“The late Lady Baird, of Fern Tower, in Perthshire,” says a writer in “Notes and Queries,” thoroughly versed in British antiquities, “told me, that every year, at Beltane (or the 1st of May), a number of men and women assemble at an ancient Druidical circle of stones on her property near Crieff. From Bel, the 1st of May is still called Beltane in the Almanac and we have customs still lingering at this day among us, which prove how exactly the worship of Bel or Moloch (for both titles belonged to the same god) had been observed even in the northern parts of this island. But the unequivocal traces of that worship are found in regions of the British islands where the Phoenicians never penetrated, and it has everywhere left indelible marks of the strong hold which it must have had on the early British mind.
The worship of Bel and Astarte was very early introduced into Britain, along with the Druids, “the priests of the groves.” Some have imagined that the Druidical worship was first introduced by the Phoenicians, who, centuries before the Christian era, traded to the tin-mines of Cornwall. That name, as found by Layard on the Assyrian monuments, is Ishtar. Easter is nothing else than Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven, whose name, as pronounced by the people Nineveh, was evidently identical with that now in common use in this country. It bears its Chaldean origin on its very forehead. What means the term Easter itself? It is not a Christian name. I can see how this is likely a love it or hate it sort of story - the main character is so twitchy that it made me twitchy just to read it! But I was one of the ones who loved it! I hope to catch some more stories from Vincent Hobbes' wonderfully imaginative mind.Then look at Easter.
This story had an ending that is quite a surprise - I had an inkling a bit ahead of time, but it is kept fairly mysterious. He doesn't understand those - this is the most important day of his life! However, people who have arrived after him keep being called back before him, and he is worried that maybe he got skipped or overlooked. Arriving three minutes early, he checks in and hurries down to the room where there are many other people - some are talking and laughing - some are singing - some are crying. Today is a very important day - he's finally been called, and he wants to be certain that he arrives on time. Charlie is the sort that has to always be early - if he's on time, he considers himself to be late.
1" anthology - and it is a very odd little story. This short story is part of "The Endlands, Vol.
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