Fasta (Frisian)
Encyclopedia
Fasta was the first folk-mother, or head of the order of priestesses, of the Frisians
according to the Oera Linda Book, which is generally considered to be a hoax. Appointed directly by the goddess Frya
, Fasta ruled from 2194 BC and was still reigning forty-nine years later (2145 BC).
Probably inspired by knowledge of the Roman
goddess Vesta
, Fasta was said to head an order of priestesses that, just like the Vestal Virgins, took a vow of absolute celibacy, and who guarded a sacred, eternally burning flame. The Oera Linda Book describes the daily routine of the priestesses, which included spending six hours a day, in two shifts of three hours each, bending their knees in devotion before the flame. Each temple, of which there were many, had its own sacred flame and twenty-eight priestesses, so that seven would always be in attendance at any one time. The order of priestesses governed Frisian society for many centuries until it eventually lost power to a militaristic monarchy.
Frisians
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
according to the Oera Linda Book, which is generally considered to be a hoax. Appointed directly by the goddess Frya
Frijjō
*Frijjō is the reconstructed name or epithet of a hypothesized Common Germanic love goddess giving rise to both Frigg and Freyja....
, Fasta ruled from 2194 BC and was still reigning forty-nine years later (2145 BC).
Probably inspired by knowledge of the Roman
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
goddess Vesta
Vesta (mythology)
Vesta was the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family in Roman religion. Vesta's presence was symbolized by the sacred fire that burned at her hearth and temples...
, Fasta was said to head an order of priestesses that, just like the Vestal Virgins, took a vow of absolute celibacy, and who guarded a sacred, eternally burning flame. The Oera Linda Book describes the daily routine of the priestesses, which included spending six hours a day, in two shifts of three hours each, bending their knees in devotion before the flame. Each temple, of which there were many, had its own sacred flame and twenty-eight priestesses, so that seven would always be in attendance at any one time. The order of priestesses governed Frisian society for many centuries until it eventually lost power to a militaristic monarchy.