Pre-Islamic Deities
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:49 pm
We used to have religion course at primary, secondary and high school - as far as I remember once in a week. However, it was more or less about history of Abrahamic Religions and learning some prayers from Quran and their Turkish meanings. We were not told much about Christianity or Judaism (only basic things though) and main ephasis was on Islam. I remember that religion teachers told about those Pre-Islamic Deities during the lessons of the history of Islam and they were not talking very positively about them and Pre-Islamic Arabs who worship them (what a surprise). It just came to my mind today and wanted to share some information about them.
I will start with three desert goddesses which form a trinity and they are the daughters of pre-islamic Allah:
Al-lāt: "An ancient mother and fertility goddess of the pre-Islamic Arabs. Her name means "the Goddess". She represented the earth and its fruits."
"Especially in older sources, Allat is an alternative name of the Mesopotamian goddess of the underworld, now usually known as Ereshkigal. She was reportedly also venerated in Carthage under the name Allatu."
"The Greek historian Herodotus, writing in the 5th century BC, considered her the equivalent of Aphrodite:
The Assyrians call Aphrodite Mylitta, the Arabians Alilat, and the Persians Mitra. In addition that deity is associated with the Indian deity Mitra (Vedic). The persian and Indian deity were developed from the proto-indo-iranian deity known as mitra.
According to Herodotus, the ancient Arabians believed in only two gods:
They believe in no other gods except Dionysus and the Heavenly Aphrodite; and they say that they wear their hair as Dionysus does his, cutting it round the head and shaving the temples. They call Dionysus, Orotalt; and Aphrodite, Alilat."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Allat ... M_3369.jpg
* * * * * *
Manāt: "The ancient Arabian goddess of fate and destiny, and the personification of the evening star. Manat ("fate") is one of the daughters of the pre-Islamic Allah along with Al-lāt and Al-‘Uzzá . Her cult was situated between Medina and Mecca, where she was worshipped in the form of a black stone. She is known from Nabatean inscriptions, and tombs were placed under Her protection, asking Her to curse violators. She is accordingly a Goddess of Death, and Maniya (Death personified) is mentioned in poetry as actively bringing a person to his or her grave, holding out the cup of death"
* * * * * *
Al-‘Uzzá: "The youngest of the three daughters of the pre-Islamic Allah and the patron goddess of Mecca. She is identified with Venus as the morning star and her name means "the mighty one". She resides in a tree similar to the acacia."
"Al-‘Uzzá was also worshipped by the Nabataeans, who equated her with the Greek goddess Aphrodite Ourania (Roman Venus Caelestis). A stone cube at aṭ-Ṭā’if (near Mecca) was held sacred as part of her cult. She is mentioned in the Qur'an Sura 53:19 as being one of the goddesses that people worshiped.This goddess resembles Hindu Goddess Durga she abodes lion with swords ancient Hindus worshiped her as Goddes of war"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Al-Uzza.png
* * * * * *
References: http://www.pantheon.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.thaliatook.com/AMGG/arabtriple.html
Some further information and reading: http://nabataea.net/pgods.html
Ancient Forms of {Pre-Islamic} Pagan Worship: http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/pip.htm
I will start with three desert goddesses which form a trinity and they are the daughters of pre-islamic Allah:
Al-lāt: "An ancient mother and fertility goddess of the pre-Islamic Arabs. Her name means "the Goddess". She represented the earth and its fruits."
"Especially in older sources, Allat is an alternative name of the Mesopotamian goddess of the underworld, now usually known as Ereshkigal. She was reportedly also venerated in Carthage under the name Allatu."
"The Greek historian Herodotus, writing in the 5th century BC, considered her the equivalent of Aphrodite:
The Assyrians call Aphrodite Mylitta, the Arabians Alilat, and the Persians Mitra. In addition that deity is associated with the Indian deity Mitra (Vedic). The persian and Indian deity were developed from the proto-indo-iranian deity known as mitra.
According to Herodotus, the ancient Arabians believed in only two gods:
They believe in no other gods except Dionysus and the Heavenly Aphrodite; and they say that they wear their hair as Dionysus does his, cutting it round the head and shaving the temples. They call Dionysus, Orotalt; and Aphrodite, Alilat."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Allat ... M_3369.jpg
* * * * * *
Manāt: "The ancient Arabian goddess of fate and destiny, and the personification of the evening star. Manat ("fate") is one of the daughters of the pre-Islamic Allah along with Al-lāt and Al-‘Uzzá . Her cult was situated between Medina and Mecca, where she was worshipped in the form of a black stone. She is known from Nabatean inscriptions, and tombs were placed under Her protection, asking Her to curse violators. She is accordingly a Goddess of Death, and Maniya (Death personified) is mentioned in poetry as actively bringing a person to his or her grave, holding out the cup of death"
* * * * * *
Al-‘Uzzá: "The youngest of the three daughters of the pre-Islamic Allah and the patron goddess of Mecca. She is identified with Venus as the morning star and her name means "the mighty one". She resides in a tree similar to the acacia."
"Al-‘Uzzá was also worshipped by the Nabataeans, who equated her with the Greek goddess Aphrodite Ourania (Roman Venus Caelestis). A stone cube at aṭ-Ṭā’if (near Mecca) was held sacred as part of her cult. She is mentioned in the Qur'an Sura 53:19 as being one of the goddesses that people worshiped.This goddess resembles Hindu Goddess Durga she abodes lion with swords ancient Hindus worshiped her as Goddes of war"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Al-Uzza.png
* * * * * *
References: http://www.pantheon.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.thaliatook.com/AMGG/arabtriple.html
Some further information and reading: http://nabataea.net/pgods.html
Ancient Forms of {Pre-Islamic} Pagan Worship: http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/pip.htm
you welcome, I find it quite fun at times to play around with the words.
