Piotr wrote in reply to Chris
> I got both your messages the moment I sent my remarks on the
danu-
names. I value your Celtic expertise very much, so I'm glad we agree
on the etymology of the Danube, the Rhone and the Donwy as far as the
form is concerned. What's new to me is the connection with Irish
danae
and the meaning "swift".
>
> As for hydronyms derived from divine names, I still doubt if it's
a common naming pattern. Belisama is primarily an adjective (and a
physically descriptive one at that), and its use as a rivername may
have little or nothing to do with its theonymic function. Matrona is
a
more likely counterexample, though even here one may argue that it's
just "the Mother of Rivers" -- figuratively, not in a religious sense.
Celtic worship of rivers as divinities was widespread, and so
confusions between names of divinities and rivers is not unlikely.
If
Danu means "swift" it could be an epithet of a divinity as well as of
a river. I don't know about Iranians, but the respect of rivers as
divinities is also, I understand, found in the Veda's too. Perhaps
S.
Kalyanaraman can comment better here. Human sacrifice at springs is
found in both Celtic and Germanic contexts. The idea that Matrona
as "Mother of the Rivers" means a non-religious sense, thus is
unlikely given Celtic "river-worship". River names may become
divinities and divinities may subside into River names in such
circumstances. Chris what do you think here? I don't know whether
"river worship" was found amongst Balto-Slavonic people. Perhaps
Piotr and Sergei would be better placed to comment.
Regards
John