Pelasgian gods explained

BySpiroKonda Historianshavereferredtoapre-GreekpopulationthatinhabitedtheBalkanPen insula,whichasofyetremainsquitemysterious.Referredtothembythename Pelasgiasn,littleisknownabouttheiroriginandlanguage.HomerinIlliadind icatesthattheyweresettledinEpirusoriginally.Herodotusindicatesthatthe irlanguagewasdefinitelydifferentfromGreek.Herodotusalsoindicatesthatt heGreeksadaptedthenamesofPelasgian“gods”.HereisHerodotus’selaboration: “…thePelasgiansformerlywerewonttomakealltheirsacrificescallinguponthego dsinprayer,asIknowfromthatwhichIheardatDodona,buttheygavenotitl eornametoanyofthem,fortheyhadnotyetheardany,buttheycalledthemg odsfromsomesuchnotionasthis,thattheyhadsetinorderallthingsandso hadthedistributionofeverything.Afterwards,whenmuchtimehadelapsed,they learntfromEgyptthenamesofthegods,allexceptDionysos,forhisnamethey learntlongafterwards;andafteratimethePelasgiansconsultedtheOracleat Dodonaaboutthenames,forthispropheticseatisaccountedtobethemostanc ientoftheOracleswhichareamongtheHellenes,andatthattimeitwastheon lyone.SowhenthePelasgiansaskedtheOracleatDodonawhethertheyshouldad optthenameswhichhadcomefromtheBarbarians,theOracleinreplybadethem makeuseofthenames.Fromthistimetheysacrificedusingthenamesofthegod s,andfromthePelasgianstheHellenesafterwardsreceivedthem”. Beingthatthenamesofthesegodshad“comefromtheBarbarians”,theGreeklanguag edidnothelptoexplaintheetymologyofthenameofthesegods.Somehaveuse dtheAlbanianlanguagewiththeassumptionthatthislanguagehaspreservedmor eoftheelementsofthePelasgianlanguage.OneofthemwasSpiroN.Kondawho sawtheAlbaniansasthedescendantsofthePalasgians.InhisbookTheAlbanian sandthePelasgianProblemhecollectsanabundantsourceofdatainanattempt toprovehistheory.HealsodealtwiththeetymologyofthenamesofthePelas giangodsandthisanalysisissummarizedbelow. Demeter(Δημήτηρ) T enameDemeterismadeupoftwowords,from‘de’and‘meter’.Theword‘de’waspronoun

d‘de’imitially,andlateritwaspronouncedas‘dhe’,thus,Demeter=Dhemeter.Themea ningofthecompoundwordisindicatedasDhe,meaningincurrentAlbanians‘earth’, andtheoriginalIEwordmeter=mother(matainSanskrit).Thus,Demeter=Dhemete r=EarthMother.InGreek,thepronunciationvariedaccordingtothedialects,Da mater(Doric),Domater(Aeolic)… AccordingtoDiodor,Egyptianpriestsbelievedthat“theearth,asthecommonwomb ofallproduction,theycalledMetera,astheGreeksinprocessoftime…calledth eearthDemetra,whichancientlywascalledGenMetera,orthemotherearth,as Orpheusattestsinthisverse:

Themotherearth,Demeteralsocall’d, Bringsforthmostrichly.(DiodorusSiculus,I,p.20,London,1814) TheGreekswerenotawareofthemeaningoftheword‘de’becausethecompoundword“D emeter”isnotinGreekbutinapre-Greeklanguage. Zeus(Ζεύς) D (seeabove)becamede-ainfeminineformandde-uinmasculineform.Justlik ede-aismotherofall,soisde-ufatherofall.TheGreekstookdeaanddeua

ndchangedthemtothea(θεά)andtheos( ndchangedthemtothea(θεά) andtheos(θεάς ),respectively.Butthetermshadlostthei θεάς),respectively.Butthetermshadlostthei iginalmeaningofDheu=earthandwerethoughtofasgods/goddesses. TheLatinsalsotookthetermsfromthePelasgiansandaddedustode,creating de-uswhichchangedtoZeus.And,besides“themother”wasalsoborn“Zeus,fatherof menandgods”,inlinewiththeconcept“earth,motherofall”(asinferredinDiodoru spassage).Pausaniamakestheconnectionevenclearer:

