Dôn (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈdoːn]) is an ancestor figure in Welsh legend and literature. She is typically given as the mother of a group known as the "Children of Dôn", including Gwydion, Arianrhod, and Gilfaethwy, among many others. However, antiquarians of the early modern era generally considered Dôn a male figure.[1]
The House of Dôn
edit| Mathonwy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dôn | Math fab Mathonwy | Goewin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gwydion | Gilfaethwy | Arianrhod | Gofannon | Amaethon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dylan ail Don | Lleu Llaw Gyffes | Blodeuwedd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In astronomy
editLlys Dôn (literally "The Court of Dôn") is the traditional Welsh name for the constellation Cassiopeia. At least three of Dôn's children also have astronomical associations: Caer Gwydion ("The Castle of Gwydion") is the traditional Welsh name for the Milky Way, and Caer Arianrhod ("The Castle of Arianrhod") being the constellation of Corona Borealis.[2]
Etymology & Proto-Indo-European Origins
editDôn has different etymological origins than the Irish Danu; while the former is perhaps a water goddess (cf. the Danube river and the Vedic Danu), Dôn more likely comes from ghdhonos, meaning "the earth." In this sense, she can be seen as the Welsh version of "dheghom" from Proto-Indo-European mythology, the primordial Earth Goddess from which all other gods originate. It has been suggested that, as a result, the Children of Dôn would be cognate to the Greek Titans.[3]
See also
edit- The House of Llŷr
- Tuatha Dé Danann
- Danu (Irish goddess)
- Donn
References
edit- ^ Bartrum, Peter (1993). A Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History and Legend up to about A.D. 1000 (PDF). Cardiff: The National Library of Wales. pp. 230–231. ISBN 978-0907158738. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
- ^ Squire, Charles (2003). Celtic Myths and Legends. United Kingdom: Parragon. pp. 252–253. ISBN 9781842040157.
- ^ Koch, John T. (1989). "Some Suggestions and Etymologies Reflecting upon the Mythology of the Four Branches". Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium. 9: 1-10.
External links
edit- The New Companion to the Literature of Wales, Meic Stephens.
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