In Alsatian, the month of February is called Hornūng which comes from the Old Franconian hōrning which is close to Horn, the horns, yes it’s like in English, too. Yes, also like the instrument. Einhard, Charlemagne’s biographer, tells us that it was Emperor Carolus Magnus himself who renamed the months of the Julian calendar to alt-nieder frankisch, the old Frankish bass, the language of the Franks who, for the record, came of the area of present-day Belgium. What got into him?
Why horns, then? Charlemagne had he completely cracked? In February, it’s not so cold that the cows’ horns fall off, no. But those of deer, yes, or rather their antlers. You may be able to find wood, Hirschgweih in the forest, who knows? Do not panic, each year, their antlers grow back in the spring, to reach their maximum size before the rut period.
And that is unique among mammals, but we are not going to go into biology. The name of the month of Hornung, February, is also quite unique in its meaning, and therefore has a connection with the horns, the antlers of the deer. Here is the explanation for the cornu February. Of course, I saved you a little saying related to the weather for the next 4 weeks. “Griener Hornung bringt wissi Oschtere”, which means “Green February, white Easter”. It’s like “Christmas on the balcony, Easter on the ember”, in fact, but quirky. in the order of things.