Re: Names of a few Celtic Deities

Aydan wrote:

> What I am truly looking for is any assistance that could offer
> potential etymologic links between Nuada/Nodens and Neto, Neitin, etc!
> Is there any way that ALL of the names could be derived from the same
> root ---- rather than *(s)neudH-/*nedh-/*neud- on one hand and *nei- on
> the other?

No.

> Is there any way Nodonti, Nodenti, Nudente, Nodentis, Nodens, Nuadat,
> or Nuada could possibly stem from *nei-???

No.

> Is there any way Neitin, Netus, Netoni, and Neto could possibly stem
> from *(s)neudH-, *nedh-, or *neud-???

No.

That was easy! :)

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Patrick wrote:

> 1) Ne:to: is the inspiration to battle frenzy; the Egyptian female
> equivalent is Neith, a blood-thirsty cheerleader.

Surely there is no etymological connection between these two names, though.

> 2) Nuado is the 'raider'; the key to understanding his nature is the
> epithet
> Airgeadlámh, 'Silver Hand', which is self-explanatory.

I don't think "raiding" has anything to do with his name. "Cacher" maybe,
but not "raider".

> What they do have in common is that both are connected to the planet
> Mercury, the planet of thieves and ululating hysteria.

Hunh??? I don't think so.

> Cattle-Hand might have been a little awkward, do you not agree?
> Silver-Hand poetically expresses the greed for any material benefit very
> nicely.

> I cannot find in my references here the myth of how Nuadh lost his hand.
> Can
> you refresh my memory?

He lost it in fighting in the first battle of Mag Tuired:
"The battle of Mag Tuired was fought between them and the Fir Bolg. The Fir
Bolg were defeated, and 100,000 of them were killed including the king,
Eochaid mac Eire. Nuadu's hand was cut off in that battle--Sreng mac
Sengainn struck it from him. So with Credne the brazier helping him, Dian
Cecht the physician put on him a silver hand that moved as well as any other
hand." (Cath Maighe Tuired, Elizabeth Grey trans.)

> Tyr is almost certainly a sun-god, and his association with the Thing
> substantiates it; the solar divinity and law are almost always related.

Sky god, yes, but I don't think he is what anyone would call a true sun god.

> His lost hand is the penalty for perfidy. Did he have a prosthesis? I
> cannot
> remember one.

No prosthesis for Tyr.

- Chris Gwinn