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Danube edit
Names and etymology edit
Name history edit
..."The Istros river arises among the Celts and the polis of Pyrene, cutting Europe across the middle" — Herodotus (c.484–c.425 BC).[a]
Etymology edit
Danube is an Old European river name derived from...
Association with deities edit
The naming of rivers using the underlying PIE divinity word has been described as:
..."a diagnostically Celtic cultural phenomenon"...(G. R. Isaac).[2]
List of deities edit
List of deities that may be associated with the Danube:[c]
| Name | Terminology | Etymology |
|---|---|---|
| Anaw, Ana, Anu. |
Celtic goddess associated with wealth and riches.[d][e] |
Celtic (an- + -awes): Gaulish anawes ("prosperity").[c] |
| Dé, Deo, Deiwo. |
Generic title for a god, goddess, deity. |
From PIE deywós ("Sky God").[f] Gaulish Deo ("god").[g] |
| Tiw, Tyr. | God of war. | From Proto-Germanic Tīw |
| Dānu, Dana |
Celtic mother goddess – possibly an early iteration of Dôn – known only from place-names.[h] |
Deo + Anu = Dānu. Deo + Ana = Dana.[e] |
| Dôn | Celtic mother goddess.[i] | Deo + Ana = Dôn.[g][j] |
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Goddess of wealth, prosperity edit
Archaeological finds from the Danube basin suggest that this was a wealthy and prosperous area during the European Iron Age:
- Upper Danube basin:
- Hallstatt culture – Early Iron Age.
- La Tène culture – Late Iron Age.
- Lower Danube basin:
Examples of names for the Danube that may derive from the Celtic goddess Anaw (wealth, prosperity):
| Language | Name | #1 | #2 | Etymology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latin | Dānuvius | D | ānu | Deo + Anu |
| Bavarian | Doana | Do | ana | Deo + Ana |
| Early Modern German | Donaw | D | onaw | Deo + Anaw |
| Early Modern German | Tonaw | T | onaw | Tiw + Anaw |
| Middle High German | Tuonowe | Tu | onowe | Tiw + Anaw |
| Modern German | Donau | D | onau | Deo + Anaw |
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Examples (British Isles) edit
Examples of river names in the British Isles that may share a common etymology with the Danube: [l]
| Name | Region | Name history | Etymology |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Don | Aberdeenshire | Dēouana (Ptolemy).[m] | Deo + Ana. |
| River Dee | Aberdeenshire | Dēoua (Ptolemy). | Deo.[g] |
| River Don | Yorkshire | Danu | Deo + Anu.[j] |
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History edit
TEXT
References edit
- ^ Roberts 2015, pp. 62.
- ^ a b Noble & Evans 2022, pp. 143.
- ^ James 2020, pp. 12.
- ^ MacKillop 2004, pp. 16.
- ^ James 2020, pp. 106.
- ^ MacKillop 2004, pp. 128.
- ^ MacKillop 2004, pp. 147.
- ^ James 2020, pp. 114.
Notes edit
- ^ Extract from Histories — Herodotus (c.484–c.425 BC).[1]
- ^ See La Tène culture ...Centered on ancient Gaul...
- ^ a b The native language for the upper Danube basin during the Late Iron Age was Gaulish.[b]
- ^
SPNS – Brittonic Language...
Anaw (f)..."Anaw/Ana/Anu was more or less identified with Dǭn/Danu- Gaulish anawes
- Old Irish anae
- ^ a b MacKillop – ...Celtic Mythology
Ana, Anu, Anann (Irish "wealth", "abundance") ..."The principal goddess of pre-Christian Ireland, the mother...of the Tuatha Dé Danann ...[4] - ^ See also:
- ^ a b c SPNS – Brittonic Language...
dẹ:w (m or f)..."The basic Indo-European word for ‘god’ ...associated with brightness, light...[5] - ^
MacKillop – ...Celtic Mythology
Danu, Dana ..."Speculative name for the mother goddess of the Continental Celt's based on the evidence of place-names, e.g. Danube...
..."also a variant for the Irish Ana...and linked to the Welsh Dôn ...[6] - ^ MacKillop – ...Celtic Mythology
Dôn ..."Welsh name for the Celtic mother goddess whose name in Continental Europe may have been Danu; counterpart of the Irish Ana, goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann ...[7] - ^ a b SPNS – Brittonic Language...
dǭn (f)..."A river-name of great antiquity
..."Watson...derived river-names of the ‘Don’ type from *deiw- + -onā-.
..."However, the Don YWR was certainly Danu
..."The identity of Dānu is further complicated by intertwining with that of Ana, Anu ...[8] - ^ See also: Vacomagi > Ptolemy's map.
- ^ River names in North Britain were influenced by the Roman legions who were stationed there during the Roman occupation. Many of those originated from Gaul and Hispania Tarraconensis and spoke Gaulish.[k]
- ^ Noble and Evans – The Picts...
..."The two largest Aberdeenshire rivers, the Don and Dee, both appear in Ptolemy's Geography...as dēouana and dēoua ...[2]
Sources edit
- James, Alan G. (2020). "The Brittonic Language in the Old North, A Guide to the Place-Name Evidence, Volume 2" (PDF). Scottish Place-Name Society. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
- MacKillop, James (2004). Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198609674.
- Noble, Gordon; Evans, Nicholas (2022). The Picts: Scourge of Rome, Rulers of the North. Birlinn. ISBN 978-1780277783.
- Roberts, Alice (2015). The Celts: Search for a Civilisation. Heron Books. ISBN 978-1784293321.