Biography
The Irish mother goddess Danu was the ancestor from which all Tuatha Dé Danann claimed descent. Despite her importance to Irish mythology, Danu largely remains a mystery. She was an ancient deity, and made no appearances in the larger Celtic mythos. Though scholars have frequently sought answers regarding this mysterious matriarch, few definitive details have been found.
Many scholars believed Danu to be a representation of the Danube River.
The roots of the name Danu remain a matter of some debate among etymologists. Scholars who have connected her name to the Danube River point to other Indo-European languages where the word danu means “to flow.” Danu may be a loanword from the ancient Scythian language, in which it meant “river.”
It has also been suggested that the name Danu came from the Proto-Celtic duono, or “aristocrat,” itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European dueno, meaning “good.”
Though Danu was the mother goddess and namesake of the Tuatha Dé Danann tribe, much about her remains shrouded in mystery. Danu was the source of the tribe's common heritage, as well as its nobility, unity, and power. As a goddess of sovereignty and power, Danu would grant gifts to rulers and those of noble birth. Though such gifts varied in value and substance, it is nevertheless clear that the kings, chiefs, and Ollam of the Tuatha Dé Danann all drew their power from her. The Tuatha Dé Danann were creative, crafty, and skilled; it has been theorized that Danu was the source of such talents.
As a mother goddess, Danu was believed to have suckled many of the gods and instilled in them a sense of wisdom. Given the migratory nature of the Tuatha Dé Danann, it has been speculated that she was a wind or earth goddess as well. All things in Ireland depended upon her blessings. Her connection to the earth also tied her to the fairies, fairy mounds, and the many standing stones and dolmens of Ireland.
Many scholars have theorized that Danu was a great river goddess. In many parts of the Celtic world, the most powerful mother goddesses had ties to major bodies of water. The River Danube, one of EuropeÂÂ’s longest rivers, may have been one of many rivers named in DanuÂÂ’s honor. This theory has been challenged as scholars continue to debate the potential migration patterns of Celtic people and their culture; nevertheless, it remains quite popular.
Neopagan tradition has added much to DanuÂÂ’s mythos that was not present in traditional Irish lore. The neopagan tradition reveres her as a triple goddess, both in association with the Morrígan and independently. There is little consensus among neopagans as to what Danu represents, however, and she is largely a blank slate for practitioners to use as they wish.
From: Mythopedia
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