LingLit Journal
Vol 5 No 3 (2024): Linglit Journal: Scientific Journal of Linguistics and Literature, September

Naming the Days: The Influence of Ancient Astronomy on Modern Religious and Cultural Practices

Belay Sitotaw Goshu (Department of Physics, Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia)
Muhammad Ridwan (Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
16 Sep 2024

Abstract

A rich interplay of astronomy, religion, and mythology is reflected in the naming of days across cultures, providing insights into how societies organized time and perceived the universe. This study focuses on Ethiopia's distinctive calendar and religious influence while examining the cultural importance of weekday naming customs in other countries. The goal is to scrutinize how astronomical observations and antiquated customs from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Asia, and Ethiopia combine to influence modern timekeeping. This study tracks the development of day-naming customs throughout multiple civilizations by analyzing historical documents, linguistic trends, and religious writings using a comparative cultural analysis approach. The findings demonstrate that while many cultures, including Ethiopians, name their days after solar or lunar events, religious beliefs also play a major role, particularly in Ethiopian Orthodox Christian traditions. Day naming is a valuable tool for tracking time and a representation of cultural identity, according to the study, which finds that day name is heavily influenced by mythology and religion. It is suggested that conventional timekeeping methods be preserved via digital preservation and teaching and that interdisciplinary study be encouraged to delve deeper into these relationships.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

linglit

Publisher

Subject

Description

LingLit Journal: Scientific Journal for Linguistics and Literature is an international journal using a peer-reviewed process published in December, March, June and September by Britain International for Academic Research Publisher (BIAR-Publisher). LingLit welcomes research papers in linguistics, ...