Eostre

[poliphilo]

 According to the Venerable Bede (but no-one else) Easter is named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre- who had a whole month, roughly corresponding to our April, dedicated to her ceremonies and festivals. Scholars have debated whether she actually existed or whether Bede made her up, but- according to wikipedia- the modern consensus is that she was a real thing- and related to other goddesses of the Indo-European family. 

If she existed the assumption has to be that she was a goddess of dawn, Spring, new beginnings, flowers- and all that kind of thing. A Maiden goddess/new mother. Perhaps even a Virgin Mother.....

Here she is in an illustration by the German artist Johannes Gehrts

Comments

[paserbyp]

Possibly also in the Latin term "in albis" (meaning "in white robes"), a term used for the week after Easter.