III - EPISTEMOLOGY OF THE PANNONIAN ONOMASTICS - Part 01

III - EPISTEMOLOGY OF THE PANNONIAN ONOMASTICS

Archaeological discoveries at some sites in Pannonia, like Lipinski Vir, Vincha, Starchevo etc. have successfully confirmed the authenticity of the ancient Sredno Podunavie Culture to have existed between 7000 and 5300 BC, which archeologist Mary Gimbutas (Gimbutas, M., The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe 6500-3500 BC Myth and Cult Images, Univ. of California Press, 1982.) calls the “Old European Civilization”.

This ancient European civilization has developed in an authentic way and differs from the culture in the Middle East and from that of Central and Northern Europe. Because of this our research will start with Sredno Podunavie because its archaeological substrates constitute possibly the oldest findings in the Cultures of the European civilization somewhere in which there must be adequate glossology or paleo-glossology. This will be the hypothesis on which a possible model of the prehistoric archetypal language will be based.

Glossological research of the Theonomy and Mythological Onomastics in Pannonia

In our methodology of scientific research we will be using Jung’s (Jung, K.G., Dynamics of Unconscious, (прев.), Матица Српска, Н. Сад, 1990.) entities of complex psychology: archetype, collective unconscious. This model will be used to research onomastics, mythology and prehistory. Included in the Sredno Podunavie onomastics to be investigated will be the hydronyms and horonyms found on the military-geographical maps (1:200 000) which did not belong to the Slavic-Serbian corpus. The old Greek language and lexiconomy is used to explain the names whose glossology has been studied by Greek, German and other linguists, who have found substrates in the ancient Greek language that do not belong to the Hellenes, but to the prehistoric natives.

The panorama of the prehistoric world that existed in the Balkans and in the Aegean has many puzzles which have attracted researchers with a variety of profiles. One of those great enigmas is called “The Greek miracle”.

The so-called “Greek” theogony, cosmology and mythology remains an enigma to this day despite the many advances made in philosophy, the humanities and technology. Following Thales of Miletus, Herodotus, in his own way, tried to explain that it was the poets Homer and Hesoid who

compiled the history, powers, rights and everything else associated with the gods and gave it to the Hellenes.

The question is: “Is there any truth to mythology?” Furthermore, could poetry and philosophy have existed together at the time when mythology was created and was that archetypal? Or, is mythology the beginning of philosophy?

But because poetry and philosophy are found in mythology and contributed to its existence, there is also a question of language, because in the structure of the oldest languages one can unearth many treasures and perhaps the source of philosophy. One cannot even imagine philosophy or even human consciousness and human existence without a language. Without language, one cannot imagine the existence of a collective unconscious archetypal culture such as the Sredno Podunavie Culture.

Included in the composition of these puzzles are the myths of Hercules, the Argonauts and the Golden Fleece, as well as the myth of the Hyperboreans, a mythical people who lived far north, on the other side of the north wind. Because of that and in order to verify our chosen hypotheses we have selected the following research objectives:

1. Determine to which linguistic family the Pannonian geographic onomastics belong. 2. Establish the etymology and semantics of names. 3. Determine the creators and carriers of the linguistic culture of the Danubian civilization. 4. Examine the question of continuity and survival of geographical names. 5. Determine, with glossological help, if the language of the Danubian civilization in Pannonia was a substrate of the ancient Greek language, i.e. Alexander the Greats’ “Koine” language. 6. Consider the question of the prehistoric Scythians, or Proto-Slavs, being the guardians of the linguistic continuity and the Central Balkans archetypal culture.

Research Method

Many authors believed that the non-Slavic onomastic in Pannonia belongs to the Illyrian or Celtic language. We, however, will try to decode it using the Greek language because we believe the onomastics are preserved in the ancient Greek language, and that it constitutes the substratum of Greek. Unfortunately the apparent problem is that the Hellenes never settled this region.

The Hydronym Danube

Most hydronym experts believe that the name “Danube” originated from the Celtic language because “Danube” in Celtic means “river”. There are other names like: Dunai, Danub, Duna, Dunarea, Donau, Dona, Tuna etc., a total of about 160 different names. The Greeks called it “Danouvios Istros”. In Latin it was called “Danubious”. (“Vindobona, quia dat vinum bonum; Danubius, quia dat nubes” (“Viena, because it produced good wine; Danube, because it made clouds”). This humorous etymology was created by J.G. Seume, an 18th century German writer. This so-called “folk” or indigenous etymology was made famous by Sima Milutinovick Sarajlija (Muhamed = Muha (fly) + med (honey), etc.)).

From an etymological point of view, we are looking at the neologism Danou” and “vios”, which originated from the theonym “Dios” - Zeus, whose word form is Dan-Zan, all derived from the root “di”, “dios” – shine, “shine in heaven”. Genitive of Dan is Danou. “Vios”, the other member of the name “Danouvios” (vivus in Latin) or “bios” means “life”. Therefore, “Danouvios”, “Danubius”, means Dios’s or Zeus’s River of Life, Divine River, or “Lord of all Rivers” and is the personification of the god Dios or Zeus. This is our basic starting assumption.

