Re: Odin again?

> The similarities between the Norse and Zoroastrian mythologies are
> striking......................

<snip>

> .......There is nothing so plainly similar in Russian, Greek,
> Hittite, or any other mythology as far as I have found (yes, I know
> of the Hindu Yama, etc).

This is either due to 1) common Proto Indo European heritage and the
rather conservative nature of Germanic religion, 2) close contact
between Eastern Iranians and early Germans or 3) a little of both.

> The Zoroastrian cosmic ocean goddess Anahita seems similar in name
> and character with the Irish goddess Aine/Anu (details later).
> Scholars believe that Aine was synonymous with Danu. I believe that
> the Norse goddess Idun has some similarities in myth with Danu and
> Anahita, namely that her apples of immortality parallel the Haoma
> that grew on Anahita's Otherworld paradise (i.e. the Garden of

Eden).

> I suspect, however, that our linguistic experts would discount the
> name similarity as being superficial at best.

Yes, very superficial. The Irish name Anu is probably the same as the
Brittonic river name Anauia "Annan" (with an ethnic name based on the
genitive, Anauiones) and the genitive form Donand seems to come from
a Proto Irish *Danuionas, which may be related to the Latinized
Gaulish rivername Danuuius "Danube" and the Welsh rivername Donwy
(Danu is a reconstructed form - we don't actually have it attested in
Old Irish). I don't think that Anahita is related to Anu/Anauia, nor
Idun to *Danu/Danuuius

- Chris Gwinn