Thanks so, so much for taking the time to send such a wonderfully complete
answer! I can't imagine that this won't work for him. I appreciate it.
-Briar Sauro
barbara@austarmetro.com.au writes:
>Dear Briar
>The months were named by the Romans working from April 1 which was the
>beginning of the northern spring and the new year, and their year only had
>10 months.
>January = Janus, the god of doors, depicted with two faces looking forward
>and back to see enemies within and without.
>February = Februa, which was a festival of purification, contrition and
>repentance
>Mars = Mars, the god of war - possibly because of the thunderstorms that
>are
>prevalent then
>April = from aperire meaning to open and refers to the opening of new life
>in the northern spring
>May = Maia, the goddess of spring and growth
>June = Juno, goddess of fertility and fruitfulness
>July = Julius Caesar , Roman emperor
>August = Caesar Augustus, Roman Emperor
>September = septem is 7 in Latin
>October = octo is 8 in Latin
>November = novem is 9 in Latin
>December = decem is 10 in Latin
>
>The spellings we use are the Anglicised translation - if you have a look
>at
>the French, Italian, German etc translations you will see the similarities
>as they have been translated into those languages. "ber" appears to be a
>Latin adjectival suffix but I cannot find its precise meaning. "mensis" is
>the Latin word for month
>
>The days of the week come from the old Anglo-Saxon, Teutonic and Norse
>gods
>Sunday - sun's day
>Monday - moon day
>Tuesday - Tiw's day = English/Germanic god of war and the sky. He is
>identified with the Norse god Tyr.
>Wednesday - Woden's day- chief Anglo-Saxon/Teutonic god. Woden is the
>leader
>of the Wild Hunt. Woden is from wod "violently insane" + -en "headship".
>He
>is identified with the Norse Odin.
>Thursday - Thor's day - Norse god of thunder
>Friday - Frigg's day or Freya's day -Freya (Fria) is the Teutonic goddess
>of
>love, beauty, and fecundity (prolific procreation). Frigg (Frigga) is the
>Teutonic goddess of clouds, the sky, and conjugal (married) love
>Saturday - Saturn's day- Roman and Italic god of agriculture
>
>If this doesn't satisfy the little guy's curiosity, then let me know and I
>will send the request on to a wordsmith who knows everything.
>Barbara
>
>Barbara Braxton
>Teacher-Librarian
>Palmerston District Primary School
>PALMERSTON ACT 2913
>AUSTRALIA
>
>T. 61 2 6205 6162
>F. 61 2 6205 7242
>E. barbara@austarmetro.com.au
>W. http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au
>
>
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