Danu

Irish, derived ultimatly from IE danu- "river"

Irish mother goddess, also called Danann and Anann or Anu (as in the Paps of Anu), and has a Welsh counterpart called Dôn. Though the mother of the gods, and thus bestower of the name Tuatha Dé Danann (People of Danu? or Danube?), she never appears in Ireland. It is thought that, like Boann and Sabrina, she is a river goddess, in this case the river which is named for her, the Danube, upon whose banks the Celts once lived.

The relationship between Danann/Danu and Anann/Anu is difficult, best summarized here.

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Mary Jones © 2004