In Irish mythology, Danu ([ˈdanu]; modern Irish Dana [ˈd̪ˠanˠə]) is a hypothetical mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann (Old Irish: "the peoples of the goddess Danu"). Though primarily seen as an ancestral figure, some Victorian sources also associate her with the land.
Name[]
The hypothetical nominative form of the name, *Danu, is not found in any medieval Irish text, but is rather a reconstruction by modern scholars based on the genitive Danann (also spelled Donand or Danand), which is the only form attested in the primary sources (e.g. in the collective name of the Irish gods, Tuatha De Danann "Tribe of the Gods of Danu"). In Irish mythology, Anu (or Ana, sometimes given as Anann or Anand) is a goddess. She may be a goddess in her own right, or an alternate name for Danu.
The etymology of the name has been a matter of much debate since the 19th century, with some earlier scholars favouring a link with the Vedic water goddess Danu, whose name is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰenh₂- "to run, to flow", which may also lie behind the ancient name for the river Danube, Danuuius – perhaps of Celtic origin, though it is also possible that it is an early Scythian loanword in Celtic.
Linguist Eric Hamp rejects the traditional etymologies in his 2002 examination of the name Danu and proposes instead that *Danu is derived from the same root as Latin bonus (Old Latin duenos), from Proto-Indo-European *dueno- "good", via a Proto-Celtic nominative singular n-stem *Duonū ("aristocrat").
Also, there are two round-topped hills in County Kerry, Ireland, called Da Chich Anu/Anann (the Paps of Anu), thought to represent the two breasts of Danu/Anu.
Symbols[]
Traits[]
- Bounty
- Fertility
- Inspiration
- Prosperity
- Wisdom
Animals[]
- Fish
- Horses
- Seagulls
Nature and Minerals[]
- Amber
- The Four Elements
- Gold
- Holy Stones
- The Moon
- Rivers
Objects[]
- Crowns
- Keys
- Wells
Family[]
She has a relation to the Dagda, as a lover, or as a son, depending on the myth. She also may have birthed Nuada, Dian Cécht, Ogma, Airmid, Etan, Miach, Cian/Kian, Sawan and Goibhniu.
In mythology[]
Danu has no myths or legends associated with her in any surviving medieval Irish texts, but she has possible parallels with the Welsh literary figure Dôn, whom most modern scholars regarded as a mythological mother goddess in the medieval tales of the Mabinogion. However, Dôn's gender is never specified in the tales and was regarded as a man by some medieval Welsh antiquarians.
She is sometimes associated with other goddesses, such as Anu, the Universal Mother; Brigid, the daughter of the Dagda; and the Morrigan, the goddess of war. She is also very similar to the Welsh goddess Dôn, who is the mother figure of the medieval tales in the Mabinogion.
Gallery[]
