Kiirastorstai

[silk]

I was asked about the origin of the word kiirastorstai recently. Here are some bits of information

Kiirastorstai comes from the Swedish word skära, "to cleanse" or "to purify". According to Finnish folklore, on this day kiira, a mythological creature and an evil spirit that resides on the courtyard, has to be driven away by spells. Kiirastorstai is a particularly befitting day for this cleansing ritual since it is the day of confession.

The Finnish word for purgatorium is kiirastuli.

[EP]

The Finnish word for purgatorium is kiirastorstai.

Kiirastuli.

[silk]

The Finnish word for purgatorium is kiirastorstai.

Kiirastuli.

Thanks EP, that's what I meant to write!

[Pursuivant]

I thought it was also some plankton/small sea animal

[silk]

I thought it was also some plankton/small sea animal

You mean kiira? I couldn't find anything by googling.

[Rob A.]

The Finnish word for purgatorium is kiirastorstai.

Kiirastuli.

Thanks EP, that's what I meant to write!

Hmmm ...”kiirastuli”....I did a bit of etymological research on the word, ”kiiras”....it seems to be related to an old Norse word, ”skyra”, which, itself, seems to have shifted its meaning under the influence of the Germanic word, ”scuren”…derived from the Latin, ”excurare”..and all is, thus, related to the English word, "scour"....

Thus, it seems reasonable to conclude the Finnish word, ”kiiras”, comes from ”skyra” with the sense of "cleansing" and is probably a calque of a Swedish word, which, itself, was probably a calque derived from the Latin word, ”excurare” with the meaning of "making clean”…., The English word, ”purgatory” comes from the Latin word, ”purgare” with the sense of “making pure”….A similar concept, but a somewhat different etymological origin, ....and, hence, the connection of ”kiirastuli” to the English words, "purgatory" and "scour".....

And if you have stuck with me this far all I can say is, no wonder only the linguists can understand all of this...

[Upphew]

And if you have stuck with me this far all I can say is, no wonder only the linguists can understand all of this...

[Pursuivant]

I thought it was also some plankton/small sea animal

You mean kiira? I couldn't find anything by googling.

Apropos, I was drunk, siira is the small animal

[bonddk]

There are two (in my mind) explanations on this one:

1. Gebus (Jesus) portrayed a role as a servant (On a Thursady) and wash the feet of the dessiceples (Last supper and stuff). "The dessiceples are now clean" or, something like that, he said (Skær is Clean in Danish/Swedish and carry the indication of perfectly clean)

2. After one of the roman soldiers captured Gebus in the Garden of Getsemane a dessiceple drew his sword and cut of the ear of a soilder. Hence "Skær" from "At skære" (Skær = Cut , skære = to cut) From this Skærtorsdag.

Most lean towards the latter is more in the vencinity.

Best regards,