While “Danouvios” was named after the upper and middle course of the river down to the Gierdar waterfalls, the lower part was originally called “Istros”. The Hydronym “Istros (ist-ros) is coined from the word “istia” or “estia” fireplace or food (hence the word “jesti” in Serbian) and the word “reo”, “roos” - stream, river or “rivus” in Latin i.e. “River that feeds”; hence the theonym Hestia, one of the 12 Olympic gods, who personified fire, fireplace, associated with numerous homes in Lipinski Vir.

There are a number of rivers in the Danube hydrological system in Pannonia, among which are:

TISA - etymologically derived from the verb “tiso” – to make a sacrifice to the gods. In mythology, Tisa is the personification of one of the nymphs to whom the goddess Rhea gave her son Dios to protect and cherish;

TANISH or TEMISH is the personification of the Titan-ness Themis, god Dios’s second wife;

NERA is the theonym of god Nerei (Nerevs), ancient god of the sea;

SAVA is the personification of the god Sava - Zios, a Thracian-Phrygian mythological deity; The three MORAVI are the personification of the three Miori, evil destinies, daughters of Moros and subordinate to Dios and the other gods;

STIGA or MLAVA is a personification of the nymph Stiga - Styx, one of the rivers of the underworld, in which the souls of the dead are passed (by Charon) to the realm of Hades and Persephone. One of its tributaries is named BUSIR, which is the personification of Busiris (Osiris), the mythological god of the Egyptian underworld, and is tied to the adventures of Heracles.

Islands or “ADI” of the Danube

The river islands of the Danube are the personification of the god Hades, from the etymology “Ades”.

NESTINSKA ADA at Chelarevo is etymologically derived from the word Nestos or Nesos. Nes, in mythology, was a centaur, a demonic river creature which the gods put in place to transport people through the rivers. This name is also associated with Heracles and his wife Deianira.

KRCHEDINSKA ADA is etymologically derived from the word “karkinos” – cancer and the word “idin” - resembles, looks like, which in mythology is associated with the battles of Heracles, Hydra and the Kirkin.

ADA TSIGANLIA etymologically is a compound word consisting of the words “gigantis” - wild, titanic, and the word “lian” - a lot, plenty. In mythology, the Titans participated in the rebellion against Dios in Gigantomahia.

ADA RATNO OSTROVO is a translation of the name Ares, god of war who personifies the “conflict” or collision between the Danube and Sava waters.

The ADI FORKO - TUMATS and CHAKLIAN are located between Belgrade and Panchevo. “Forkis” in mythology was the god of cliffs and waves. He was father of the Hesperidites who protected the divine golden apple orchard belonging to the gods and to the goddess Hera at Iabuchni hill near Panchevo. “Tumats” or “Taumats” was “Forkis’s” brother and “Iridas’s” (Iris’s) father. Irida was the personification of the goddess of information. The word “Chaklian” is etymologically derived from the words “kak” – meaning wasp, evil, and the word “lian” - a lot, plenty. In mythology, “Kak” was an evil monster known as the thief who stole Heracles’s Gerinovian cows. His sister “Kaka”, who helped Heracles after they left Pannonia, moved to Rome where she became an old Roman goddess. There are places in Rome such as Atrium Caci and Scale Caci which still retain the onomastics preserved in the memory of Kaka.

ADA FORTRESS earlier was known as ERITHIA. The onomastik “Erithia” is complex and consists of the words “erio” – by force or pull violently and the word “theia” – deity, belonging to the deity, meaning getting the ships over the Danube Falls, in the opposite direction to the water flow. In mythology, Gerion was the king of Erithia who owned the famous cattle.

Hydronyms of Pannonia and Gierdap

The word “PANNONIA” is etymologically coined from the words “pan” – all encompassing, universal, and “nonia', which etymologically is derived from the word “non” – me, I, ego. In mythology, “Pan” is a god. He is the son of “Reia” and “Kron” (Cronus), one of the original gods.

SHUMADIA is the Serbian translation of the word “Hila” etymologically derived from the word “hila” - forest trees. There has always been a forest on this place. In mythology queen “Hila” was “Ehidna” the woman who gave birth to Heracles’s son “Skit”, who in turn was the father of all the Scythians in the Balkans.

POZHAREVACHKO POLE (field) is the Serbian translation of the words “FLEGRAION PEDION” which is etymologically derived from the verb “Flego” - burning, flaming, a land where the “gigantomahia” (battle between titans) took place in mythology.

HERONIA is a toponym located in Deliblatsko Swamp which is etymologically derived from the word “Hera”, the goddess, Zeus’s wife, and from the word “non” or “on” – truly, really.

APATIN is the name of a city on the Danube. In mythology “Apata” was the personification of deception, fraud. “Apata” possessed a magic sash, which the goddess Reia used to turn her husband Kron (Cronus) mad.

