THE TRIBE OF DANA [TUATHA DE DANAAN]THE TRIBE OF DANA were descendants of Dana. "Dana" is another way of pronouncing the Hebrew word DAN.
It has been claimed that in Ancient Ireland Dana was a goddess who gave her name to a certain people. It was not unknown for ancient peoples to personify themselves with the figure of a goddess. Even now Britain is sometimes represented by a feminine form name "Brittania". DAN was a Tribe of Israel that once had widely spread posts throughout the Middle East. 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 at an early stage apparently participated in that conquest of Greece that gave rise to
Mycenean civilization.
In Irish accounts the Tribe of Dana came from Greece13 and arrived via islands in the north14 which assumedly meant Scandinavia. One of these islands was given the name 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. An alternative (or supplementary) 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. Even the account which says that the Dana came from or via Greece says that they had fought repeatedly with the Phillistines. The Philistines had adjoined the territory of Dan in southeast Israel. The Tribe of Dan in Israel as seen in the story of their hero Samson (Judges chs. 13-16) was constantly at altercations with the Philistine people and in the Land of Israel the original portion of Dan (in the south) had adjoined the Philistines and partly been taken over by them. Samson was a prototype for the Greek idol Hercules.
It now appears that after the Exile by the Assyrians some ISRAELITES from the Tribe of Dan had sojourned in Greece before moving onwards. Whether Danites had been in Greece prior to the Assyrian Exile (as we once supposed, as did others) may be doubted.
An Irish Historian, Thomas Moore, stated that the Tuatha de Danaan (i.e. Tribe of Dana), "after sojourning for some time in Greece... proceeded from thence to Denmark and Norway". Geoffrey Keating (ca.1570 1646) understood from traditional Irish sources that, <<the Danaans were a people of great learning and wealth; they left Greece after a battle with the Assyrians, and went to Ireland; and also to Danmark, and called it "DAN-mares", "Dan's country".
In Irish tradition THE TRIBE OF DANA were described as fair in complexion, wise, culturally advanced, and scientifically proficient. This description and the activities ascribed to the Dana fits the Civilization of Scandinavia during the so-called "Bronze Age". This civilization was advanced and had contacts with Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, and the Middle East in general.
The Irish said that upon reaching Ireland the Tribe of Dana fought against both the Fomorians and the People of Bolg. The Bolg were subjected and granted autonomy in the west, in Connaught. The Fomorians were defeated though later the ruling class of the Dana intermarried with the Fomorian.
Raymond F. McNair (1996) lists places containing the name Dan in Scotland (such as Dundee, Dunraven, Aberdeen, Duncansby Head, and the Don River) and in Ireland: Dun Laoghaire, Dunkellin River, Dundalk, Dans-Laugh, Dan-Sower, Dungarven, Dundrum, Dunglow, Dingle Bay, Donegal Bay, and Dunmore Head. McNair then makes the following observation which is well worth quoting:
~It is certainly no coincidence that the Irish Gaelic word Dun or Dunn means "Judge," just as Dan does in Hebrew!
It is also worth mentioning that many of the policemen, lawyers, and judges in the U.S.A. today are of Irish descent.
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