This section contains 365 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) |
The Goddess Astarte
mythology, as the daughter of the God Re or Ptah in the 18th dynasty. Her prime
association was with horses and chariots at first, but soon became a widely worshipped
goddess of love, sex, fertility, war, and the battlefield. As the Goddesses popularity
spread, her name changed several times into different variations of her original name. She
has come to be known also as Astarat, Astoreth, and may be the inspiration behind later
famous Goddesses, such as Inanna, Ishtar, Demeter, Artemis, and Aphrodite. She was
worshipped by the Philistines, the Greeks, the Romans, the Sicilians, and in many parts of
Europe and Africa. Her popularity may have even spread to the Norse, with the worship
of Freya, and the Celts as Danu. Astarte has been identified as being the consort of many
male deities, including Baal, Seth, and the God of the sea Yamm.
Astarte's primary symbol are the bull horns she wears on her head, which
symbolizes fertility and dominance. Another symbol of the Goddess is the star.
According to legends, Astarte fell from the stars to earth, and is the "Queen of the Stars."
Other symbols are the lotus, the bull, the egg, and the dove. She is also characterized as
having a bow and arrows, like the Greek Goddess Artemis.
Astarte's name has been recorded as far back as 1478 BC, but it is believed that
her religious followers were already known and established well before that time. Astarte
continued her reign as a primary Goddess in the Middle East and Mediterranean until the
rise of Christianity. She is mentioned in the bible, in Kings 11:5 as "the goddess of the
Sidonians," and "The abomination." She and her followers began to catch flack with the
Christians, and was condemned because the worship of this particular Goddess included
sexual rituals, and the sacrifice of children and newborn animals. However, scholars now
believe that Astarte may be the ancient prototype for the Virgin Mary. Astarte's rebirth of
the solar god, celebrated by Egyptians and Syrians was typically done on the 25th of
December, the present day celebration of Jesus' birth.
This section contains 365 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) |