Wednesday, February 19, 2014

PBP D: Dan

Dan or more correctly Dán is a concept I have found recently that has greatly intrigued me. I have only discovered Dan this year. There are different concepts of Fate in the world. From Karma to Wyrd but this is about the Irish one. So what is Dan? The eDIL gives four definitions, they are:

  1. Fate/Destiny
  2. Gift
  3. Talent
  4. Poem
They are ultimitly derivived from the Sanskrit word Da which means to give.

this gives us a number of meanings but within Irish, it is an adjective i ndan with two similar meanings. In store(as fate) and to happen. What sort of idea Does that give us. At first it seems that Fate is unescapable, that it is what it is. It seems to be something that does not change.

However, I do not think that it is meant to mean there is a lack of free will and everything is predestined. As that is ignoring the other definations of the word. It does not address Gift, talent or poem as what it could mean. no, it could mean that your talent in something is innate. It could be releated to gift, that a gift once given is given.

There still needs to be work done in researching Dan, but it is an idea and concept that I think deserves more research.

Sources used: Etymology Dictionary
other dictionary

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