Astłik

In the earliest prehistoric period Astłik,[1] (Armenian: Աստղիկ) had been worshipped as the Armenian deity of fertility and love, later the skylight had been considered her personification, and she had been the consort of Vahagn. In the later heathen period she became the goddess of love, maidenly beauty, and water sources and springs.

The Vardavar festival devoted to Astłik that had once been celebrated in mid July was transformed into the Christian holiday of the Transfiguration of Jesus, and is still celebrated by the Armenians. As in pre-Christian times, on the day of this fest the people release doves and sprinkle water on each other with wishes of health and good luck.

Astłik was originally the goddess creator of heaven and earth, and later with her demotion to maiden, Aramazd, became creator (as all sun cults rising to power, began to be worshiped sun god personifications) and Anahit that had been worshiped as Great Lady and Mother Deity (the moon being worshiped as her personification), she forms a trinity in the pantheon of Armenian deities. In the period of Hellenistic influence, Astłik became similar to the Greek Aphrodite and the Mesopotamian Ishtar.

Her name is the diminutive of Armenian աստղ astł [2], meaning "star", and all star goddesses were originally called Night goddesses including the morning and evening star (Venus) which from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr is cognate to Sanskrit stṛ́, Avestan star, Pahlavi star, Persian setār, Ancient Greek: astḗr etc.

Her principal seat was in Ashtishat (Taron), located to the North from Muş, where her chamber was dedicated to the name of Vahagn, the personification of a sun-god, her lover or husband according to popular tales, and had been named "Vahagn's bedroom".

Other temples and places of worship of Astłik had been located in various towns and villages, such as the mountain of Palaty (to the South-West from Lake Van), in Artamet (12 km from Van),[3] etc.

The unique monuments of prehistoric Armenia, vishap "dragon stones" (Arm. višap 'serpent, dragon', derived from Persian), spread in many provinces of historical Armenia – Gegharkunik, Aragatsotn, Javakhk, Tayk, etc., and are additional manifestations of her worship.

See also

References
  1. Petrosyan 2015, p. 100.
  2. Ačaṙean 1971, p. 278.
  3. p. 107, "The Pantheon of Armenian Pagan Deities", Gagik Artsruni, Yerevan, 2003

Bibliography



  • Ačaṙean, Hračʿya (1971). Հայերեն Արմատական Բառարան [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (2 ed.). Yerevan University Press.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Petrosyan, Armen (2002). The Indo‑european and Ancient Near Eastern Sources of the Armenian Epic. Washington, D.C.: Institute for the Study of Man. ISBN 9780941694810.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Petrosyan, Armen (2007). "State Pantheon of Greater Armenia: Earliest Sources". Aramazd : Armenian journal of Near Eastern studies. 2: 174–201. ISSN 1829-1376.
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