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    Eudaimon Arabia: Ancient Yemen (7 posts)
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    The history of Yemen ...
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    Arabian deities
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    Author: * Belkis Saba - 7 Posts on this thread out of 25 Posts sitewide.
    Date: Mar 27, 2007 - 17:30


    Little is known about many of these deities except their names and tenuous associations. However, some of the gods and goddesses worshipped in Arabia include:

    A'im - Not much is known about this deity. It was worshipped by the Azd of Al-Sanah.

    Al-Fals - The idol of this deity is said to have been a red rock in the form of a man. It was located on a black mountain. According to stories told by people in the area, one could flee to the idol and be guaranteed of safety. Hunters were forbidden to kill game in the domain of the idol.

    Al-Lat (also called Ilat) - This goddess was revered as a sun goddess by some Arabians. She had two sister goddesses named Al-Uzza and Manat.

    Al-Uzza - A goddess of love and beauty. Some Arabs associated her with the planet Venus. Others thought of her as being a moon goddess.

    Al-Yabu - The Tayyi worshipped this deity.

    Astarte - This goddess was borrowed from other Semitic peoples. She was associated with love and fertility.

    Atargatis - This deity was regarded as an earth goddess by some Arabian peoples. However, others thought of her as being a sea goddess. Some statues represent her as wearing a crown capped by dolphins.

    Awf - Not much is known about this deity. It was portrayed as a giant bird.

    Bajar - This deity seems to have been fairly popular. It was worshipped by the Azd, the Tayyi, and the Quda'ah.

    Dhu Al-Khalasah - Statues of this goddess often wore crowns made of quartz crystal. Her function is unknown.

    Dousares - This deity was thought of as being a wine god. His worship was especially popular with the Nabataeans. [Note - Some Arabs considered him to be the son of Al-Lat.]

    Hubal - Statues of this god were often made of red carnelian. It was thought that he could reveal things about the future. Arabs often cast ritual arrows in front of his statues. The way the arrows landed supposedly foretold the future.

    Ilmuqah (also Ilumquh or Wadd) - A moon god in Arabian mythology.

    Kalisha - She was a goddess of purity.

    Manat - This goddess was connected with fate.

    Naila - She was a sky goddess.

    Nasir - He was most commonly depicted as a vulture, though occasionally he was portrayed as an eagle. This deity was associated with death. Worship of him seems to have been especially popular with the Himyar tribespeople of South Arabia.

    Nuhm - The Muzaynah worshipped this god. They often named their children "Abd-Nuhm" after it. The custodian of the idol was called Khuza'i ibn Abd-Nuhm. [Note - Abd-Nuhm literally means "Servant of Nuhm".]

    Qos - Some considered him to be a weather god who held a rainbow. Others thought of him as a hunting god who held an arrow.

    Riam - This god was worshipped by the Himyar. There was a temple of him in Sana, a city in Yemen.

    Sa'd - This deity was represented simply by a long rock. The idol was on the coast near Jeddah. The Malik and the Milkan owned it; they were the two sons of Kinnah.

    Yaghaith - Statues of this god have depicted him as a lion. He may have been a war god.

    Ya'uq - This deity was only worshipped in a particular locale. An idol of it was placed in Khaywan.


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