[gothic-l] Re: Not Danparstadir

[keth at ONLINE.NO]

Hi Anders,
Maybe this is a bit off topic, but perhaps it can be
seen as an example of principles involved?

>As far as my knowledge goes it is ONLY Homer that uses the name
>Danai as a general term for greeks. And then the Illiad is
>fictional..., so I don't believe the greeks ever called called
>themselves Danai really.

"The ancient Greeks" is a collective term for all the people who spoke
Greek, say before Alexander. At some time they must then have
begun to call themselves "Greeks". But maybe the very oldest Greeks
did not call themselves Greeks (yet). A common language, or closely
related dialects is not necessarily enough for a common name.
Or is it? Then the ancient Germans ought to have had a common
name from long before the Romans began to call them Germanii.
The same with the Goths. Did they call themselves Goths from
the very beginning, or was this just a name that became attached
later?

(In other words: Did Berig call himself a Goth?)


>But apparently there was an ancient tribe in Argos or Argolis in
>today's Greece that was called Danaoi. These are coupled tho the myth
>about Danaos and Aigyptos which in brief goes:
>Danaos had 50 daughters who married 50 of Aigyptos sons. They were
>instructed by their father to kill their husbands on the wedding
>night, and all of them did so exept one. Then they fled to greece, to
>Argos according to some versions, but according to Herodotos they
>came to Rhodes.

Interesting myth. Could it relate to a story about Amazons?


>
>Because of this the (and possibly other evidence) Danaoi seems to be
>connected to the Sea People tribe Danuna, which took part in the
>attacks on Egypt around 1200 BC. This tribe also seems to be
>connected to the Dan tribe in the Old Testament.

Do you believe the ancient Israelites was such a tremendously
large group of people, that all later groups are somehow
related to one or more of their tribes?

I was actually amazed when I read that archaeologist have hardly
found a single trace of Israel's 400 year stay in Egypt.

The sea peoples are interesting. I believe they were
the ones who attacked the coasts of Palestine and settled
there as Filistians. But according to the Bible, the sea peoples
were then the foes of the Jews, and not their own lost tribes.

Best regards
Keth



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