Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-01-28
months and THEIR Names.

! months And THEIR Names.
Origin of Familiar Words Which
Mark Time.
January throws bac., the portals of
the year that is coming. The old
Roman King, Numa Pampillus, called
this first month of the J ear Janus, the
god of gates; the Saxons named him
Wolfmonath, because, as he passed,
the wolves howled round their home
steads, and it is lucky if he is cold, ac-
cording to the old saying:
:If January calends be summerly gay,
| 'Twi, be wintery weather till the cal
ends of May"
February, h-i-yke follows, named by
the Romans from the Februa or Feralia
sacrifices offered to the gods of this sea-
son; dedicated to Neptune, wet Feb
ruary is fortunate.
A the months of the year,
Cure a fair February"
The SaXons called the month Sprout-
kaIe because the cabbage sprouts at his
coming; the Sol-monath, to chronicle
the return of the sun; and Pancake
month, because they offered the sun
gods cakes at this time.
Storm-swept March succeeds Febru-
ary; he is the first month, in the old
Roman calendar, and named after the
war god.
| The Saxons called him Koedmonath
Council month; but with the Bulgar-
lane March is the only woman month
of the year. They call her "Mother
March," and consider the season favor
able to women.
At April's kiss Spring buds unfold.
Next comes fresh April. At her kiss
the buds unfold, and her name prob
ably. comes from, ,"Aperio"-open; or it
may be, from Aphrodltte, the lovegod-
dess, to whom she. is dedicated; but the
Northern American Indians with
poetic inspiration, called her s'the moon
of nights"
Fair May approaches, named, as
some think, from the Goddess Mais.
The Trimilchi, because her beautiful
meads increase the supply of milk.
From early Roman times, May has al
ways been considered unlucky for mar
riage. According to void:
"Bad prove the wives that are mar
ried in May.
June, on the contrary, dedicated to
Juno, is the matron's month, and
lucky for weddings.
The Saxons called her Weydi-mon-
ath, because the cattle wade through
her rich meadow grass; while her In
dian name is ''the moon of ,strawber-
ries.u
July with ''burning hair" follows
swiftly; named by the Romans after
Julius Caesar, while the Saxon name
is Hey-monath, or Maed-monath, The
Romans muzzled dogs in July, because
the dog star is in the ascendant; they
feared hydrophobia.
Augusta Caesar gave his name to
August, with the Dutch and the Sax
ons the month was respectively Cost
maand, harvest month, and Barnmon-
ath, because of the cornfields.
September is Month of Barley.
September was the seventh month in
the old Alban calendar, Septem signi-
flying seven, imber a shower of rain, in
early Saxon the month is Gerst-monath |
barley month; while in the calendar
of the French revolution he is Vinde-
main vintage, because of the grape
blood runs purple beneath his head.
But for the Indians he is s'the moon
of falling leaves" softly floating red
and golden, through the great silent
forests, 'thin dancers of the air."
October, the eighth month in the
Alban calendar, was called by the Sax
ons Wyn-monath, because the watts are
filled by him; by the old Germans,
Winter-fylleth, hearald of winter; and
by the Paris sans-culottes, Brumaire,
foggy, though he often carries bright |
days in his hand.
~ November, ninth month with the
Romans, was named Slagt-maand, and
Blot-monath by the Dutch and the
Saxons because of the cattle-slaughter-
ing for winter sailing, but the Catholic
priests dedicated the month to the de-
parted, and All Souls Days is holy |
day.
December, the tenth month, accord
ing to Roman calculation, is Winter
sand in old Dutch; while the Indians |
called the season 'the moon o. snow
shoes"
From the most ancient times fes-
tival has been held at the winter sols-
tice; the feast of Thor was termed giul,
derived FROM Tol or OF, slgnifying
ale, out of which evolved Ynle.
The Christians celebrating the birth |
of the Christchild, called the feat
Christ's Mass" from which comes
Christmas.
Thus the wheel of the year revolves
through time.
Making Life Safer.
Everywhere life is being made more
safe through the work of DIR. Kings
New life Pills in conStl nafi0n hilinuS.