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ArchivesMore on the origin of Nanaia/Nanaea
Skimming through the Old Testament I noted that the Greek spelling of Nanaea is Nanaia.
Running “Nanaia” though Google.com provided numismatic evidence supporting my suspicion for a Greek connection. In addition to the coin mentioned in my previous posting, there is reference to a silver medallion minted during the Parthian wars displaying Nanaia. One source (www.parthia.com/webreport_13.htm ) equates the Nanaia portrayed in this medallion to Artemis.
It appears beyong doubt that Nanaea/Nanaia was, inter alia, a Hellenistic Deity worshipped in the East stretching all the way to India.
But the plot thickens: Nanaia recurs also in Polynesia. In a particular Rongorongo (Easter Island) chant, Nanaia is mentioned in reference to a solar eclipse (http://wings.buffalo.edu/anthropology/anthroglobe/research/easter.htm). This ties in with recent research documenting profounf similarities between Hellenic and Polynesian dialects.
Nanaia is an excellent PhD dissertation waiting to happen!
Running “Nanaia” though Google.com provided numismatic evidence supporting my suspicion for a Greek connection. In addition to the coin mentioned in my previous posting, there is reference to a silver medallion minted during the Parthian wars displaying Nanaia. One source (www.parthia.com/webreport_13.htm ) equates the Nanaia portrayed in this medallion to Artemis.
It appears beyong doubt that Nanaea/Nanaia was, inter alia, a Hellenistic Deity worshipped in the East stretching all the way to India.
But the plot thickens: Nanaia recurs also in Polynesia. In a particular Rongorongo (Easter Island) chant, Nanaia is mentioned in reference to a solar eclipse (http://wings.buffalo.edu/anthropology/anthroglobe/research/easter.htm). This ties in with recent research documenting profounf similarities between Hellenic and Polynesian dialects.
Nanaia is an excellent PhD dissertation waiting to happen!
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