--- In cybalist@..., "Christopher Gwinn" <sonno3@...> wrote:
> --- In cybalist@..., cas111jd@... wrote:
> > --- In cybalist@..., "Christopher Gwinn" <sonno3@...> wrote:
>
>
> Garrett Olmsted has done an admirable job of comparing the cauldron
> to episodes from the Irish Tain Bo Cuailgne. There is really no
> reason to assume that the cauldron does not represent native Celtic
> imagery. In recent years, it has been re-asserted that the cauldron
> could have been made in northern Gaul, and not in Eastern Europe,
as
> some believe.
>
While the central figure is obviously Cernunnos and shows Celtic
origin, his setting is, IMO, very cosmic and shows any number of
parallels throughout the IE mythologies and thus influences,
including the cattle raid.
The seven tines of each of Cernunnos' antlers is mirrored, IMO, in
the cult of Mithra, who had seven attendants (planets) and seven
messengers (comets). The other animals are cosmic constellations.
Cernunnos is the IE primordial creator god. Two keys animals are the
snake and dog (or wolf), found also with Mithra, Odin, Herne, Apollo,
etc. They are even Loki's progeny.
The tree is VERY interesting. It seems to recall Anatolian myths of
Attis and the other dying-and-resurrection gods. However, I believe
it also relates to Ahriman's attack on Spihr, which is a version of
the World Tree and found in Celtic culture as the May Pole.
The bull is the sacrificial bull found in the cult of Mithras (not
Mithra), and is in Zoroastrian religion as Geush Urvan (or Evagdath).
>
> But how could PIE *dan-, the root of Danuuius, give Tanais?
>
>
Firstly, I thought it was from *dhen-, 'to flow'. As I pointed out,
the ancient river Tanais is today called the Don. I don't know when
or how this name change came about. For all I know, the Greeks still
call it the Tanais, and maybe others such as the Iranains and Ossets
still do.
cas