Zeuswas,Zeusisandwillbe,mightyZeus! Earthgivesusfruits,hencecallonmotherearth.”(Pausanias,III,Cha.X,p.135 ,London,1794) TheLatinversiontransforms“Deupater”toDe-jupiter,andthentoJupiter. Asthemeaningof‘Deu’wasdeified,themeaningof“bornfromearth”changedto“bornfro mgod’.Nowonlythebaseword“Deus”continuedtobeusedanditsignifiedthesuprem edeity. HesychiusofAlexandriainhislexiconindicatesthat“Pellasgianscalledthedeit y‘Dipatyron’whichintoday’sAlbanianappearsasPerendi.Itsmorphologyisexplaine dasfollows:Ifthesuffixisdroppeddipatyrremains,Dipatyr=Depater=De-at(w hichinAlbanianmeansfather).DepatercorrespondstoPater-de(thisuseisob servedinHomer(OZeuspater…–OfatherZeus…),thus,Pater=per,de=di,whichjoint oformPer-di=Perendi.ThisPelasgianwordwouldconveytheoriginalconceptof“t heearthismyfather”. Poseidon(Ποσειδῶν) Poseidon(Ποσειδῶν) …ha beenunderstoodasthegodofdrink,ofriver,ofseas,andwaters.Thismist akenetymologycontinuedfromHomertothepresent. IntheAlbanianlanguageexists“pat”,whichmeanstohave(me“pase”=toown),whichin theGreeklanguageexistintheformofpotandpos.Theword“pat”,preservestheo ldersound,whileinGreekandLatinitchangedinto(o).Astheothergods,Pos eidonwastakenfromthepre-Greektradition. IftheGreeksuffixisdropped(ων),thewordPoseida-sisformedwhichcanbesplit IftheGreeksuffixisdropped(ων), thewordPoseida-sisformedwhichcanbesplit asfollows: Pos=(possess,hewhopossesses=zot(inAlbanian)=god I=of Das=earth;meaning,theLordoftheearth. ThisetymologyhasbackingbyHomerwhocallsPoseidon“Geehon”( γαιήογ),thatiswhohold ThisetymologyhasbackingbyHomerwhocallsPoseidon“Geehon”(γ controlstheearth.(Homer,Iliad,Ken.XII,Varg.43.) Also,Pindar,callsPoseidon“Geahon”(Γεάοχον),thatisonewhoholds,onewhocontrolst Also,Pindar,callsPoseidon“Geahon”(Γεάοχον), thatisonewhoholds,onewhocontrolst .(Pindar,Carmina,Olimpians,13,79-82,face.56,Leipzig,1862.) Aferdita-Aphrodite(Ἀφροδίτη) Aferdita-Aphrodite(Ἀφροδίτ Acc

d n toHesiod,Aferditawasbornfromfoam.Platoindicatedthatthereis

nomeritincontradictingHesiod,buthethoughtthatitwasdoubtful,ifthena άφῥς).KarlSittlin“Theogonia”saidthatit meAferditacamefromtheGreekwordafros(άφῥς). meAferditacamefromtheGreekwordafros( KarlSittlin“Theogonia”saidthatit possibleforthederivationtocomefromtheGreekwordafros,butitisequall ypossibleforthenametohavecomefromanAsiaticlanguage.

