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  • In the time after the collapse of the Roman Empire, a remarkable man shaped our current celebrations of Easter.

    A dark skinned man, assumed to be a moor by the local tribes, appeared in what is modern day Sussex around the year 450. Gentle in his demeanour and knowledgeable about local plant life and the movements of the stars, he became something of a shaman to the local descendents of the Ieceni tribes who were rapidly integrating with the Anglo-Saxons. He was revered by the locals for his ability to heal even the most grievous of battle injuries and saved many a mother and child from the perils inherent to giving birth before the days of proper medicine.

    He was known for his fantastic tales about his homeland as he described the traditions of his people and of the amazing creatures that inhabited his land. Often during the winters, which affected him more than anyone else, he would speak of his home with a weary sadness in his eyes and repeat the stories he had told a thousand times.

    One such story, the one of a small furry creature that laid eggs, sparked an argument between two drunken chieftains. The argument quickly escalated, swords were drawn and before too long one chieftain lay bleeding to death on the ground. The dark skinned man leapt into action and saved the chieftains life. The chieftain recovered and later the same year in a bloody war of revenge managed to become the regional warlord.

    Sadly, the dark skinned man died soon thereafter, on the spring festival of Eostur. To honour the man who saved his life, the chieftain celebrated the story he was telling on that fateful day. A legend was created around the egg laying small furry creature. Over time the connection between the rabbit and eggs were made. The early Christian church adopted the stories and the legend and influenced our celebration of Easter today. The dark skinned man was called Akala and was what we would call today an Australian aborigine who went walkabout further than anyone else. He was describing a Platypus. Easter as we know it, is an Australian holiday.

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