East

Lore & Background

East is one of the four cardinal directions, positioned opposite west and marking the general area of sunrise. On a standard compass rose, east is indicated by the letter E, while in medieval times it was often labeled O for Orient. By convention, east appears on the right-hand side of most maps, a practice derived from compass use with north at the top; however, on maps of retrograde-rotating planets like Venus and Uranus, east is on the left. For navigation, a bearing of 90° or an azimuth of 90° points east.

The direction is intimately tied to Earth’s rotation, as the planet spins eastward, causing the Sun to appear to rise in that direction. This solar association is reflected in the etymology: the word east comes from Middle English est, Old English ēast, Proto-Germanic aus-to- or austra- (meaning “east, toward the sunrise”), and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European aus- (“to shine” or “dawn”). Cognates include Old High German ōstar, Latin aurora (“dawn”), and Greek ēōs (“dawn, east”). Similar formations occur in Latin oriens (“east, sunrise”), Greek anatolé (“east”), and Hebrew mizraḥ (“east”).

The Germanic goddess Ēostre may have personified both dawn and the cardinal points. Culturally, east holds significance in Christian tradition, where churches are traditionally oriented with the altar on the liturgical east, a practice predating Christianity and rooted in the belief that the Orient contained humanity’s original home. The term Orient historically refers to the Eastern world, often synonymous with Asia, subdivided into the Far East, Middle East, and Near East. One study suggests that in Northern Hemisphere cities, the east end tends to be poorer due to prevailing westerly winds.

Reader's Guide

East holds significance as one of the four cardinal directions, opposite west and marking sunrise. By convention, the right-hand side of a map is east, though on retrograde-rotating planets like Venus and Uranus, the left side is east. For navigation, a compass bearing of 90° indicates east. Culturally, east is the direction of Earth's rotation and sunrise.

Praying toward the east predates Christianity but was adopted by it, as the Orient was considered mankind's original home; Christian churches traditionally orient their altars to the liturgical east. The Orient refers to the Eastern world relative to Europe, largely synonymous with Asia, divided into Far East, Middle East, and Near East. One study suggests that within a Northern Hemisphere city, the east end is typically poorer due to prevailing westerly winds.