Friday 11 May 2012

Three Milkings May

Whilst researching something on the internet I stumbled upon an article that discussed the meaning behind the name of the month of May, thought I would share it with you:


One of the suggestions is that May, the fifth month in the Gregorian calendar was named after the Goddess Maia.   There are in fact two Goddesses with that name, mother of Hermes, the Greek Goddess Maia and the Roman Goddess Maia, who was a Goddess of Spring.


Another suggestion is from the Latin poet Ovid who believed May to come from the Latin word 'maiores' which means elders.  June being named after the Latin word meaning 'youth'.


We first see the month of May being used in the 1000s.  In old English the fifth month of the year was 'þrimilce' which means 'three milkings', this was literally because it was the only month in the year when cows could be milked three times a day!



Tansy
x


image - May by Leandro Bassano

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