Mesopotamian Mythology

The Ancient Gods of Sumer and Babylon...

ISHTAR

Akkadian War Goddess

Also known as Istar

Picture of the Mesopotamian War Goddess Ishtar from our Mesopotamian mythology image library. Illustration by Chas Saunders.

Sky Goddess of Sex, Fertility, Love — and War

She’s a feisty no-nonsense Goddess — and also the Evening Star with eight points. All of them good. Extremely popular.

Being a Love Goddess, Ishtar is beautiful, sexy and very popular. Her fame in ancient Asia was second to none and she’s still going strong. Her lovers are legion — or, to put it another way, she can’t keep her hands to herself. She even attempted to have a fling with Gilgamesh but he went all heroic on her.

Her official husband — at least in Akkadia — is Tammuz, the God of Agriculture and Rebirth. It’s possible the strain is too much for him as he spends six months per year recovering in the Underworld.

Ishtar seems also to have become the Goddess of Deja Vu as she shared almost the same life as Inanna. But considering that Inanna stole the Tablet of Destinies and the ME, she may well have used them to both backdate and update herself — until she was everywhere and everyone from Astarte to Isis. She may even have been born again as Aphrodite.

Ishtar’s sister Ereshkigal is in charge of the Underworld, and when Ishtar pays her a visit, the results are usually very similar although there are a few script changes and updates.

She is also Goddess of the Evening Star and seems determined to stay in the ascendancy as long as a sex Goddess is needed. Her symbol is an eight-pointed star, and she doesn’t care if you think it’s rude to point or look at her with naked eyes.

Ishtar Facts and Figures

Name: Ishtar
Pronunciation: Coming soon
Alternative names: Istar

Gender: Female
Type: Goddess
Area or people: Akkadia, Sumer, Babylon
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present

Role:
In charge of: War
Area of expertise: War
Associated with: Venus

Good/Evil Rating: Unknown at present
Popularity index: 13439

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Article last revised on May 24, 2019 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders

References: Coming soon.

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