Dôn

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Dôn (Welsh pronunciation /doːn/) was a Welsh mother goddess. She does not play a direct part in the action of the Mabinogi, though many characters in that cycle are related to her. She is the consort of Beli Mawr and the mother of Arianrhod, Gwydion, Gilfaethwy, Gofannon and Amaethon. Patrick K. Ford asserts that she is the equivalent of the Irish Danu and of the Gaulish goddess "whose name is preserved in the river name Danube (Donau)".[1]

This theonym appears to be derived from Proto-Celtic *Dānu meaning "fluvial water".[2]

[edit] Appearance in modern fiction

A semi-divine personage of the same name is mentioned in the children's mythological pastiche The Chronicles of Prydain, although she is not actually a character in the stories.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Patrick K. Ford (ed./trans.). 1977. The Mabinogi and Other Medieval Welsh Tales. University of California Press, Berkeley. p.89
  2. ^ Proto-Celtic—English lexicon and English—Proto-Celtic lexicon. University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. (See also this page for background and disclaimers.) Cf. also the University of Leiden database.

[edit] External links


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