Re: CHAT: Easter & the Saxon Calendar (was: Passover/Easter)

Raymond Brown wrote:

> The month names Stone gives are:
I thought it would be interesting to directly compare the names Tolkien uses for
the Shire Calendar.

> Bede's name       Normalized West    Shire Calendar   Approximate Gregorian
>                       Saxon                               equivalent
>   Giuli            [after] Geola        Afteryule       January
>   Solmonath         Solmonath           Solmath         February
>   Rhedmonath        Hrethmonath         Rethe           March
>   Esturmona?        Eastermonath        Astron          April
>   Thrimilchi        Thrimilche          Thrimidge       May
>   Lida             [ere] Litha          Forelithe       June
>   Lida             [after] Litha        Afterlithe      July
>   Weodmonath        Weodmonath          Wedmath         August
>   Halegmonath       Haligmonath         Halimath        September
>   Winterfilleth     Winterfylleth       Winterfilth     October
>   Blodmonath        Blotmonath          Blotmath        November
>   Giuli            [ere] Geola          Foreyule        December
All of the Shire month names are transparent *except* "Astron".   It is plain
why Tolkien would not want to use "Eastermath", as it would import
unwanted (and unwonted) Christian associations.  But where did he
get "Astron" from?  One theory is that it is from Eastron, pl. of Eastre.
This is etymologically plausible, but doesn't account for the plural form.

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