TITEL is a city located at the confluence of the Tisa and Danube Rivers. “Titel” was coined from the words “titos” and “el”. In mythology Titi was a terrible giant who attacked the goddess “Leta”, mother of the god Apollo and of the goddess Artemis. “Elos” was a swamp. Large swamps exist to the east of Titel including the larger Belo Ezero and Tsarska Bara.

EZERO (Lake) PALICH was the mythological titan Pal-as. 15 GIERDAP and GERDAP are etymologically derived from the words “Ger” – gift and “dap” – land, region, area i.e. the land of the mythological king Gerion. “Gierdap” in mythology was a “Tartar” (Tartaros) – an abyss. Zeus vanquished the Titans and the Giants and after the “titanomahia” and the “gigantomahia” he banished them into the Tartaros (abyss). The left bank of the Danube River near Gierdap was named Tartaria and so was a hill in Yulia Alba in Transylvania.

Ethno - Onomastics in Serbia

We have noted that in the study of geographical names, many place names have ancient etymological meaning. Here for example, Gordon Childe (Childe, GV, The Danube in Prehistory, London, 1929) cites the ethnonym “Danuni” in Egyptian documents from Tel El-Amarn, dated around 1400 BC, which refer to “the people of the north”. As a people the Danuni are also mentioned later in time, in an Egyptian artifact found in the Temple Medinet Habu in Thebes, in which they thank Ramses III for opposing enemy attacks from “the peoples of the sea” and from the mainland in 1194 BC. The ethnonym “Danuni” is etymologically derived from the hydronym “Danu-bius” -Danube”. During the migrations of peoples, a group of Danuni settled in “Kilikia” (Cilicia) in Asia Minor, and another group settled in Egypt. Modern Sahara researchers claim to have found a pale-skinned Nubian tribe in Egypt which claims to have originated from the Danube.

The hydronym “Machva” etymologically belongs to the paleo-Balkan glossology (PBG) and consists of the word “mak”, “makar” - rich and the word with suffix “va” which is the same as “fa” - food, hence the city “Bogatich”. This toponym matches the ethnonym “Makedon” where “kedon” comes from the word “kednos” meaning honest, dear, cherished, slender...

There was a horonym and a toponym in Machva east of Shabats called “Mish-ar”. The PBG word “mus” means “mouse” (Mish in Serbian), while the word “ar” means really or truly. In prehistory the mouse was regarded as a totem, a god of healing (Graves, R. The Greek Myths, Penguin books, Middlessex, 1972). This horonym was also an ethnonym of the people of “Misi” or “Mezi” (Moesia) who Homer (Homer, Iliad II, 858, Novi Sad, 1985. (Prev. M.N.Gjurigj)) placed on the Danube and in Asia Minor. Homer even wrote a poem about them: “The Mishans were led by Hromis and Enom, foretellers of the birds…” The toponym “Mosna”, located at the mouth of the Porechka River in the Danube, is the ethnonym of the “Mosiniki” people, who, according to Graves (Graves, R., The Greek 16 Myths, Penguin books, Middlessex, 1972) some exclusively migrated to Macedonia and settled in the region stretching from Lake Prespa to Mount Bermion (Karakamen) and became known as the “Brigi” (shoreline people) due to the lake, while others migrated along the Danube flow and moved to the Black Sea coast of Asia Minor, west of Trapezunt.

The city “Mionitsa” east of Valievo and the village “Mionitsa” are also ethnonyms of the “Miontsi” people and of the land “Mionia” in Asia Minor. Herodotus (Herodotus, History, I, 7, Matica Srpska, Belgrade, 1988) wrote about them and said that the “Lidiani” were previously called “Miontsi”, their country was called “Mionia” and that their capital was “Sard” (Sardis). Homer (Homer, Iliad I, 1, II, 864, Novi Sad, 1985. (Prev. M.N.Gjurigj)) also wrote about them and said: “The Meontsi in battle won over the Mestle and the Antif…” These people were also referred to as “the people of the sea” since about 1400 BC, and together with the “Danuni” they were known as the “Shard-ani” because they were citizens of their capital city “Sard”. Senc (Senc. St.: Grkohrvatski rjenik, s. 574, Kr. Zemaljska tiskara, Zagreb, 1910) wrote that the “Miontsi”, left the Balkans during a turbulent time along with the “Mish-ani” and the “Brigi”. One of the most famous descendants of the “Miontsi” was king “Krez” (Croesus) (555-549). “Rich like Krez”. He possessed the largest state in Asia Minor.

The toponym “Lapovo” located northeast of Kraguievats is the ethnonym of the prehistoric tribe the “Lapiti” whose kin tribesman leader was king “Lapit”, son of the hyperborean god Apollo. The Lapiti, during hectic times, colonized the plain south of Olympus and became the Aeolians. They named the region where they settled (current Thessaly) Aeolia.

The toponym “Minichevo” in Timok, south of Zaiachar, is the ethnonym of an ancient nation called the “Minitsi”. The Minitsi together with the Aeolians colonized Thessaly and Boeotia. They built “megaroni”, fortresses and treasure houses, fought against the Finiki (Phoenicians) of Thebes, built Troy and colonized Armenia and Kirinaika in Libya. They hatched out the Argonaut expedition along the Danube River, after the Kolhidites in 1225 BC.

