1. In Megrelian, "Ivanoba" means "June". It is believed that the name was given in honor of the month of John the Baptist's birth, despite the fact that neither the month nor the year of his birth are known.
2. In June, Ukraine celebrated the pre-Christian holiday of Ivan Kupala (the day of the summer solstice). There was no such holiday in Megrelia.
3. The name "Ivan" is considered biblical, but...
4. ...the surname and patronymic "Ibanez" existed in Spain already in the time of Don Pelayo (8th century), only three hundred years after Spain adopted Christianity.
5. The name "Iban" is Basque. Some sources point to its Germanic (apparently, pre-Christian) origin:
"Name: San Iban; onomastic day of this saint: May 16; explanation of the name Iban: Germanic".
6. If the Megrelian name "Ivanoba" is derived from Ivan Kupala, and not John the Baptist, then the only place where the Megrelians could have witnessed the celebration of the summer solstice is ancient Ukraine. Accordingly, the name "Ivanoba" could have been given by the Megrelians to June only in Ukraine and long before the birth of Christ.
7. If the above facts raise doubts that the name "Ivan" could be pre-Christian, then they will disappear if we remember that in early Latin texts one could often see the substitution of the letters "V" and "U" for each other. This could not but lead to confusion, which, perhaps, is the key to solving the mystery of "Ivanoba".
The calendar of Numa (713 BC) already mentions "Iunius" among the months. The origin of the word is unclear. Ovid offers several interpretations at once. Now compare "Iunius" to its Kartvelian counterpart "ივნისი" [ivnisi]. Taking into account the already mentioned substitution of "V<–>U" we have a complete match: "iuni – ivni" ("-us" and "-si" are endings and a suffix). Thus, the name "Ivan" is pushed back into the depths of history by seven centuries before the birth of Christ, which can serve as indirect evidence that the Megrelian month "Ivanoba" received its name in honor of the ancient Ukrainian holiday of Ivan Kupala.
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