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Donn
Donn
1. Irish god of the dead and the Otherworld; simultaneously an ancestor-deity whose identity is confused with the Dagda; may also be identified with Donn mac Míled, the son of Míl Espáine, who sometimes retains a distinct personality (see below). To a lesser extent Donn (1) may also be confused with Donn Fírinne and Donn Ua Duibne; additionally, Donn (1) may also bear the name Donn Tétscorach. As a chthonic or underworld deity, Donn bears a relationship to several Mediterranean deities, most notably the Roman Dis Pater, from whom he may derive through Gaulish intermediaries. He is a retiring, aloof deity who prefers to live in isolation away from the company of other gods. He is most associated with west Munster, the province most often linked with the dead. The first of the invaders to land in Ireland, he resides at Tech Duinn, ‘Donn's House’, or, more often in English, ‘the House of Donn’, described as a rocky islet near Dursey Island at the extreme western end of the Beare peninsula. The dead live with him here. Some Christian commentators have speculated that the souls of the damned may linger for an undetermined time in Tech Duinn before departing for hell. Not surprisingly, aspects of Donn (1)'s character have been adapted to portrayals of the devil in pious folklore. In later oral tradition Donn (1) was thought to cause storms and shipwrecks. Donn mac Míled, the eldest son of Míl Espáine and Seang, is portrayed as a character in the Lebor Gabála [Book of Invasions], but not always identified as Donn (1), god of the dead; his brothers are Amairgin and Colptha. When he offended Ériu she prophesied that he would not be able to enter Ireland, and so he lived on the rocky islet at the end of the Beare peninsula known in stories as Tech Duinn. Except that he is recorded as having drowned, all remaining elements of his characterization imply identification with Donn, ruler of the dead. 2. Máel Fothartaig's foster-brother, who murders Eochaid and his wife in revenge for the slaying of Máel Fothartaig. |
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Cite this article
JAMES MacKILLOP. "Donn." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAMES MacKILLOP. "Donn." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-Donn1.html JAMES MacKILLOP. "Donn." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-Donn1.html |
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Donn
DonnAn Irish hero of medieval legend, son of Midir the Proud. The Colloquy of the Ancients, a thirteenth-to fourteenth-century collection of Ossianic stories, tells how Finn and Kelta and five other champions were out hunting one day and followed a beautiful fawn until it vanished under ground. Seeking shelter in a noble's mansion, they were entertained by Donn mac Midir and his brother, and their aid was requested against the rest of the Danaans. Three times that year they had to fight their fairy foes, and all their followers were killed except the 28 warriors. The fawn they had followed had been an enchanted maiden sent to entice them. After a year of successful fighting, the Danaans were obliged to make peace. |
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Cite this article
"Donn." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Donn." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3403801434.html "Donn." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3403801434.html |
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Donn
Donn, Dond [Ir., dun brown; king, lord]. The name borne by kings, the ruler of the dead, and at least one famous bull appears to be a conflation of different words; the OIr. donn has eight definitions. The listing of six leaders of the Tuatha Dé Danann with this name implies that many identities are confused and overlapping.
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Cite this article
JAMES MacKILLOP. "Donn." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAMES MacKILLOP. "Donn." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-Donn.html JAMES MacKILLOP. "Donn." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-Donn.html |
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Donn
Donn ♂ (Irish) Ancient byname meaning either ‘brown’ or ‘chief, noble’, in use from the earliest times until the 19th century.
Also: Don. |
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Cite this article
PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Donn." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Donn." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Donn.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Donn." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Donn.html |
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