On the Connections of the Indo-Europeans with the West Semites According to the Data of Comparative Mythology
Petrosyan A. Ye.
In some Indo-European myths river deities *dānu- (cf. *dā- «to flow», suffixed *dānu- «river», *dānawo-) are opposed to the gods/heroes whose names may be associated with *Hner(t)- (*h2ner-) «virile strength, man». The *Hner-men fight against the *dānu-s and wed *dānu- women. 1. India. The Dnavas (children of Dnu) headed by Bali are the adversaries of the Devas headed by Indra (*Hnro- ?). 2. Ossetia. The water god Donbettyr (Watery Peter, cf. don «river», *dānu-) and his descendants constitute the race of Donbettyrs. The great narts (cf. *Hner-t-) wed the daughters of Donbettyrs. 3. Armenia. The manly (ari < *Hner-) Hayk, founder of Armenia, kills the Babylonian tyrant Bel. 4. Greece. Poseidon’s son Bēlos begets Aigyptos and Danaos. Fifty sons of Aigyptos marry fifty daughters of Danaos (Danaids). Trojan Paris-Alexandros (*Hnro-) abducts Helenē from Greek Danaoi. 5. Wales. The goddess Dôn (*dānu-) can be regarded as the wife of Beli, god of Death. 6. Iceland. The god Freyr, son of Njörðr (*Hner-t-) kills the giant Beli. Arm. Bel and Gk. Bēlos are derived from the Semitic b‘l «lord». Not everything is clear in the etymologies of Ind. Bali, Celt. аnd Norse Beli; nevertheless, they may be related to Bel and Bēlos. The mythic *dānu-s might be associated with a real West Semitic tribe, worshippers of Baal, cf. the Israelite tribe of Dan, Luw. Danuna, Phoen. Dnnym.