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Astghik


In the earliest prehistoric period Astghik, or Astɫik, (Armenian: ) had been worshipped as the Armenian deity of fertility and love, later the skylight had been considered her personification, and she had been the wife or lover of Vahagn. In the later heathen period she became the goddess of love, maidenly beauty, and water sources and springs. Her worship was derived from the two Indian princes who took refuge in the region of Armenia.

The Vartavar festival devoted to Astghik that had once been celebrated in mid July was transformed into the Christian holiday of the Transfiguration of Christ, 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.

With Aramazd, the father of all deities, the creator of heaven and earth, (the sun being worshiped as his personification) and Anahit that had been worshiped as Great Lady and Mother Deity (the moon being worshiped as her personification), she forms an astral trinity in the pantheon of Armenian deities. In the period of Hellenistic influence, Astghik became similar to the Greek Aphrodite and the Mesopotamian Ishtar.

Her name is the diminutive of Armenian astɫ, meaning "star", which from Proto-Indo-European is cognate to Sanskrit stṛ, Avestan star, Pahlavi star, Persian sitará, Pashto storai, Greek ἀστήρ etc.


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