InAlbanianlanguagetheadverbafr=near;thewordalsoexistedintheoldGreek as“afar”(ἄφ as“afar”(ἄφαρ).ThenextpartofthewordditawhichcomparestoSanskritworddia=brig light.AccordingtoMakrobitinSaturn,Cretanscalleddita,dia.Mostprobably thisdiachangedto“dita”inaccordancetonat-a=night(naktainSanskrit)byPela sgians.Thus,from“afer”and“dita”wasformedthenameofGodessAferdita(Ἀφροδίτ sgians.Thus,from“afer”and“dita”wasformedthenameofGodessAferdita(Ἀ φροδίτη).Ac Muller,inthebeginningAferditasignifiedtheday’sdawn.It’sinterestingtonot einlinewiththeSanskritworddi-a,Albanianlanguagehastheverbu-di=ugdhi =todawn. KondaindicatesthatHesioddidnotcreatethenameAferdite,buttriedtoexpla inonthebasisofavailablewordsandevidentlydidnotselectappropriateones .Thefirstpart,Afro,wasdistantfromafar,butresembled,orbetterwasiden tifiedwithafron(thefoamofthesea);thechoiceforthesecondcomponentof theword,dite,wasjustinexplicable;hechosetogofortheworddyesthai(δύεσθ theword,dite,wasjustinexplicable;hechosetogofortheworddyesthai( δύεσθαι)= andanadyeshtai(άν andanadyeshtai( άναδύεσθαι)=torise.

d

Apolloni-Apallo(Ἀπέλλων) Apolloni-Apallo(Ἀπέλλων) T explaintheetymology,KondadealsfirstwiththenamePelasgos.Pelasgisth esynthesisofPel-as-gai,thatispel=born,as=be-is,andg=earth.Aformof“as”i salso“a”;“g”isthedativeformoftheword“ga”-“ge”whichherecouldbethePelasgic .Tosupportthisetymology,Kondaindicted thatinGreekdialects,“pelasg”istranslatedtomean“gegenes”whichmeanstobeborn fromearth,autochthonous.Thelattercouldalsobesaid,“Iambornfromearth”whi chwouldbetheformof“A–pel-g”.Tothis,inlaterGreekwasaddedon(ων) chwouldbetheformof“A–pel-g”.Tothis,inlaterGreekwasaddedon( andforming ων)andforming Apelgon”(Απέλων). Apelgon”(Απέλων).The“g”hasbeendroppedcreating“Apellon”whichiseasiertosay.Ano The“g”hasbeendroppedcreating“Apellon”whichiseasiertosay.Ano “pell”(pjellintoday’sAlbanian)is“poll”whichappearsinthename“Apollon”,transla as“amborn”butessentiallymeaning“ambornfromearth.” Dionysos(Διόνυσος) Dionysos(Διόνυσος) Ζεύνυσος,Zωνυσος ωνυσοςandΔ ιόνυσος. GodDionyshasalsobeenreferredasDeynysos(Δεύνυσος), Ζεύνυσος,Z GodDionyshasalsobeenreferredasDeynysos(Δεύνυσος), andΔιόνυσος. nofZeuswhowasrearedbynymphs. νυσός).Ifto ThenameismadeupofDio(genitivecaseforZeus:Dio-s)andnysos(=Δ ιο, νυσός).Ifto ThenameismadeupofDio(genitivecaseforZeus:Dio-s)andnysos(=Διο, ttertheGreekosisdropped,nysremains;yinthiswordinpre-Homerictimess oundedasu,thatisnus,insanskrit“snusa”,inAlbanian“nuse”=nymph(inGreek). KondasaysthattheformDeynysos,whichismadeupofDey+nysos,leadstoanex plainationoftheetymologyoftheword.”Dey”isthegenitiveformoftheword“de”whi chinAlbanianmeans“dhe”=earth.Thesecondpartoftheword,“nuse”,meansbride. Inpre-Homeric“nyos”wouldhavealsosounded“nuse”andmeant“bride”.Withtimethemidd νυός)whichwasusedbyHomer(Illi “s”wasdroppedandthewordtooktheformof“nyos”(νυός) “s”wasdroppedandthewordtooktheformof“nyos”( whichwasusedbyHomer(Illi I,49).Thiswordalsoconnotesdaughterorson.Thus,themeaningofthewhole name“Dionysos”is:“son”ofearth”,or“daughterofearth”,=childrenofearth=earthborn= el-os(vineyard). Hera–Here(Ηρ Hera–Here(Ηρα–Ηρ –Ηρη) T sGoddessappearsinwritingofHomerandHesiodasHere( Ηρη)andwithPindarasH GoddessappearsinwritingofHomerandHesiodasHere(Ηρ era(Ηρ era(Ηρα).

