earth apple

[Laurence Horn]

At 8:23 AM -0800 11/9/01, A. Maberry wrote:
>Sounds like a calque for the German "Erdapfel" or Dutch "aardappel" to me.
>However "Erdapfel" means potato, not pomegranate.

cf. also Fr. "pomme de terre".  Pomegranates are apparently known as
"apples of Carthage", but as far as I can tell not widely knows as
earth apples, unless they're pomegranates in potato clothing.

>
>On Fri, 9 Nov 2001, Barbara Johnstone wrote:
>
>>  Has anyone ever heard "earth apple" used to refer to a pomegranate?  There
>>  are no listings for "earth apple" in DARE.
>>
>  > Barbara
>>

Maybe the source was a paganist who spent too many nights at the
"Samhain Ritual", as posted at
http://www.paganlibrary.com/rituals_spells/samhain_ritual.php...
======================

This ritual was written at a time when I did not have a qualified
Priest in my group. However, it may easily be adapted for those
groups in which the Priestess and Priest work together. It may be
just as easily adapted to solitary work.

Place an apple and pomegranate upon the altar. There should also be a
"planted" pot of earth for each participant - these may be arranged
on the altar as well, if there is ample space. Instruments of
divination may be placed within the Circle perimeter for use during
the ritual if you wish. Arrange the altar as usual and decorate with
Autumn leaves, pumpkins, etc.

The Circle is cast and purified the Circle in the usual manner.
Dancing around the Circle in a shuffle step (deosil), all chant three
times:

                         The Moon is bright, the Crone is old
                         The body lifeless - the bones so cold
                         We all live and pay our dues
                         To die in ones and threes and twos.

and so on

larry