#ašratu

[sag-dab-sar]

Can we just let the Greeks have their gods? Why are people so obsessed with origins proving The Theoi Aren't Actually Greek™. I don't see anyone saying "well Hindu deities aren't actually Hindu, they're not from India! They're from the Proto-Indo-Europeans so aCkTUalY they're Eurasian Gods not from the Indian Subcontinent." Seems Hellenic Polytheist/Pagan spaces are hellbent on allowing Greeks to only claim deities whose origin is in the Mycenaean Pantheon. Otherwise they aren't actually Greek they're Minoan, Hittite, Phoenician, Egyptian, general ""ANE"", Etruscan (I guess), etc— then again even the Mycenaeans are robbed of autonomy because thats just a PIE pantheon like the Hittites. It's ridiculous.

Tracing the origin of deities is pretty awesome, but when you deny a culture its deities just because you can trace their worship back in history you're plainly being disrespectful. For example, Ašratu is a chief deity of the Amorite tribe, which came to rule Babylon. Thus their Goddess became apart of the "Babylonian Pantheon" as the Daughter in Law of An. Athirat an important Ugaritic (Canaanite) deity undoubtedly shares her origin with this Amorite deity, and became a principal Goddess in the "Ugaritic/ Canaanite Pantheon". Does that mean Ašratu isn't actually Babylonian and therefore (pretending they still existed) Babylonians can't lay claim to her as part of their heritage, culture, and pantheon? Or that Athirat isn't actually Canaanite therefore (if they still existed) Canaanites can't lay claim to her as part of their heritage, culture, and pantheon? No. That makes no fucking sense— Ašratu is Babylonian & Athirat is Canaanite even if the deities have their "origins" with the semi-nomadic Amorite culture.

Since Mesopotamian Ašratu was understood to be an Amorite deity, a connection between Ašratu’s and Athirat’s origins appears to be virtually certain. Being transferred to a different culture would have led to some adaptation of the Goddess to her new culture. This should stand as a caution not to apply specific details of Ašratu’s characteristics developed in Mesopotamia to Athirat simply because the earliest records attest to the former.” [X]

The same principles goes for the Greek Gods, just because a Theos' origin, for example Zeus, can be traced back to an earlier culture—*Dyḗus from the PIE people of the Pontic-Caspian Steppe—doesn't make Zeus any less of a GREEK deity.

This "they aren't Greek" trend is strongest with Aphrodite— whose worship probably "began" somewhere in the Ancient Near East primarily Cyprus or Phoenicia. The trend is also present and increasing with Apollo who has multiple different possible "origins."

If you're so obsessed with determining that none of the Greek Gods are actually Greek pick a different tradition to worship them in. Stop using "Hellenic" and say you're a PIE polytheist or Phoenician Polytheist or whatever tradition the """original version"""" of the Theos you are worshipping comes from. If you want to be a Hellenic Polytheist don't try and negate the Theoi's Greekness. Its bafflingly disrespectful especially since Greeks still exist and this is still their heritage.

No this isn't a "folkish" post its a salty post. And it is not directed at any one person but a phenomenon that pops up and seems to be increasing and I'm annoyed with it.

-not audio proof read-

[Edit, no I'm not talking about people who use 'Greek names' in Greco-Roman, Greco-Egyptian or any other syncretic traditions. I'm specifically talking about Hellenic Polytheist/Pagans who are obsessed with the Greek Gods being non-Greek because "origins"]

[pagansquare]

In Which the Goddess Returns to Jerusalem

Evarékhekha ve-Asherá u-ve-Yahvetá

"I bless you by Ashera and by her Yahweh."

Read more...

[sonia-nicole-levi]

The Asherah, YHWH’s Muslim (represented as a White/Friend and Mother)

The Asherah 

(/əˈʃɪərə/; Hebrew: אֲשֵׁרָה ʾăšērā; Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎘𐎗𐎚 'Aṯirat; Hittite: 𒀀𒊺𒅕𒌈 a-še-ir-tu4; Akkadian: 𒀀𒅆𒋥 a-ši-RAT; Qatabanian: 𐩱𐩻𐩧𐩩 ʾṮRT), in ancient Semitic religion, is a mother goddess who appears in a number of ancient sources.

She appears in Akkadian writings by the name of Ašratu(m), and in Hittite writings as Aserdu(s) or Asertu(s). Asherah is generally considered identical with the Ugaritic goddess ʾAṯiratu.Asherah אֲשֵׁרָהGreek equivalent is Rhea/ReeAccording to ALLAH The Asherah was a Ho Symbol: Asherah poleMale Deities :El (Ugaritic )Baal (Canaanite religion)Elkunirsa (Hittite religion)Allah (Israelite religion)Amurru (Amorite religion)Anu (Akkadian)'Amm (Qatabanian)Assur (Assyrian)