There are also “transformed” onomastics. These are original paleo-Balkan onomastics later translated to Serbian. Included among the “transformed” onomastics are the ethnonyms and toponyms “Pozharevats”, “Sirakovo”, “Chemerno” etc.

“Pozharevats” and “Pozharevachko Pole” are translations of the PBG belonging to the words “Flegraion pedion” whose etymology comes from 17 the word “fleg”, “flogs” (flagro in Latin) meaning fire, in flames. In prehistoric times the “Flegri”, together with the “Lapiti” and the “Minitsi” and other remaining Hyperboreans, colonized Aeolia (present day Thessaly). The name of their tribal leader was “Flegi”. Flegi was the founder of the towns named “Flegi” in Thessaly and Boeotia. He was also the father of “Kronida” who was impregnated by Apollo and gave birth to a son named “Asclepius”, future god of medical innovations.

“Sirakovo” is located east of Pozharevats and is the ethnonym for the “Tiroitsi”, the Thessalian colonists from the Dimini Culture and for a group of Aeolians. They contributed many prominent heroes and kings throughout the entire continental part of Greece and in the Peloponnesus. In Athens they were the “Pizistradi”, the “Kodridi”, the “Alkmeonidi” and the “Paionidi”, including Solon and Plato.

The onomastic of “Chemerno” is quite prevalent in Serbia and beyond. Usually it is an oronym of mountains like Mount “Chemerno” located east of Ivanitsa, Mount “Chemerno” located east of Gatsko and Mount “Chemerno” located north of Sarajevo. In prehistoric times “Chemerno” was the ethnonym of the “Ahaitsi” (Achaeans) meaning without joy. According to historians Papastavrou (Papastavrou, I,: Istoria tis Arhaias Ellado, p. 26-30, Hiotelli, Athinai, 1972), Taylor (Taylor, W.L.: The Mycenaeolns, p. 158, Thames and Hudson, London, 1983), McQueen (McQueen, JG: The Hittites and their contemporaries in Asia Minor, London, 1986) and Mpampiriotis (Mpampiriotis, G., Synoptiki istoria tis Ellinkis glossas, p. 96, Athina, 1986), the “Ahaitsi” migrated from an area called the “Sredno Poduvanie” and first went to the Thessalean Ftia and after that the Phrygian “Pelop” expelled them to the north of the Peloponnesus.

The horonym “Homolie” and oronim “Homoliski Planini” are located in the northeastern part of Serbia, between Pech and Mlava. Equivalent onomastics existed in prehistoric times in Boeotia and Thessaly, in the form of antroponyms and horonyms. For example, king “Amfion”, the son of Zeus who built Thebes, had a son called “Homoliats” (Omolöevs). One of the Delphic prophetesses was called “Homolika”. She was daughter of the “Enie”. The goddesses Athena and Demeter in Thebes had the attribute “homolski” added to their names. The festive games in Thebes were known as the “Homolski” (Omolöis) games. One of the months of the year was called “homolski” (Omolöis). There was also a gate in the outer walls of Thebes called “homolski”.

The best description about the gate in the walls of Thebes was given by Pausanias (Pauzania, Perrigissis tis Ellados, IX, 8, (прев. Pasini: Vodič po 18 Heladi), Logos, Split, 1989). He wrote: “...The Homolski gate received its named as follows: When the Thebans were defeated in battle at Glisant by the Argives, many retreated with Laodament, son of Eteokle. One group took the road going towards the Illyrians, turned towards Thessaly and occupied Homol, the most fertile and richest Thessalean mountain plain. When Tersandar, son of Polinik, asked them to return home, they did. The door through which they passed during their return was named Homolski gate (Omolöides pylai), in honour of Mount Homol (Omolöön) which they left behind.”

In the “Deliblatsko mochirishte” (or the “Banatski” sands) in Banat there is a horonym called “Heronia”. In ancient history there are mentions of a city called Heronia (Hairöneia) of Kefis located in Boeotia, west of miniski Orhomen. This city is most famous for the Macedonian victory over the City State Alliance in 338 BC, when Philip II defeated the Athenians and their allies on August 2nd and conquered the City States.

When considering the issue of names with “transformed” onomastics, in these studies we lack the horonym Hyperborea (Northern country) and the ethnonym Hyperboreans (people of the north) (Ypervoreoi).

Pindar (522 - 442 BC), the lyric poet of Thebes, said that Hyperborea was a country with a mild climate. In his poem “Olympic odi” (3, 26-27), in the part where Heracles received the task of capturing the “kerinski” deer, he said he “looked for it tirelessly all year and that the hunt took him even to ‘Istra’ (Danube) and to the land of the Hyperboreans at ‘Kladon’.” (Kladusha, near Kladovo).

