Danu, Dana. It’s difficult to find Danu mentioned other than as the mother Tuatha De Dannan, the children of Danu, from whom they take their name. Little is mentioned of her in mythology, except in her connect with the Tuatha De. Although it’s not mentioned in any of the surviving myths, her husband/consort was probably Bile, the father of Milesius and a god of the Otherworld. (1)
As for
the Tuatha De Dannan, they established rule of Ireland by first conquering
the Fir Bolgs and then the Formorii. Bringing civilization to the island,
the children of Danu represented goodness and light, while the Formorii
offered only darkness and evil. The Tuatha were later driven underground
into their sidhes by the Milesians, or children of Mil, who were human.
Rampant Lion. Gods and Goddesses of the Indo-Europeans. [http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/6779/god.html#d]
Ross,
Anne. Druids, Gods, and Heroes from Celtic Mythology. New York:
Peter Bedrick Books, 1994.
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Originally
composed June 2001.
Copyright
Laurel Reufner, 2001. Comments? Email me!