Dôn
Welsh · deity · mythic prehistoric · Recorded classification
Welsh mother goddess and ancestress of the divine 'Children of Dôn' — Gwydion, Arianrhod, Gofannon and Amaethon.
Children
Domains
- motherhood divine kindred
Epithets
- Dôn The mother-goddess, ancestress of the Children of Dôn (cognate of Irish Danu)Math fab Mathonwy; the Welsh genealogies (primary)
Relations
- equated with: DanuReciprocal of irish_danu.equated-with — Ancestral-mother equation (Tuatha Dé Danann ~ Plant Dôn), standard since Rhŷs. Flagged: 'Danu' is back-formed from gen. Danann and the Danu/Dôn phonology is imperfect — structural identification, not certain.J. Rhŷs, Lectures on the Origin and Growth of Religion as Illustrated by Celtic Heathendom (1888) (secondary); J. T. Koch (ed.), Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia (2006), s.v. 'Dôn' (secondary)
- sibling: Math fab MathonwyReciprocal of welsh_math.sibling — Magician-king of Gwynedd; brother of Don; with his nephew Gwydion he conjures Blodeuwedd (who already lists both as makers).Mac Cana, 'Celtic Mythology' (1970), on Math fab Mathonwy as brother of the goddess Don, whose sons Gwydion and Gilfaethwy are his nephews (secondary)
Sources
- existence: Pedair Cainc y Mabinogi, Fourth Branch (Math); Trioedd Ynys Prydein (primary)