Since “Mount Voras”, “Kajmakchalan” in Macedonian, was named “Borei” in the old and new Greek geography, then everything that is on the north side of it is Hyperborea, everything up to “Istra” on the Danube. Furthermore, if in the ethnonim “Severtsi” (“Hyperboreans”) (people of the north) the following rearrangements are made: Severtsi > Servetsi > Servtsi > Servi > Serbi we get Srbi.

The author Ostrogorski, in his works “History of Byzantium” (1969, 140), said that during Constantine IV’s reign as Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Bulgarians penetrated the region where the Slavs, the “Severtsi” lived. This was during Asparuh’s time (679-680 AD).

Herodotus (Herodotus, History, IV, 8-10, Matica Srpska, Belgrade, 1988) created an intrigue when he wrote: “Heracles chased Gerion’s herds to the lands of the ‘Heleia’… where now Scythians live.” The horonym “Hileia” comes from the paleo-Balkan word “Yle”, which means “shuma” (forest), 19 i.e. “Shumadia”. Heracles went from Boeotia to “Hileia”, to the Gulf of Solun, and then traveled along the valley of River Ehedora (gift, has a gift) and Vardar (protects a gift) and through Moravia to “Shumadia”.

Research Results – Linguistic

In this research, we would be adhering to the fundamental principles of epistemology, or, more precisely, gnoseology, as a scientific branch which aims to explore and study the science itself and to accurately determine the investigative field and methodological units. For this research paper our research will take us to the toponomy of Pannonia in Serbia.

The methods used in this research paper belong to etymology and semantics. Etymology is a science of the origin and construction of the “word”, i.e. the “word’s” original roots, while semantics deals with the study of the meaning of the word itself. Studies have shown that a large part the Pannonian topo-onomastics has non - Slavic etymological origin and does not belong to the Sanskrit language. The onomastics are autochthonous, archetypal, proto-Indo-European and is the source of the paleo-Balkan glossology and the proto-languages of the Balkans, Asia Minor and the Aegean. It is an inexhaustible spiritual archeology.

This is also confirmed by other authors, such as Thomsen (Thomsen, V.: Sur la parente de la lanque etrasque, OKD, Copenhagen, 1899), Thomson (Thomson, G.: I Arhaia Eilliniki Koinonia-to Proistoriko Algaio, p. 119, Athina, 1954) and McQueen (McQueen, J. G.: The Hittites and their contemporaries in Asia Minor, p. 35, London, 1986) who believe that in prehistoric times, the Balkans, together with the Aegean basin and Asia Minor, were a unique gnosological region, whose onomastics are not of Hellenic origin. Moreover, similar glossological substrates exist in the geographic area which ranges from the southern parts of Russia and the Black Sea, all the way to the land of the Sumerians. Thus, this language represents a separate branch of the Indo-European family of languages.

Because Pannonian and Balkan topo-onomastics, in general, have been used in the speech of a wider region we believe using the so-called ancient Greek language would be the best tool to successfully decipher them. This language is well understood and documented, which will make it very useful to our methodology. It will be a scholarly translation of phonetic and semantic developments of word-based onomastics, a historical-comparative glossology and par-etymology or “folk” etymology of the ancient language used by Greek linguists. This is because inside the so-called ancient Greek language many Balkan paleoglossological substrates

20 are embedded, which the Greeks call “proheleniki” or “pelasiki” glossology.

In his study entitled “Concise history of the Greek world”, modern Greek linguist professor Mpampiniotis (Mpampiniotis, G.: Synoptiki istoria tis Ellinikis glossas, Athina, 1986) has said that certain glossological substrates in the Ancient Greek language are of non-Hellenic origin. Following are some examples of Greek elements added to the end of certain non-Greek words:

To toponyms:

amos: Gramos, Samos ... nthos: Korinthos, Zakinthos, Tirinthos ... ssos: Ilissos, Parnassos, Kifissos, Knossos ... ssa: Larissa, Edessa, Naussa, Arnissa ... ttos: Lakavittos, Imittos, Ardittos ... mnos: Kalimnos, Rethimnos ... ndos: Pindos ... ake: Ithake, Thrake ...

To horonyms:

Islands: Krete, Thera, Thasos, Lesvos, Milos, Naksos, Hios ... Regions: Pelazgia, Thesprotia, Thessalia, Arkadia, Magnesia ... Cities: Athena, Mikali, Argos, Lerna Pirasos ...

To other hydronyms:

Pelagos, Pontos, Kolpos, Pineos, Sperhios ...

To oronyms:

Olimpos, Pindos, Gramos, Kifissos ...

To anthroponyms:

Ahilevs, Atrevs, Alizevs, Andrevs, Еnipevs, Erehtevs, Evрistevs, Nelevs, Nerevs, Odisevs, Persevs, Pilevs, Thisevs…, and all other anthroponyms which have the suffix –evs.

To theonyms:

Athena, Artemis, Apolon, Zevs-Dios, Ermis, Promithevs ... 21 Fitonymi: Dafni, Kolokinthos, narkissos, jakinthos, kissos ...

