In Celtic mythology, Danu or Dana, also called Anu or Ana is the Irish name of the mother of Dagda (the Good God), so by birth she belongs to the gods of life, light and the day. She is the companion of the Bres of the Fomorians, with whom she had a son, Ruadan.
She was credited with the honor of being the Mother Goddess from whom the other gods descended. She is considered as the mother of Govannon , Llud, Amaethon, Gwydion and the goddesses: Erin and Arianrod.
In Christianity, she is converted into Saint Bridget and is also said to be related to Saint Anne, the Mother of Mary. She is a goddess of fertility and in neopaganism, she is represented as a woman in pregnancy and whose moon phase is the full moon. She is considered part of a manifestation of the triple Goddess.
Appearance:
Danu takes the form of a triple goddess which comprises of names such as Dana, Anu and Brigit. According to mythology, Dana is one goddess who is able to take the form of either the maiden, the mother or the divine lady of the essence of earth, air, and water.
She is capable of transforming herself into any form depending on the situation. She teaches us to honor and respect diversity while remembering the different physical stages of life.
Goddess Danu is represented as either an old woman with a horrible look or as a beautiful woman with a compassionate appearance.
Symbols:
Sacred stones, horses, particularly mares, seagulls, fish, amber, gold, rivers, sea, flowing water, air, wind, earth, the moon, the keys and the crowns.
Going further:
J. García Font points out in his book ” The Celtic Legacy” that in Sanskrit Anna means food and “Ann” means breath and respiration. If this were true, Anna would mean vital food .
In the Celtic world the people of Ana, the anaon, are those who have stopped breathing; that is, the dead, the people of the beyond, those who inhabit the mounds (the Sidhs).
However, other historians affirm that the name of Dana seems to be related with the meaning of “waters of cielo” and “fast current” in Irish. There are studies that indicate that the Danube, the river whose name comes from the Goddess Mother Danu, occupied the same sacred place as the Hindu river Ganges.
Goddess Danu Power
Danu was considered to be the first creative goddess of existence, who gave birth to all the things. As an earth goddess, she was associated with fertility, growth, abundance, agriculture, cultivation and raising the earth.
The rivers and the water that runs to the sea, are also from Dana’s domain. She has the power to attract inspiration, and as a goddess of literature, she knows the secrets of alchemy and magic.
As an omnipotent goddess, she helps with the spread of illusions and can make a person’s dreams to come true. She also helps individuals with low self-esteem to build their confidence.
References:
• https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_(mitolog%C3%ADa_celta)
• http://runamagica.blogspot.com/2011/08/danu-la-diosa-madre-y-su-evolucion.html
• https://celetic goddesses. wordpress.com/ 2016/01/09/danu/
• https://irlandairlanda.wordpress.com/2008/05/10/magia-celta-%E2%80%93-la-diosa-dana/
• http:// bardmythologies. com/danu
