Once the eighth month of the year in the lunar based Roman calendar, the word October derived from the Latin word 'octo' meaning eight. This was because the first month was March (named after Mars, the god of war) and the month when military campaigns resumed.*
It was also known as Winterfylleth or Ƿintirfylliþ in Old English or Anglo-Saxon. The Venerable Bede wrote about it in his text on the traditions of the Anglo-Saxon people in the 7th century.
"The old English people split the year into two seasons, summer and winter, placing six months — during which the days are longer than the nights — in summer, and the other six in winter. They called the month when the winter season began Ƿintirfylliþ, a word composed of "winter" and "full moon", because winter began on the first full moon of that month."
It is a magical time of year as the first full moon was marked by the Anglo-Saxons as Samhain (pronounced 'sow'inn') , or as we now call it Halloween. Samhain translates as 'The end of Summer'.**
It is my favourite time of year, but I may be biased as it is my birthday month, but to me it is the time when the colours of nature are at their best. It is as if Mother Nature has put on her best ball gown to celebrate the end of the year before going to sleep for winter.
The photos of the toadstools and mushrooms are all from my local walks in the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex. I am very aware of how fortunate I am to live in such a beautiful area. The true Magic of October comes alive for me as I walk through the landscape of natures glory.
** Reference www.classichistory.net/archives/winterfylleth
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