To phytonyms:

Dafni, Kolokinthos, narkissos, jakinthos, kissos…

And to various other names:

Pirgos, megaron, sidiros, gefira, halkos, anks, aspis, theos, eirini, kithara, kindinos, tiranos...

(These glossological substrates are phonetic, not an official transcript.)

Here are two examples taken from the author’s etymological analysis:

The theonym of the goddess “Athene” or “Athana” he said was of “unknown origin”. He believes the name is pre-Hellenic and belongs to the Indo-European group of languages. We, however, believe that it belongs to the Paleo-Balkan Glossology and that the prefix “A” is the negation: without, no, while the second part, the word “thana” means “death” – “Thanatos”. Hence, “without death” means that the goddess Athene-Athana is immortal.

The hydronym “thalassa” - Sea, he said was also of unknown origin and is connected to the Macedonian idiomatical word “glössa” - speech, language, dialect. However, he also thinks that it could be coined from the word “tha” – to run and from “alas” – salty. But he fails to mention that it can be derived from the Slavic word “talasati” in Serbian or “talas” – wave, ripple in Macedonian.

In terms of age, Pannonian topo-onomastics suggest that they may be related to the Danubian culture Lepenski Vir and Vincha and that the language of these cultures is preserved in these areas, and in the “unknown origin” (“agnöstos”) of the elements of the so-called ancient Greek language. Typically this “Pannonian language” belongs to the duo-complex or synthetic languages which belong to the proto-Indo-European language used as a “common” language as far back as 3000-5000 BC.

According to their published materials, researchers and interpreters of the Lipinski Vir (Srejovikj D. Lepenski Weir, Belgrade, 1969; and Srejovikj D. Babovikj l., Art Lepenskog Vira, Belgrade, 1983) Culture did an excellent job in analyzing the materials of that culture. They, above all, very convincingly affirmed that “the sacred architecture and stone sculpture of the book about the creation of the world is an expression of a single cosmogony and eschatology”. They also assessed that the “Lipinski Vir monuments represent the perfectly articulated speech about something that is of utmost importance for the human being, the meaning of life and the creation of the world.” However, the researchers failed to identify the language that the Lipinski Vir Culture spoke.

In our discussions with the researchers we noted that they were of the belief that the “Lipinski” people had their own language that belongs to the paleo-Balkan glossology. In the proto-Indo-European language the word “Lepen” has its basis in the words “lepaios” – rocky and lepas - bare rock, from the verb “lepö” – to peel and “lepra” - scabby, mangy, leprosy, as the archeological site and its stone sculptures testify.

The “Ancient Macedonian Language”, Alexander the Greats’ “Koine” is the result of Paleo-Balkan glossological evolution and development.

Research results – Theonyms and Metonyms

The Pannonian topo-onomastic contains theonyms and mythological elements. The “Danube” hydronym system which personifies Zeus (Zen, Dios, Dan, Danoubius) with its tributaries and islands belongs to the Paleo-Balkan Glossology and is an allegory of the whole mythological system belonging to Homer and Hesiod’s theology and to the Olympic pantheon of gods.

The horonym “Pannonia” is a personification of the hydronym “Panonsko More” (Pannonian Ocean), created through geographical evolution, when the ocean “Tetis” became “Paratetis”. The theonym “Tetis” means “master” – Pantocrator. In Homer and Hesiod’s mythology, “Tetia” was the original mother of all gods and living beings. Tetia was Okean’s, wife and Uranus and Geia’s daughter. She was also mother to three thousand Oceanid daughters. When the land below the ocean rose up, the Pannonian Ocean waters trickled down the “Dakisko” Sea and over time the Gierdap Gorge or “Tartar” (Tartarus) was created. Tartarus is a 98 kilometre long cavern.

The mountains that survived the upheaval were named Karpati (Carpathians) (stones that have suffered). In mythology the eternal battle between water and stone is described as “titanomahia” (titanos is limestone).

The god Poseidon, at Zeus’s request, placed a “Bronze Gate” (or an “Iron Gate” as it is known today) at the end of Tartarus (Gierdap Gorge) (Hesiodus, Fragmenta & Theogonia, p. 453). Spread behind the “gate” is the “ocean’s power”: Danube’s three kilometre long waterfalls span a height of 30 metres and run at a speed of five metres per second, emptying at an average volume of 6,000 to 16,000 cubic metres of water flow.

Here, at a place where the width of the Danube River was only one kilometre wide, the “Gierdap” hydropower system was built in 1970. After the Pannonian Ocean drained and dried out, it was replaced by many rivers, islands, caves, wetlands, meadows and a vast sandy expanse. The geographical and physical process that took place in mythology were described as “Gigantomahia”, a “great battle” which, according to Hesiod (Hesiodus, Fragmenta & Theogonia, p. 183) took place in the “Flegreiska plain” (Flegrion pedion), i.e. in the “Pozharevachka plain”. The third generation mythological gods won the great battle. They were led by Zeus (Dion, Dios, Dan, Danou, Danubius) who, with all his strength, experience and wisdom, overpowered the other gods and became “master” of all gods, replacing the god Pan. Pan then became the god of flocks and shepherds and thus preserved the horonym Pannonia.

