Eostre: The True Origins of the Spring Goddess

At Celtic Jewellery Shop, spring always feels like a time of fresh starts — warmer days, longer light, and a good excuse to wear more Celtic jewellery! This year, we’re marking the season with our Oestre Sale on Celtic jewellery, inspired by the ancient stories and symbolism of spring. You might have seen the name Eostre (or Ostara) before, often mentioned as the pagan goddess of spring, eggs, and hares — but where does that idea really come from?

In this post, we’re taking a closer look at the historical origins of Eostre, what we actually know about her, and how she became linked with pagan festivals, modern spirituality, and even Easter celebrations. Like many ancient figures, her story weaves through pagan origins, Christian reinterpretation, and folk memory.

Who Was Eostre?

Bede’s Brief Mention

The earliest and only ancient written reference to a goddess Eostre comes from the 8th-century Northumbrian Christian monk, the Venerable Bede. In his work De Temporum Ratione (The Reckoning of Time), Bede describes how the Anglo-Saxons named the month of April as Eosturmonath, derived from such a goddess:

“Eosturmonath, which is now called April, was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month.”

This mention—just one sentence long—is the only textual evidence for the pre-Christian goddess Eostre. There are no surviving myths, altars, or archaeological traces. Nevertheless, Bede's comment has had a lasting cultural ripple effect.

Some scholars argue that the Christian’s god may have reshaped how Christian teachers tolerated earlier pagan practices for easier conversion. It’s possible Bede, writing within a Christian church context, was documenting an old observance tied more to the pagan calendar than to a specific deity.

Jacob Grimm and the Birth of a Legend

A thousand years later, the Germanic goddess resurfaced thanks to folklorist Jacob Grimm, whose 1835 Teutonic Mythology expanded Bede’s idea. Grimm speculated about a shared Germanic spring deity called Ostara, the same goddess as the Anglo-Saxon Eostre. He wrote:

“This Ostara, like the Anglo-Saxon Eostre, must in heathen times have been the divinity of the radiant dawn, of upspringing light…”

Grimm, however, was careful to label this a hypothesis. There was no direct evidence. But the idea took hold—especially in the 19th century, when folk tradition, German folklore, and Western Europe’s cultural revival made such connections more appealing.

Eostre in Modern Paganism

Despite the sparse ancient references, Eostre has become a key figure in Wicca and modern Paganism. The pagan spring festival of Ostara, celebrated at the vernal equinox (around 20–21 March), draws inspiration from her name.

The spring equinox marks the tipping point toward longer days, making it an ideal moment to celebrate light, rebirth, and fertility.

In pagan rituals, this time of year might involve:

Planting seeds or symbolic intentions
Lighting candles at sunrise to honour the dawn goddess
Wearing seasonal or nature-inspired jewellery
Sharing food to reflect on community and abundance

Symbols often associated with Eostre include:

Hares and rabbits: Both the easter bunny and the easter hare have roots in older fertility symbols.
Eggs: Widely used in Easter celebrations, decorated eggs and colored eggs are ancient signs of life.
Spring birds and flowers: Hallmarks of the seasonal shift.

Though she may not have been widely worshipped, pagan ancestors across Europe held great spring festivals that echoed similar themes.

The Hare and the Egg: Victorian or Viking?

The familiar story of the easter bunny laying eggs appears in 19th-century children’s books. There’s no historical evidence that the pagan goddess Eostre had a sacred animal who could lay eggs. However, both hares and eggs are genuinely ancient fertility symbols:

Painted eggs were part of Jewish Passover celebrations and Persian New Year rituals long before Easter.
Hares, especially active in spring, were linked to femininity and lunar cycles in German folklore and beyond.

It was German immigrants to North America who helped spread the Easter hare tradition, blending pagan elements with new customs.

Eostre, Easter, and the Christian Calendar

So, how did we get from a shadowy spring figure to Easter Sunday morning?

The word Easter may come from Eosturmonath, as Bede explained. But the Christian holiday itself celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, aligning roughly with Jewish Passover. As Pope Gregory encouraged early missionaries to adapt local customs, many Christian festivals absorbed pagan elements, from spring festivals to imagery of life and light.

