Note 1027 — Chapter XI · POPULAR MONTHS OF THE EUROPEAN PEOPLES.

Beckman, loc. cit., tries to prove the heathen origin of the computation of the disting and its independence of the Easter reckoning by the statement that the former follows the phenomena of the heavens, the latter the rule of computation, which may lead to a different result. Unfortunately this conclusion cannot be considered too binding, since for the people in general, who knew nothing about this rule,—how late in medieval times the rune-staves appeared we do not know, but certainly not at the beginning of the Middle Ages—it was still absolutely necessary to determine in some degree the time of fasting and the Easter time. And if the absolutely correct calculation could not be made, it was still better than nothing to have one that was at least approximate and easy to make. The fact that the moon of fasting was calculated from the phenomena of the heavens is expressly stated in the rule as given above, p. 301.