Dan in Ireland and Wales

Contents:
The Israelite Tribe of Dan and Greek Civilization.
Philistines, Pelasgians, Myceneans, Minoans
The Minoans-Philistines and the Exile of Israelites to Western Edom by Assyria
The Movement of Dan Together with the Other Tribes Westward
The Tribe of Dana, Bile, and Dagda in Ireland
Dan in Britain.
The Children of Don and Beli in Wales
Symbols of Dan.
Dan in Biblical Codes.


The Israelite Tribe of Dan and Greek Civilization

The Israelite Tribe of Dan had conquered Cyprus and maybe also Crete and had bases in Cilicia (i.e. northwest Syria and southeast Turkey), the north Galilee, and by the port of Jafo in the land of Israel. An offshoot from the tribe of Dan (possibly in alliance with Pelasgian-Philisitines or Philistine Minoans) at an early stage conquered Greece and gave rise to Mycenean civilization.
Inscriptions have been found equating the Philistines with Pelasgians. They ruled over parts of Greece before the Myceneans. Minoan influence in Greece was also strong before the Myceneans and we believe continued alongside that associated with Mycenea. In archaeological terms the Pelasgians have been difficult to define but should probably be associated with the Minoans.
In a lost play, Archelaus, Euripides says that Danaus on coming to reside in the city of Inachus (Argos) formulated a law that the Pelasgians were now to be called Danaans.

We may identify the Danaans with the elites who created Mycenea. The early rulers of Mycenea were about a foot taller on average than the locals they ruled over. They have been shown archaeologically (from the shaft graves of Mycenea, as explained in the Cambridge Ancient History) to equate with a branch of the Hyksos who were expelled from Egypt.  The symbol of the Hyksos was a griffin which had the body of a lion and head of an eagle. The griffon (according to later tradition) was also one of the symbols of Dan. The Hyksos in Egyptian eyes were identified with former residents of Canaan and with the Israelites. The Israelites came out of Egypt and conquered Canaan. They also laid claim to Goshen in the Nile Delta. There were periods in the time of the Judges, under Saul, and later when Israelites did gain control of the Delta part of Egypt (Goshen) and settled there [Joshua 11:16]. Alessandra Nibbi ("Canaan and Canaanite in Ancient Egypt", 1989, UK for a summary see, "Ancient Israelite Re-Discovered" in Tribesman no. 3) has shown that groups of Caucasian type peoples in the Nile Delta in the 1200s BCE previously considered to be "Libyans" were in fact Israelites.
The Danite association with Greece involves not only the Myceneans but also the Philistine-Minoans. Minoan Civilization was based on Crete but also associated with both Dan and the Philistines. The Philistine city of Gaza was also known as Minos in honor of Crete.  Inscriptions with the name Dan (Danaus) have also been found in Crete.
The time of Mycenean Civilization is given as c. 1600 BCE - c. 1100 BCE. We would place it as after 1200-600 BCE or later.
The presence of Dan amongst the Greeks is mentioned in Greek Mythology as described in our writings and in more detail in articles (to be found on this site) by John R. Salverda, see "Helleno-Yishurin. The Hebrew Origin of Greek Legends".

The Minoans (Philistines) had a high level of civilization:
Studies of recently excavated Minoan buildings by computer scientist Constantin Papaodysseus of the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, and his colleagues have revealed geometrical and general mathematical knowledge allowing a degree of precision not equaled until recent times and even that is doubtful.

The Philistine link with Minoan Civilization in Crete is mentioned in the Bible where Caphtor refers to both Cyprus and Crete.

[Genesis 10:14] AND PATHRUSIM, AND CASLUHIM, (OUT OF WHOM CAME PHILISTIM [=Philistines],) AND CAPHTORIM.

HAVE NOT I BROUGHT UP ISRAEL OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT? AND THE PHILISTINES FROM CAPHTOR [Amos 9:7].

The Minoans-Philistines and the Exile of Israelites to Western Edom by Assyria
The Philistines [Gaza, etc], Phoenicians [Tyre], and Edomites are described by Amos as accomplices to the Assyrians in exiling the Ten Tribes.

