Why is easter called 'easter'?

Question

The Christian feast of 'easter' is based on the ancient Yewish religious feast (their main one), is widely spread and was linked to remember the 'Passion of Christ'. Recall that 'Christianity' started as a Yewish cult that claimed Jesus Christ was the so-called 'Messiah' from Yewish theology/myth.

In many countries, this feast is etymologically close to 'Passion' (From Pas-ch-o, the Greek word for 'suffering' ), i.e. Pasen in Dutch (also German? Is probably close)

However, the etymological source of 'easter' seems unrelated! Is this because it refered to another (likely pagan) religious custom? If so, what is that custom?

Otherwise, what is the etymological origin of 'easter'? What is the 'original' easter myth?

Answer 1

Many have said that it comes from the goddess Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. I had actually thought that Easter came directly from worship from her, because etymologically speaking, it doesn't seem too far off.

But it seems that the goddess Ēostre (or Ostara), the Germanic goddess, is the one that is directly linked to the Easter festival.

In regards to the myth/custom question, here's a quote from Jacob Grimm:

Ostara, Eástre seems therefore to have been the divinity of the radiant dawn, of upspringing light, a spectacle that brings joy and blessing, whose meaning could be easily adapted by the resurrection-day of the Christian's God. Bonfires were lighted at Easter and according to popular belief of long standing, the moment the sun rises on Easter Sunday morning, he gives three joyful leaps, he dances for joy ... Water drawn on the Easter morning is, like that at Christmas, holy and healing ... here also heathen notions seems to have grafted themselves on great Christian festivals. Maidens clothed in white, who at Easter, at the season of returning spring, show themselves in clefts of the rock and on mountains, are suggestive of the ancient goddess.

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I think it's safe to say that Easter has pagan origins.

Answer 2

"Ostern" the german word for Easter actually has the same etymology as the english term (citing the German wiki page):

"Das neuhochdeutsche Ostern und das englische Easter haben die gleiche sprachliche Wurzel, zu deren Etymologie es verschiedene Lösungsansätze gibt. Das Herkunftswörterbuch des Duden leitet das Wort vom altgermanischen Austrō > Ausro „Morgenröte“ ab, das eventuell ein germanisches Frühlingsfest bezeichnete und sich im Altenglischen zu Ēostre, Ēastre, im Althochdeutschen zu ōst(a)ra, Plural ōstarun fortbildete. Der Wortstamm ist mit dem altgriechischen Namen der vergöttlichten Morgenröte Ēōs und dem lateinischen aurora „Morgenröte“ verwandt, die ihrerseits weitere Sprachen beeinflusst haben. Die zugrunde liegende indogermanische Wurzel ist das Substantiv *h₂au̯s-os „Morgenröte“, abgeleitet von einer indogermanischen Verbalwurzel *h₂u̯es- „(morgens) hell werden“[6] oder *h₂au̯s- „(aus dem Wasser) schöpfen, Feuer holen“."

One possible origin is the germanic word "Austrō", related to and meaning aurora. Another possible origin is an acient germanic feast in spring, named "Ēostre" or "Ēastre" in old English, which is said to be named after the Greek goddess of aurora Eos.

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The New 'High German' Easter and the English Easter have the same linguistic root, but with etymology there are different approaches. The dictionary from Duden derives the word from the Old Germanic Austrō > Ausro "dawn", which eventually designated a Germanic spring festival and Ēostre in Old English, Ēastre, in the Old High German ōst (a) ra, Plural ōstarun. The root word is related to the ancient Greek name of the divinized dawn: Ēōs and the Latin aurora "dawn", which in turn have influenced other languages. The underlying Indo-European root is the noun * h₂au̯s-os "dawn", derived from an Indo-European verbal root * h₂u̯es- "be bright in the morning" or * h₂au̯s- "(from the water) draw, get a fire.
_{SOURCE: Google Translate (mildly edited)}