Ireland

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Both Irish & Indian mythology say the crowd before man was a race of demigods called 'the people of the Goddess Danu' (lemmy.ml)

submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by frightful_hobgoblin@lemmy.ml to c/ireland@lemmy.ml

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In outline, Irish mythology (sources like the Lebor Gabála Érenn) says Ireland was occupied by the Túatha Dé Danann (a magical, beautiful, ethereal race), before the Milesians (Celts/men) took it. 'Túatha' is a word without English equivalent, meaning clan or tribe or petty kingdom; 'Dé' means 'gods'; and Danann is the genitive form of Danu so it means 'of Danu'.

Meanwhile, over in India, we read in the Mahābhārata that the goddess Danu gave birht to a race of asuras (demigods) called the Danava.

There's lots of these little Indo-European links – in language, in culture, in myth. You see more and more of them the longer you look.

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[–] apis 2 points 6 months ago

Also thought to be linked to the names of many great rivers. Danube, Dan, Don, etc.