The Catholic Church, particularly in its early efforts to convert Europe, repurposed existing pagan festivals. While Easter is deeply rooted in Christian feast theology, its seasonal timing allowed older agricultural and symbolic traditions to blend with it.

Thus, Easter falls at a powerful moment in the year—a time our ancient ancestors had long considered sacred.

Spring Goddesses Across Cultures

Even if Eostre’s historical existence is debated, her themes echo across cultures:

1. Indo-European Dawn Goddesses

The name Eostre may stem from the Proto-Germanic austrōn, meaning “to shine” or “east.” This links her to a family of pre-Christian dawn goddesses:

Eos (Greek)
Aurora (Roman)
Ushas (Vedic)
Hausos (Proto-Indo-European)

Each one a fertility goddess in her own right, representing sun rises, rebirth, and light.

2. Nerthus, a Germanic Earth Goddess

Described by Tacitus, Nerthus was a pre-Christian goddess of fertility, worshipped in a sacred grove. Though not directly connected to Eostre, she reflects similar themes in Anglo-Saxon culture.

3. Celtic Goddesses

Celtic mythology includes Brigid, celebrated at Imbolc, and Ériu, tied to land and sovereignty. While not all are spring goddesses, they reveal a widespread reverence for seasonal cycles.

4. Norse Goddesses

Although Eostre is most often associated with Anglo-Saxon and Germanic traditions, some scholars and modern Pagans have drawn comparisons with certain Norse goddesses whose qualities echo the spirit of spring.

Freya, the goddess of love, fertility, and beauty, was closely tied to cycles of life and death. She presided over growth, desire, and abundance—qualities deeply aligned with springtime renewal. Some modern interpretations see Freya’s fertility aspect as resonating with that of Eostre.

Another figure is Sól, the Norse sun goddess who rides across the sky in a chariot drawn by swift horses. Her daily journey brings light to the world, and in seasonal terms, the strengthening sun naturally evokes the energy of the vernal equinox and the return of warmth.

While these Norse goddesses were part of a different mythology, they reflect similar themes of rebirth, light, and the cycles of nature that cultures across Western Europe honoured in spring.

Eostre in Modern Spirituality

For many today, Eostre isn’t about strict historical accuracy but seasonal awareness. Whether through pagan festivals, Christian churches, or contemporary rituals, we continue to honour the turning of the year.

Celebrating her might mean:

Noticing the buds in the hedgerows
Gathering for a paschal season meal
Wearing spring jewellery with symbolic meaning
Reflecting on rebirth—personal or natural
Joining in with local Spring celebrations

Eostre: More Than a Name

Was Eostre a widely worshipped deity or a misunderstood note in English history? Perhaps it doesn’t matter. She’s now a symbol of light, growth, and transition.

At Celtic Jewellery Shop, we love exploring these stories. Not to solve every mystery, but to connect more deeply with the earth and our ancient ancestors. Whether you celebrate Easter, Eostre, Ostara, or simply the returning sun, we wish you joy, renewal, and beauty this season.

Eostre: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the origin of the name "Easter"?

The name Easter likely comes from Eosturmonath, a spring month mentioned by Venerable Bede, linked to the Anglo-Saxon Eostre.

Is there historical evidence linking Eostre to the spring equinox?

No direct evidence connects Eostre to the spring equinox, though modern pagan spring festivals associate her with that moment.

Did the Easter bunny and Easter eggs come from Eostre?

While often claimed, the link between Eostre, the Easter rabbit, and easter eggs lacks early sources. However, both symbols are ancient and widely used in spring rites.

How did Christians adopt spring customs?

Early Christians, particularly under Pope Gregory, encouraged blending local and Christian traditions. Many Christian festivals absorbed pagan origins and seasonal imagery.

Was Eostre ever worshipped as a real goddess?

We don’t know. Some scholars think Bede invented her, others point to linguistic traces. Either way, the idea of a pre-Christian goddess of spring has inspired centuries of new rite creation and seasonal reflection.

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