Re: [cybalist] Re: Easter

From: Dennis Poulter
Message: 2216
Date: 2000-04-27

I agree with your point no.2 below. On the surface it seems that Danu/Don in Britain is pre-Celtic. After all, the Tuatha De Danann (the People of the Gods of Danu) were driven underground by the Milesians (=Gaels?). Is there any other evidence of Don/Dan names elsewhere in the Celtic world apart from Britain and Ireland?
 
Regards
Dennis
----- Original Message -----
From: Piotr Gasiorowski
To: cybalist@egroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 26 April, 2000 8:22 PM
Subject: Re: [cybalist] Re: Easter

 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 11:47 AM
Subject: RE: [cybalist] Re: Easter

1. It's archeologically proven that Scythian influence extended up to today's Berlin, and maybe even further to the west.

Certainly, but the archaeological evidence points to Scythian raids rather than prolonged visits, not to mention stable settlement. Such events could hardly have left any traces in the toponymy of the lands in question.

2. I don't see any reason to adscribe Ireland's and Pontic hydronymy to the same ethnolinguistic group (whatever it could be).

I agree. I suppose it's the old speculative comparison of Arya with Eire (as well as the existence of some shared archaisms in both groups -- as if shared archaisms had any value as evidence of relatedness) that continues to have some effect -- not only on romantic-minded laymen but also on some serious historians and, horribile dictu, linguists. Of course in relatively recent times there was a zone of Celtic/Iranian contacts in southeastern Europe, but that was just a secondary effect of Gaulish and Sarmatian expansion.

Piotr