Norsery Rhymes from A to Z Happy Thorsday - Erce, Mother Earth
Well here we are another Thor’s Day and another 20 min sketch of a Norse (and Germanic) mythological characters. This week it’s Erce, Eorce mentioned in the Aecerbot.
Her name has been translated to ‘holy’, ‘truth’, ‘pure’, and 'genuine' and other variations on that theme. Meant in a feminine form. She is called the 'Earth Goddess', or 'Earth Mother'. Her name has likely deriving form a later form of the Germanic Goddess Eorce, again meaning Mother of the earth.
She was involved and given all day offering for spring rites, and was likely also offered to for healing and for a safe birth. Tied up with agriculture primarily with items such as honey, salt and fennel offered to her.
Eorce was considered the lady of the plow, sowing and reaping. worshipped as the earth herself. It's been suggested that she is linked to or related to the other early goddesses like Herke / Harke and Eostre.