grimm, Proto-Indo-European Roots & the Goddess of the Dawn
In the 19th century, Jacob Grimm, one of the famous Brothers Grimm, expanded on Bede’s account in his book Teutonic Mythology (1835). He proposed the existence of a Germanic goddess named Ôstarâ, linking her name to the Old High German Ostara and reconstructing the Proto-Germanic form Austra.
This is where the linguistic trail leads us deeper. The name Ostara/Ēostre comes from Proto-Germanic austrōn, meaning “dawn.” This is connected to the Proto-Indo-European root h₂ews-, meaning “to shine” or “dawn.”Cognates exist across Indo-European languages, including Greek Eos (Goddess of the Dawn), Roman Aurora (Dawn), Vedic Hindu Uṣás (Goddess of the Dawn), and Baltic Aušrinė (Morning Star Goddess).
The Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture confirms that:
“A Proto-Indo-European goddess of the dawn is supported both by the evidence of cognate names and the similarity of mythic representation of the dawn goddess among various Indo-European groups.”
Grimm’s reconstruction was ahead of his time. Decades later, archaeological discoveries would further support his theory.
The Matronae Austriahenae
The Matronae Austriahenae: Archaeological Evidence of a Dawn Goddess
In 1958, over 150 votive inscriptions dedicated to the Matronae Austriahenae were discovered near Bonn, Germany.These date to the 2nd century CE. The Matronae (or “Mothers”) were Germanic goddesses honored in the Rhineland region under Roman rule. They were depicted as three women, one younger and two older, often holding symbols of fertility.
The name Austriahenae closely resembles Austra—Grimm’s reconstructed Proto-Germanic dawn goddess. This discovery provides physical evidence of a divine feminine figure connected to dawn, fertility, and renewal. Scholars now widely accept that the Matronae Austriahenae may be the historical precursors to Ēostre/Ostara.
Before this find, skeptics dismissed Grimm’s theory, claiming there was no evidence beyond Bede’s mention. Now, we see that a dawn goddess was indeed worshiped in Germanic lands.
Freya by Roberto Campus
Why Didn’t Ēostre Survive?
Another common argument against Ēostre is: “If she was real, why isn’t she widely known in Germanic mythology?”
The answer is simple: Not every deity was worshiped everywhere.
Germanic traditions were highly regional. Local gods often didn’t make it into major written records. Many gods and goddesses faded as cultures shifted or Christianization took hold. Bede himself alludes to this when he mentions her. However, the dawn goddess might have left her mark in other ways, such as in the Valkyries (whose names often reference brightness) and figures like Freyja, associated with fertility and renewal. Ēostre’s absence in other written texts does not mean she didn’t exist. It simply means our records are incomplete.
The Easter Bunny, Eggs & Folk Traditions
Even if the goddess Ēostre was nearly forgotten, her symbols remain. Eggs have been ancient symbols of fertility, renewal, and cosmic creation. Hares and rabbits, sacred animals in fertility traditions, are possibly linked to the “Osterhase” (Easter Hare), a German folk tradition.
A Germanic folktale suggests that Ostara found an injured bird and transformed it into a hare, which then laid eggs in gratitude. This legend later became part of Easter traditions in Christian Europe. The “Cosmic Egg” myth, found in Indo-European and other cultures, links the cracking of the egg to the birth of the world.
The Gates of Dawn, by Herbert James Draper
Final Thoughts: Why This Matters
The push to “debunk” Ēostre and Ostara is part of a larger trend of dismissing oral traditions and regional deities. But as we’ve seen, the linguistic, archaeological, and cultural evidence overwhelmingly supports the existence of a Germanic dawn goddess linked to broader Indo-European traditions.
So, this spring, when someone asks if Ostara is “made up,” you can tell them:
The dawn goddess has always been with us.
She shines in the first light of morning, in the renewal of spring, and in the stories passed from our ancestors.
She was never lost—only waiting to be remembered.
List of Resources to Learn More:
For those interested in diving deeper into the history, linguistics, and cultural significance of Ostara, Ēostre, and the Dawn Goddess, please check out my March Seasonal Guide: Hope Spring Eternal and the Old Ways for Modern Days podcast episode: Ostara. In addition, here are some key academic and historical sources:
- Bede, De Temporum Ratione (The Reckoning of Time) – The 8th-century source that first mentions Ēostre.
- Jacob Grimm, Teutonic Mythology, Volume 1 (1835) – Explores Germanic and Indo-European dawn goddesses, reconstructing Ostara from linguistic evidence.
- Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, Mallory & Adams (1997), pp. 148–149 – Discusses the widespread Proto-Indo-European dawn goddess across various cultures.
- Matronae Austriahenae inscriptions (1958 discovery, near Bonn, Germany) – Physical evidence of goddess worship in the Germanic regions with linguistic ties to Ostara.
- Kim Rendfeld, Yes, the Anglo-Saxon Spring Goddess Eostre Did Exist (2017) – Argues why Ēostre’s absence in Norse sources does not disprove her worship.
- Georg Franck von Franckenau, De ovis paschalibus (1682) – The earliest written reference to the Easter Hare (Osterhase).
- Smithsonian Magazine, The Ancient Origins of the Easter Bunny – Explores how pagan fertility symbols were absorbed into Christian traditions.
- History Cooperative, The Origin of Easter Eggs – Examines the cosmic egg motif in Indo-European and global traditions.
These sources provide historical, linguistic, and archaeological backing for those interested in further study.
My Articles Related to Spring and the Spring Equinox:
Spring Equinox: The Magic of the Cosmic Egg
Thresholds to the Otherworld: Thorn & Hedge Magic
Artichoke Magic: Spring in Sardinia
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