# Thus says the LORD: " For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they took captive the whole captivity
To deliver them up to Edom." # [Amos 1:6]

# Thus says the LORD: " For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four,  I will not turn away its punishment, Because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom,  And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. " # [Amos 1:9]

Did the Edomites first set up colonies in Western Europe and then brought captive Israelites as their subjects to settle them?
Map showing location of Schleswig (just south of Denmark) in Northern Germany.

Were the Israelites transferred in Minoan (Philistine) and Phoenicean (from Tyre) vessels in the employ of Assyria in coherts with Edomites in the west?
We have shown elsewhere from Scripture (see for instance the Brit-Am Commentary to Amos 4:2) and archaeology (see our work "Origin".) that a portion of the Ten Tribes were transferred by boat over the seas to Spain and the West.
Remains of Minoan Civilization have been found in Germany to the south of Denmark. It is interesting that Pellworm Island in Germany (northern Schleswig) in which they were found was once part of a larger area known as "Edomsharde" [Edom's District?], see Wikipedia on Rungholt:
http://wikipedia.qwika.com/de2en/Rungholt
"Rungholt was the main port of the Edomsharde."
Source:
 http://britam.org/now/660Now.html
#4. New Find: Bronze Age Crete-North Frisia [Northwest Germany] Connections
Note from "Dirk" in [Germanic-L] Digest Number 1786

Map showing location of Minoan Finds in Schleswig, Northern Germany. The land has sunk. Pellham Island at the time in question was linked to the coast.

Walt Baucum, "Bronze Age Atlantis", wrote of the Minoan Presence in this region of Northern Europe based on information apart from the Minoan archaeological finds we have mentioned.

Orjan Svennsson ("Scandinavian Secrets. The Hebrew Code of the Runes") shows that the Galta monument of Bjoerketorp in Sweden bears a Hebraic message in Minoan script.

Mycenean finds were later found in Britain (e.g. in the region of Stonehenge and Wessex) and in Scandinavia.
Mycenean finds are also plentiful from the Land of Israel and in some cases may have been produced there.
Phoenician finds have also been found in the West as explained elsewhere.

Dan reappears in Scandinavia and Denmark. The very name Denmark  means "border of Dan".  Scandinavian tradition relates that the Danes came from the region of the Bosporus in Western Turkey and from the Don River region in southern Russia.  These areas are both consistent with them being Israelites exiled by the Assyrians. The arrival of Dan in the West may reflect that of Israelite Migrations westward in general. They arrived both by overland routes and also by ship. They had been transported by Philistines and Phoeniceans in Assyrian service.

The Movement of Dan Together with the Other Tribes Westward
The Tribes of Dan like other Israelite Tribes to a degree split up into different elements that later in part re-coalesced. This has been described in our work "The Tribes. THE ISRAELITE ORIGINS OF WESTERN PEOPLES ". In "The Tribes" we also show how groups from Dan were to be found alongside and in alliance with groups from other Tribes that they had been linked to or neighbored whilst still in the Land of Israel prior to the Exile.

The Tribe of Dana, Bile, and Dagda in Ireland
Dan reappeared in the British Isles.
Dan is recalled in Ireland as the goddess Dana and the god Donn. In Wales Dan is referred to as Don.
In Hebrew the name Dan could be pronounced as Dan, Dana, or Don.
The Tuatha D'Danann have a name meaning "People of the goddess Dana". In Ancient Hebrew the name Dan could have been sounded as Dana.

The Tuatha D'Danann ("People of the Goddess Danu") settled in Ireland before the Milesians. The Dananns were descendants of the goddess Danu. The son of Danu was Dagda. They were skilled in art and science, poetry and magic. They were said to come from four mythical cities: Falias, Gorias, Finias and Murias.
The husband of Dana (also rendered as Danu) was Bile. Some say Bile was the ancestor of Mils, the ancestor of the Milesians identified with the modern Gaelic Irish especially with the Descendants of Neal.
Bile was also considered the god of death. Bile parallels Belenus on the Continent and Beli in Wales. His name is also rendered as Bel which was the Mesopotamian (Assyrian etc) way of pronouncing Baal. We are accustomed to regarding Baal as solely a pagan deity and this is how the Bible presents him. In practice however the term Baal (meaning simply "master" or "lord") could also be applied to the God of Israel, cf.
 "And it shall be, in that day,"  Says the LORD, "That you will call Me 'My Husband,' And no longer call Me 'My Baal [Master]'" (Hosea 2:16).
Britain was referred to as the "Honey Isle of Bel".

