2006-09-24 10:33:49 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
January after the god Janus who had two faces one looking forwards and one looking backwards, hence the reason for it being at the turn of the year when we look back at the last year and forward into the new year
2006-09-24 10:35:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
What Is January Named After
2016-11-07 00:50:41 · answer #2 · answered by alanna 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://paganastronomy.net/wheel.htm
January is named after the two faced Roman god Janus who ruled the past and future. More accurately known as Janus and Jana, statues of each once guarded two gateways into Rome. These doorways were dedicated as temples, and clearly associated the gods with time and the sun. It was said of Janus that he held 300 pebbles in one hand, and 65 in the other, representing the number of days in the year. Also known in France as Janicot, and to the ancient Basque people as Jaincoa, this god's name is the origin of the exclamation "By Jingo!" The Anglo Saxons called this the wulfmonath, the wolf month, and many European sightings of "werewolves" take place at this season. In the zodiac, Aquarius the Water Bearer rules the period from 1/21 - 2/19. This figure carries a water jar, or perhaps the sacred cup so often mentioned in ancient cultures as containing the elixir of life and transformation.
2006-09-24 10:42:41 · answer #3 · answered by D--- 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The month of January is named after the Roman god Janus. Janus was the god of gates and doors (jauna is
the Etruscan word for door). Sculptors often depicted him with two faces - one facing forward and the other
facing backward. Because a person must cross through a doorway to enter a new room, the Romans also honored
Janus as the god of new beginnings. So it was natural for them to name the first month of their year after
Janus. January traditionally is a time when people look backward to reflect on the year just past and forward to
the year just beginning.
Janus The Two-Faced God
2006-09-24 10:36:02 · answer #4 · answered by missymouth1 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
January. Named after the God Janus who could look into the past and the future. He was placed at the beginning of the year because it is the first month of the year and he can also look back at the previous year( December).
2006-09-24 10:45:47 · answer #5 · answered by Old Man of Coniston!. 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
January. Named after the Roman god Janus.
2006-09-24 10:41:25 · answer #6 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
January
2006-09-24 10:34:15 · answer #7 · answered by juicy_wishun 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
January, named after Janus, the Roman god who had a head facing forward and a head facing backwards. Naming January after him is symbolic, as it is the first month of the year, and one has seen the old year pass (we are looking behind us at it) and the new year is in front of us (we are looking forward).
2006-09-25 02:15:17 · answer #8 · answered by Sun is Shining ❂ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
January after Janus
2006-09-24 10:46:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
January is named after the Roman god 'Janus'.
Janus is not 'two-faced' in quite the way we might mean today. He was depicted as having two faces as he is the god of gateways, doors and openings - one face looking inwards and one outwards. This means that he is looking in two directions at the same time. This could also be a metaphor for new beginings..."As one door closes, another slams in your face!".
Janus' month is January as this is the gateway to the new year, and a time of relection on what was and planning for what could be.
2006-09-24 10:42:42 · answer #10 · answered by Colin A 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