(Redirected from Dyēus)
★ 'DyÄ“us' is the reconstructed chief god of the
Proto-Indo-European pantheon. He was the god of the daylight sky, and his position may have mirrored the position of
patriarch or
king in
society.
Later gods who are etymologically connected with Dyeus include:
'Dyēus' group:
★
Greek ''
Zeus''
★
Roman ''
Iuppiter''
★
Irish ''
The Dagda''
★
Gallo-Roman ''
Dis Pater''
★
Vedic ''
''
★ possibly ''
Dionysos'', and
Phrygian ''
Sabazios'' (from Saba Zeus?)
Rooted in the related but distinct Indo-European word
★ deiwos is the
Latin word for
god, ''
deus''. The Latin word is also continued in English ''divine'', ''deity'', and the original Germanic word remains visible in ''Tuesday'' (originally "Day of Tiwaz").
'Deiwos' group:
★
Germanic ''
Tiwaz'' (later known as Tyr)
★
Latin ''
Deus''
★
Baltic ''
Dievas''
★
Slavic ''
Div''
''Dyeus'' was addressed as ''Dyeu Ph
2ter'', literally "
Sky Father" or "''shining father''", as reflected in Latin
Jupiter,
Dispater and ''deus pater'', Greek ''Zeu pater'', Sanskrit '' or DyausPitrah''. In his aspect as a Father god, his consort was ''Pltvi Mh
2ter'', "
Earth mother".
As the pantheons of the individual mythologies related to the
Proto-Indo-European religion evolved, attributes of Dyeus were sometimes redistributed to other, newer gods. In Greek and Roman mythology, Dyeus remained the chief god, while in Vedic mythology, the etymological continuant of Dyeus became a very abstract god, and his original attributes, and his dominance over other gods, were transferred to gods whose names cannot be reconstructed for Proto-Indo-European times, such as
Indra.
According to
Alex Sandalov, the Sky-god was in some mythologies the father or creator of the demigod
Cultural Hero, who often was the ancestor of humanity.
See also
★
Proto-Indo-European religion
References
★
Julius Pokorny,
Indogermanisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (1959).