triedtoexplaintheetymologyoftheword“Hera”fromtheworderao(=tolo ve).Hesaidthatpossiblytheonethatgavethename,likeameteorologist,cal ledtheairHera…(Plato,Kratylin).

Pl

KondasaidthatPlato’sthoughtthatHererepresentsapersonificationofameteor ologicalelementwascorrect,buthefailedinexplainingtheetymologyofthew

ord Tothepointnow, Theword(Ηρ Theword(Ηρα)intheoldGreekwaspronouncedEra( intheoldGreekwaspronouncedEra(Ερ Ερα)whichinAlbanianreferstothea .Kondaisunsureiftheexteriorsimilaritiesin(Ηρ .Kondaisunsureiftheexteriorsimilaritiesin( Ηρα)andAlbanianEraarealsoorga nic. Rea(Ῥέ Rea(Ῥέα) T ewordappearedfirstindoricandeolicasReaandionianasRee.Platoando

thersindicatethat“Rea”tookthenamefromtheverb“Ῥέω“=flow.KarlSittl(thepublish thersindicatethat“Rea”tookthenamefromtheverb“Ῥέω“= flow.KarlSittl(thepublish fHesiod)indicatedthatReaistheGoddessofallcurrents-flows. ByseekingetymologicalexplanationinGreekwords,oronlyintheGreeklanguag e,theymissedtoidentifythesimilarityinsoundof“ρέειν” e,theymissedtoidentifythesimilarityinsoundof“ (reein)withthatofthewor ρέειν”(reein)withthatofthewor a.InAlbanianlanguageexiststhewordrea(sothernvariant)andreja(northern variant)whichmeanscloud,justasintheoldGreekexistedReaandReia. Iftherewasacaseaboutapracticeofpersonifyinggodswiththenaturalpheno menonandforces,Reahasalltheattributestorepresentre=cloud,becauseiti sthecreationoftheskyandtheearth. Athena(Ἀθ Athena(Ἀθηνᾶ) AthenaaccordingtoHesiodhaswisdom. TheogenReginindicatedthatAthenawasherselfwisdom. AristotleindicatedthatAthenaisattributedscienceandarts. KondaagainlookstoanAlbanianwordtoexplaintheetymologyofthename.Hes eesAlbanianverb“than”=said/toldandbyaddingarticle“e”theverbchangesintoana djective,“ethana”=thesaid.InGreeklanguageitwastakenasoneword,“ethana”;the“e wasassimilatedbythestressed“a”attheend,transformingthewordto“athana”=”athena Parsefoni(Περσεφόν Parsefoni(Περσεφόνη) T e ealsotheformsPerifona( Πηριφόνα)andPhersephassa( Φερσέφασσα).Theexistenceofs alsotheformsPerifona(Π andPhersephassa(Φερσέφ

wshowdifficultitwasfortheGreekstopronouncethewordintheirownlangua geandsuggeststhatthenamehasprobablyapre-Greekorigin. KondastatesthatPersephonewasthesymboloftheseed,whichstaysongroundf orfourmonthsandthenspringsupaboveground.AndthenamePhersephassaconta instheAlbanianwordfar=seed.Astohow“a”changedto“e”heexplained,the“a”offirs syllablewasassimilatedbythe”e”insyllablethatfallows.(justlikeeinepanot obecomeapano,or,ergatesbecameargatesandihnariabecameahnaria.Theother partoftheword,sefanoiscouldnotbeexplained.