Similar to Uranus and Geia having six male and six female titan children so did the titan Cronus have twelve children with his titan sister Reia. Their children were gods and goddesses. Included among the twelve child-gods were Zeus and Hestia. Hestia (Estia) or Histia (Istia) was responsible for ruling the lower third of the great river “Istrios”.

In the theogoni, Hestia was the personification of the fire in the domestic fireplace, the patroness of houses, cities, tribes, states and of those exiled. “Istrios”, according to its translation, was the personification of “food that flows”. Over time, the hydronym “Danube” prevailed along the entire flow of the river system, but the memory of the River Istrios is preserved in the city “Istria” located near the mouth of the river at the Black Sea. Similarly, numerous hearths (134) still remain in existence at the Lipinski Vir locality in Gierdap.

The great master Dan-bius put his brother “Ad” (Hades) in charge of all the Danube “Adi” (islands) thus turning him into the god of the underworld. Hades, along with his wife Persephone, ruled the underworld. In mythology, the realm of Hades was located west of Tartarus (Gierdap) at the “Stig Palace” (Stygos Domos) in the “Homoliski” caves. The River Mlava flowed east of Pozarevats through the Stishko Pole (plain). Stishko Pole was named after the mythical river “Stig” (Stix) which means hated, awful, unpleasant, withdrawn. There was also the name “Stiga-Mlava” belonging to a nymph who was the oldest of 3000 daughters. She was the daughter of Oceanus and Tetini. She, with her children, was first to help Zeus-Danube in the battle with the Titans. She bore Zeus’s child Persephone, queen of the underworld. Her underworld castles had silver pillars which levitated up to the heavens. Stiga’s castles were the Homoliski caves which were guarded by Hades’s dog Kerber (Cerberus) (Kerveros: Kerr-faithful), which had hundreds of heads and a snake for a tail. This was a menacing and dangerous dog but Orpheus, poet, king of Macedonia and the most famous mythical minstrel, sang to Cerberus and magically put him to sleep. Heracles was then able to subdue him without using violence. Homer (Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey, I, 1, VIII, 369, Novi Sad, 1985 (prev. MN Gjurigj)) has also written about this event: “…‘Evrist’ sent Heracles to Hades to bring back the hated dog ‘Erebus’ (Bottomless Pit) so that it could never get out of the Stishka River precipice...”

In mythology, the Rivers Styx and Mlava each had five tributaries. One of those tributaries was named “Busur” (Vousiris), which in mythology was “Osiris” the Egyptian god of the underworld. The Egyptian god Osiris or -Vuziris and goddess Isis, circa 2500-2340 BC, bore the sons Macedon and Anubis. Osiris abdicated his rule of Egypt to his wife, and, together with his sons, went off to conquer the world. When he arrived in Thrace, he fought and killed king Lycurgus and appointed Macedon, his first son, king of the region along the Haliakmon River which has since then been called Macedonia. Anubis returned back to Egypt and became king of Egypt after his mother died. When Osiris-Vuziris became king of Stishko Pole, being infamous for his cruelty, he sacrificed all strangers he came upon, in honour of the god Zeus. When Heracles arrived in this region while searching for Cerberus, Osiris caught him, tied him, decorated him with flowers and took him to the altar. Heracles calmly approached the pyre and when the ritual started he tore off all his fetters and killed Osiris and all the participants of the ceremony. Euripides wrote a satirical drama about this, mentioning the tributary “Mlava-Stiga” and “Busur” as part of this event.

The “Mlava-Stiga” River in mythology is associated with Heron (Harön), a demon of the underworld, who transported the shadows of the dead to the door of Hades over the Mogila, Aorn, Kokit and Aheront Mountains. The Souls that did not possess a coin under their tongues had to wait endlessly along the coast at the bottom of Tsrni Topoli (black poplars) Mountain, in the “Deliblatska” Cave, at “Dzvzdeni Gai”, or at “Vrachevski Gai”. Stiga and the titan Palant (Pallas) in mythology had a son named “Zhilo” (Zilos) after whom the island “Zhilovo” was named, located upstream from the mouth of Mlava River.

When Zeus-Danube was a baby his mother, the goddess Reia (water), gave him to “Tis” (Thyssos) to protect and look after him. “Tis” was a nymph (a fairy), a lower deity. The personification of this nymph was the River “Tisa” in Pannonia, a left tributary of the Danube River. When Zeus-Danube had grown, he took the tisanes “Temida” (Themis) for his wedded wife. The gods had placed Temida in charge of managing human destinies and in shifting the seasons during certain months of the year. Temida’s personification was the hydronym “Tamish” or “Temish” in Pannonia, and the city “Timishvar” in Romania.

“Nerei” (Nerevs) in mythology was the ancient god of the sea. Nerei had a brother named “Forkov” (island Forko-Tumats in Panchevo). Nerei was a white-haired old man dressed in a white robe. He was a person of justice and was always covered in foam. Nerei had fifty daughters, the “Nereidi” nymphs. Nerei’s personification is the “Nera” River located in southeastern Banat.

