Astar était-il le dieu principal des Aksoumites?

Son nom figure en première position dans les triades des inscriptions royales aksoumites, ce qui l'associe au rang de divinité dominante et de père du panthéon. Le dieu Mahrem, lié à la guerre et à la royauté, occupait toutefois lui aussi une place centrale.

Quel lien Astar entretient-il avec d'autres cultures?

Astar est la seule divinité aksoumite identifiée avec certitude à un dieu sud-arabique, l'Attar de l'Arabie du Sud. Cette figure se rattache à un ensemble sémitique plus vaste associé à la planète Vénus, du Levant à l'Arabie.

Que devint son culte?

Après la conversion du roi Ezana au christianisme au 4e siècle, la religion polythéiste d'Aksoum déclina et ses figures furent peu à peu absorbées ou réinterprétées dans le cadre chrétien.

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ASTHAR

ally

God

☥ SpiritAksumite →Aksumite — AksumiteElder

Gender: MasculineSign: suprême

Astar, also transcribed Attar or Athtar, is an astral deity associated with the planet Venus, venerated in the kingdom of Aksum, in present-day Eritrea and northern Ethiopia, before the conversion to Christianity in the fourth century. In the Aksumite royal inscriptions, his name appears at the head of the divine triad, beside Beher and Mahrem, which has him presented as the father of the other deities of the pantheon and the dominant figure of the pre-Christian cult. Astar is the only Aksumite deity identified with certainty with a South Arabian god — a sign of the close ties between the two shores of the Red Sea. Among the South Arabians, Attar was a masculine god of the first rank, bound to storms, rain and irrigation. After the adoption of Christianity under king Ezana, these beliefs were progressively absorbed or reinterpreted. The name attaches more broadly to the Semitic figure of Attar, present from the Levant to South Arabia.

Powers & Attributes

supreme

Role in the ROHO universe

Founding presence. ASTHAR stands at the root of the world and sustains the weave since before the beginning. Bound to the Aksumite pantheon.

Sacred Mask

An ancient ritual mask of sacred wood, old metal and black stone, engraved with symbols of supremacy, embodiment of the power of Asthar

Era

Ancient cycle

Frequently asked questions

Was Astar the principal god of the Aksumites?

His name figures in first position in the triads of the Aksumite royal inscriptions, which associates him with the rank of dominant deity and father of the pantheon. The god Mahrem, bound to war and kingship, nevertheless also held a central place.

What link does Astar have with other cultures?

Astar is the only Aksumite deity identified with certainty with a South Arabian god, the Attar of South Arabia. This figure attaches to a broader Semitic complex associated with the planet Venus, from the Levant to Arabia.

What became of his cult?

After the conversion of king Ezana to Christianity in the fourth century, the polytheistic religion of Aksum declined and its figures were little by little absorbed or reinterpreted within the Christian frame.

Related spirits

GARAMAS HEKA SESHAT AKER

Sources and references

Wikipedia (EN), Attar / Astar (god)
Wikipedia (EN), Aksumite religion
Encyclopedia.com, Aksumite Religion