Names of a few Celtic Deities

Greetings all,

I'm back with a bit of a puzzle, and I am hoping you experts in the
Celtic languages may be able to help me out with this..........



Nuada and Mars Nodens -

John Rhys, in "Celtic Folklore – Welsh and Manx" (www.sacred-
texts.com/neu/cfwm/cf201.htm) states:
"The name of the god, as given in the inscriptions, varies between
Nudons and Nodens, the cases actually occurring being the dative
Nodonti, Nodenti, and Nudente, and the genitive Nodentis, so I should
regard o or u as optional in the first syllable, and o as preferable,
perhaps, to e in the second, for there is no room for reasonably
doubting that we have here to do with the same name as Irish Nuadu,
genitive Nuadat, conspicuous in the legendary history of Ireland."


1st possibility: In her work "Pagan Celtic Britain", Anne Ross
proposes the name Nodens to mean "Cloud Maker", and to stem from the
same root as the name Nuada. Thus both derize from *(s)neudH- "mist,
cloud"; Latin nu:bes 'nuance'; hence "Cloud Maker".

2nd possibility: Dumezil has attempted to link Nuada to the root
*nedh-, 'to bind' (Mitra-Varuna pg 99) Also the root of nodus,
`knot', Sanskrit naddha-, `fastened', Irish naidim, `I bind'. The
second edition of the American Heritage Dictionary of Indo- European
Roots expresses the root as *ned to bind, tie. The O-grade form is
*nod-. and is the root of such words as knot and net.

3rd possibility: *neud- "to grasp for something / to acquire".

**************

Mars Neton of the Accitani (near Granada Spain), is described by
Macrobius as 'Mars adorned with rays' which brings to mind the diadem
and (sun?) chariot found at the temple of Mars Nodens.
Linguistically I am not sure how the transition from Mars Nodens to
Mars Neton might occur, but there do seem to be similarities.


In Spain and Portugal are found further inscriptions to Neitin,
Netus, Netoni, and Neto.
(Incidentally there is an isolated/severed hand that is part of the
Binefar monument to Neitin and may be a conceptual/mythologic link to
Nuada).
At first glance these names do not seem to stem from the same root as
Nuada/Nodens, which is where things become difficult. There seem to
be conceptual links to Nuada and Mars... and perhaps a linguistic
link to Mars Neton?... but I am unsure how names like Neitin and Neto
can stem from the same origin as Nodens and Nuada.
I have read (from www.kamous.com/translator/s.asp?l=1908 ) that the
names Neton and Neit, and Neitin may all derive from: niata : meaning
courageous, Irish nia, gen. niadh, a champion, niadhas, valour,
Middle Irish forniatta, brave, Early Irish nia, g. níath, possibly
Ogam neta, netta (*nêta?): *neid-.
The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots (AHDIER)
mentions *nei- "to be excitied, to shine" and states it is the root
from which the Old Irish name Neil and níall 'brave' derive.
This etymology is supported by V. M. Renero (Diccionario del Mundo
Celta, 1999) and would suggest that Mars Nodens and Mars Neton are
from distinctly different roots.

I would greatly appreciate any assistance that could offer potential
etymologic links between Nuada/Nodens and Neto, Neitin, etc!

Sincerely,
Aydan