Ancient Psychedelia: Alien Gods & Mushroom Goddesses
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| Patai brings up an important point about epithets of the goddesses and gods and relates in his book the following: That the name Astarte (Ashtoreth) means “womb” or that which issues from the womb. Basically, a fertility goddess as all goddesses are, and her consort Baal’s name derives from the Semitic verb which originally meant “to take possession of, sexually.” The idea related was one of the sky fertilizing the earth, or the male sky god impregnating the fertile earth goddess. Therefore, Ashtoreth or Astarte was the epithet of Anath and Baal was the epithet of Hadd. (12) Atargatis was a Syrian goddess who was known as Dea Syria to the Romans and referred to as Diasuria or Lasura. She was the goddess of Heiropolis-Bambyce near the Euphrates and a counterpart to Aphrodite. Her lover, Hadad, was similar to the Hurrian and Hittite weather gods, Teshub and Taru. (13) Fishes and doves are both sacred to Atargatis. She was even said to turn into a fish and her daughter, Semiramis, into a dove. (14) From Khirbet Tannur., Jordon, Victory Holds up a bust of Atargatis, c. 100 AD (13i). Atargatis is shown on a bronze figurine, c. 100BC-400 AD, where she is flanked by two bulls while pointing to a mushroom on her head (59j). Kumarbi is the father of Teshub and the son of Anu, the sky god. One of the similarities between the Hurrian myth and the Greek myth of Zeus overthrowing Cronus and Cronus likewise deposing his father Uranus is the concept of castration. In order to ascend the throne of his father, he must castrate him first, in order to end his reign of fertility. (15)  R: (59j) Atargatis Heliopolitanus Roman Holyland c. 100 BC-400 AD Depictions of Teshub have him wearing a sword on his thigh and both swords in the images I have found have “mushroom” handles (15e, f). He also holds the thunderbolt in his hands as well as the axe. Hebat was a Hurrian goddess and consort of the weather god Teshub. She was called “Queen of Heaven” and was assimilated by the Hittites to their national goddess of Arinna (16), who is sometimes referred to as a “Sun” goddess (38b). (17) |
  R: (15f) Bas-relief of Teshub at Ivriz  (38b) The Goddess Arinna at the Sphinx Gate Alaca Höyük, Turkey (12) The Hebrew Goddess, p. 57 (13) Cult of the Mother Goddess, p. 183 (14) ibid, p. 184; Ovid, Metamorphoses, iv, 44-46; Cornelius, de Nat. Deor., 6 (15) When God was a Woman, p. 148 (16) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hebat (17) Cult of the Mother Goddess, p. 89 |
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