I am rather ignorant about all things Indo-Iranian, and only
slightly less informed about all things Celtic.
In his review of Sakellariou's work, Katona says
this:
--start quotes--
Vedic and Danaan mythologies have developed in opposite
directions: in the former we find elements impeding benefits of waters, which is
not the case of the second. He then corrects and opinion of a passage of the
Zend-Avesta: It is not the Danu who were defeated by the protector genii of the
Iranians but the Iranian warriors implore the genii to help them against the
Danu. These Avestic Danu, together with the Danaans, and The Dynnym of Adana in
Kilikia appear to represent three related branches of an Indo-European
population, and at the same time the Danu are proven also to have been a
historic people. [p. 81]
The Proto-Greeks outside Greece are represented by a, the
Avestan Danavo- (they could have detached at an early date from the main body),
b, the Danaans. The latter can be traced from Troad to Kilikia in numerous
regions of Asia minor with a few 'Danaan facts" in Armenia as well as elsewhere.
They do could have detached from the main body or have passed the Caucasus. [p.
85]
--end quotes--
So. Danaan is indeed an ancient IE ethnonym, one that stands
at the head of Greek as a self-applied term for those people who first
spoke Greek, as well as a term for 'other folk' used in Indo-Iranian, and what
seems certainly also for the heroic race of the Tuatha De Danaan. But I
could be wrong. This is just speculation here. It's almost as if we have the
self-applied ethnonym for 'Western IE folk'.
Mark.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2000 6:00
PM
Subject: Re: [tied] Danaan as
ethnonym.
And the Indian Danava?
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2000 5:11
PM
Subject: [tied] Danaan as
ethnonym.
Following up my earlier post, the Tuatha De Danaan do come
to mind here. The teuto-word, plus some reflex of the da-/dan- root. I've
not studied Celtic mythology much, but the Tuatha De Danaan seem to have
been mythical from the start, stories from earlier times on the continent,
preserved and retold in Ireland, with the places shifted largely to
Ireland.
Is it fair to say 'Danaan' should be seen as a fundamental
IE ethnonym, at the level of say 'Aryan', words ancient IE peoples used
to describe themselves?
Mark.