Brauron and Bear?

O.E. brun "dark, dusky," only developing a definite color sense 13c., from
P.Gmc. *brunaz (cf. O.N. brunn, Dan. brun, O.Fris., O.H.G. brun, Du. bruin, Ger.


braun), from PIE *bher- (3) "shining, brown" (cf. Lith. beras "brown"), related
to *bheros "dark animal" (cf. beaver, bear (n.), and Gk. phrynos "toad," lit.
"the brown animal"). The O.E. word also had a sense of "brightness, shining,"
now preserved only in burnish. The Gmc. word was adopted into Romanic (cf. M.L.
brunus, It., Sp. bruno, Fr. brun). Brown-bag (v.) "to bring lunch or liquor in a


brown paper bag" is from 1960s. Brown Bess, slang name for old British Army
flintlock musket, first recorded 1785.

Could Brauron, Greek One of the most famous worshiping sites for Artemis in
Attica, and consequently, Artemis Brauronia, be related to *bHer- "brown"? Maybe
Brauron be a adstratal non-GReek IE name for the bear? Brauron < *bHr- ?

JS Lopes