Another interesting hydronym is the River “Sava”, originally called “Eridan” (Eridanos). According to mythology this was a lush river whose waters ran northwest of Mount Ripania (Ripeon) and emptied into “Okean” (Ocean). Etymologically, “Eridan” is made up of two words, the first word “Eri” (eras) where (η) is of “era” (ηρα) meaning “love, help” and the second word “dan” as in “Dios-Dan-Danubius”. The name of the goddess Hera (Ηρα) has a similar etymology.

Semantically, the hydronym “Eridan” can be translated to mean “the goddess Hera entered Dan-Danube”. Their child in mythology was the god “Arei” (Ares), the large military island in Kalamegdan. “Arei” was one of the twelve Olympic gods who had supernatural powers and as a god he was the personification of war. He was aggressive and did not acknowledge any military laws, or laws of war. Because of that he was hated not only by the people but also by the other gods. During the Trojan War, Arei took the side of the Trojans, as we are told by Homer. (Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey, I, 1, II, 512, Novi Sad, 1985. (Prev. MN Gjurigj)). In mythology, Eridan (Sava) adopted “Faeton” (Faethön) the son of god “Helius” (Sun), when Zeus struck him with a bolt of lightning and threw him down from the heavens because he came too close to the planet with his two-wheeled solar cart to save and restore life on Earth. Faeton was buried by the Hesperidovian nymphs.

In mythology Zeus-Danube was known as a lover who loved many goddesses, daughters of the Titans and nymphs as well as many mortal women. He had at least four Olympic gods born out of wedlock. Included among them were “Sabazi”, “Dionysus” and “Dionysus-Zagrei”. Like Heracles, “Sabazi” too was the son of Zeus and Persephone. “Sabazi” was often identified with Zeus or Dionysus and the god “Bakus”. During his orgy mysteries, in the Baha’i romps, Bakus’s cry was “savi”, “savi” meaning “to save”, hence the hydronym “Sava” and the English word “save”. This was a period when the 4th generation gods rose up against the old canon led by the all powerful master of all, Zeus-Danube. In the arts, Sabazi was shown to wear Brygian-Phrygian dresses with a pine cone in his hand, while the Roman Empire possessed “Sabazian hands”. They were hands made of brass with the first three fingers raised. The hands were used as cult instruments. There is also a town named “Sabats” (Sabaz-ios) located on the banks of the Sava River, which according to folk memory was named after the god “Sabazi”. Sabazi had many followers early in his rule as a god, not only in Hyperborea but also in Phrygia and Lydia in Asia Minor. In Athens he was known during the VI century BC, and by the IV century BC his fame had reached as far as Africa, where he became a heavenly god, presumably identified with the Semitic god Baal, hence the ethnonym “Tri-bali” referring to the Skittish tribe in Serbia. Sabazi even achieved the title “Supreme” (hypsistos) (Eliade, M.., World religije National књига Alpha, 1996). According to Herodotus (Herodotus, History, IV, 49, Matica Srpska, Belgrade, 1988) the Sava River, which carried the named “Brong” (Vroggos) is located in the “Tribalska Ramnina” (Plain) and flows into the Istar River. The River Angro (Aggros) also flows into the Brong. Angro is Drina which flows from Illyria to the north.

Morava River is the next major tributary of the Danube River, which in mythology represented “Moros” (Moros) the god of misfortune. “Morava” had three parts, South, West and Great Morava, representing Moros’s three daughters the “Moiri”. They were called “Klota” (the weaver), “Lahesa” (the measurer) and “Atropa” (one that can not be avoided). Zeus and the Moiri governed and measured human destiny. They “thread” (Klota), measured (with Lahesa’s yardstick) and “cut” (with Atropa’s scissors) human destinies.

Included among the more interesting Morava tributaries that have mythological connections are “Nishava” and “Resava”. Nishava is a right tributary of the southern part of Morava and flows through the “Nishka Planina” mountain, the Sikievachka Gorge and down through the “Nishka Kotlina” valley. In mythology, the nymph who nurtured and looked after the god Dionysus was named “Nisia” (Nysia), which represents the “Nishava” tributary, i.e. “… god Dionysus’s “neseiski” naughty girls…” (Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey, I, 1, VII, 133, Novi Sad, 1985. (Prev. MN Gjurigj)).

Etymologically, the word “Dionysus” (Dio-nysos) was coined from the words “Dios-Zeus” and “nisos” from the word “Nisa”. “Dionysus” is one of Zeus’s sons. While living on “Nisa” Mountain, Dionysus discovered how to plant vines, grow grapes, make wine and enjoy it. When Dionysus became an adult he decided to travel the world all decked out in garlands of laurel and ivy. His well-educated and usually drunk old tutor “Silen” accompanied him in his travels. When Silen the old Satyr, who despised earthly goods, became drunk the people tied him down with chains of flowers so that he would tell them their fortune.