There was also Donn, god of the dead, worshipped mainly in Munster in southwest Ireland.

In Irish accounts the Tribe of Dana came from Greece and had fought there against the Philistines. We see Irish Mythology perhaps correctly identifying the Pelasgians as Philstines. The Tribe of Dan had arrived in Ireland via islands in the north, assumedly in Scandinavia. One of these islands was named ASSAL which is also the appellation of a Middle Eastern principality in the region of Gozan on the Khabur River whereto part of the Northern Israelites had been exiled. Another Irish version says that the Dana came from the city of Dan at the foot of mount Libanus (Lebanon) in what was once the area of northern Israel.

Geoffrey Keating (ca.1570-1646) is considered a reliable transmitter of Irish Tradition. He says that in Greece the Dana had also fought with the Assyrians.
Conventionally the Assyrians are not considered to have been in Greece but an inscription shows they claimed to have conquered Cyprus and archaeological remains indicate that Nebuchadnessar the Babylonian who took over the Assyrian Empire did rule over Greece as well. In Ireland the Tribe of Dana fought against both the Fomorians and the People of Bolg. The Fomorians were defeated though later the ruling class of the Dana intermarried with the Fomorian. The Bolg were subjected and granted autonomy in the west, in Connaught.
See also:
Various Traditions no.3
THE TRIBE OF DANA [TUATHA DE DANAAN]
The Irish Hero Dagda and Samson


Dan in Britain
Devon and Cornwall in the southwest of Britain were referred to as Danonnia. In earlier times they had been referred to as Damnone and Daunians. In Scotland near Edinburgh (the Gadeni) we find the Damnonni. Further to the north in the Pict region of Mor we have the Don River. In what later became northern England Ptolemy recorded the city of Danum and another river named after Dan. This is interesting since much later Viking Danes from Denmark settled in this area.

The Children of Don and Beli in Wales
In the 400s CE the Roman areas of Britain were smitten by a plague accompanied by great depopulation. The Picts invading from Scotland attacked from the north. The Angles, Saxons, Jutes and others (such as the Vandals) came from the east. The Scots from Ireland moved to west Scotland and gave Scotland its name. Tribes from Ireland settled in Wales especially in the south. Much of Welsh Mythology is parallel to that of Ireland which may be due to it coming from there.

The Welsh accounts say that the Children of the goddess Don fought against the Children of Llyr and defeated them. The Children of Don descended from Don and Beli.
The father of Beli was Manogan. Mathonwy was the father of Don. Don was considered the mother goddess of the Cymry who led by Hu Gadarn came to Britain over the seas from Dephene in the region of Byzantium. This was the same area where the Danes of Denmark claimed to come from.

This is all mythology and may be attributed to human imagination. Nevertheless the accounts dove-tail with known historical facts and follow a certain logical sequence. Very often legends such as these have been shown to be historically correct.

Symbols of Dan
The symbol of Wales is a dragon which along with the lion, griffon, serpent, and eagle could be considered a symbol of Dan.
A correspondent, Bo Ronn from Sweden, informs us that the major province of Scania in Sweden still uses a griffon as its symbol and that this region historically was linked with Denmark.

Dan in Biblical Codes
Donegal (in the North of Ireland in west Ulster) in Biblical Codes is linked with the Lost Ten Tribes in general, with Dan, with Gad, and with Calcol of Judah.

Ireland linked up with Judah and with elements from Judah (such as David) rather than with Dan. Ireland also linked up with Tarshish which was one of the points Israelite Exiles were transported to.

Ulster linked up primarily with Joseph and his offshoots but also Judah was important.

Wales linked up with Joseph and Simeon.
We put the Welsh name for Wales, "Gymru", in the Bible Codes test and came up with results consistent with the Lost Ten Tribes, Joseph, and the exile by Assyria. We did not come up with anything for Dan.

Denmark in the Codes came up with Dan several times over, also with Laish a center of Dan, and with Naphtali, Gad, and Judah. Dan however was clearly predominant in the Denmark results.
The Danish had a tradition that they were decended from the Israelite Tribe of Dan and that the Angles and Jutes were also from the Tribes of Israel.

See other articles on the Israelite Tribe of Dan.


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