Myths are wonderful metaphors in that they distill the wisdom of the ages. I really wish I had more time for them. Correct me if I am wrong but as I understand Ishtar is a mythical goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex from a fragmented story of some 5000 years ago in ancient Iraq. She is described as an ill tempered spoiled brat/prostitute that enters the underworld and makes certain demands of the gate keeper. She says;
If thou openest not the gate to let me enter,
I will break the door, I will wrench the lock,
I will smash the door-posts, I will force the doors.
I will bring up the dead to eat the living.
And the dead will outnumber the living.
Maybe this is some sort of nighmarish resurrection but I do not see where any of this connects to Easter, bunnies or eggs. I see a structural similarity between Easter and Ishtar and of course bunnies and fertility, But I don't know when it was discovered that women carried eggs but I am sure that modern medicine has the credit rather than myth.
Traditions, history and myth intertwine and things get lost. But, I don't know and I wouldn't claim to. It seems the best we can do is speculate. So, if what you say is true; what is the story and how does it relate to Easter as it is celebrated today? Who is it about? What is the deeper meaning? What can we learn from it?
If thou openest not the gate to let me enter,
I will break the door, I will wrench the lock,
I will smash the door-posts, I will force the doors.
I will bring up the dead to eat the living.
And the dead will outnumber the living.
Maybe this is some sort of nighmarish resurrection but I do not see where any of this connects to Easter, bunnies or eggs. I see a structural similarity between Easter and Ishtar and of course bunnies and fertility, But I don't know when it was discovered that women carried eggs but I am sure that modern medicine has the credit rather than myth.
Traditions, history and myth intertwine and things get lost. But, I don't know and I wouldn't claim to. It seems the best we can do is speculate. So, if what you say is true; what is the story and how does it relate to Easter as it is celebrated today? Who is it about? What is the deeper meaning? What can we learn from it?
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