The Goddess Anahit is certainly well celebrated in Armenian culture. Anahit is one of the most popular female names in both Eastern and Western Armenian. The works of art featuring the goddess are many.

Today’s edition of the Persian Journal discusses the myth of Anahit(a) in Persian culture. For those with a background of Anahit only from an Armenian perspective, this should be interesting.

Anahita is the goddess of productivity and values since the pre-Zorastrian era but she was most popular during the Achaemenian Period (404 BCE to 358 BCE.)

Anahita took many more forms during Persian history sometimes going by the names Anahit, Anahiti, and Ardvi Sura Anahita. In Modern Persian, it is called as Naheed which is Persian for Venus. In Greek, it is called as Anahitis. The Greeks also associated Anahitis with either Athena or Aphrodite.

I know many Persian woman named Naheed and I never associated it with Anahit. Wow!

Anahita is usually portrayed as a virgin, dressed in a golden cloak, and wearing a diamond tiara (sometimes also carrying a water pitcher). The dove and the peacock are her sacred animals. Anahita is also represented dressed in gleaming gold with a crown and jewels. Anahita is often shown wearing a golden kerchief, square gold earrings, and a jeweled diadem, and wrapped in a golden-embroidered cloak adorned with thirty otter skins. (Otter is a four-legged mammal with short brown fur, which swims well and eats fish). Anahita is also portrayed and honored with offerings of green branches and white heifers. And she is sometimes depicted as driving a chariot drawn by four white horses, representing Wind, Rain, Clouds, and Hail. (A chariot was a two wheeled vehicle used in ancient times for racing and fighting and a horse used to pull it).

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Here’s a bit more on the Armenian perspective [source]:

Anahit’s worship, probably borrowed from the Persians, was of paramount significance in Armenia. Iranians had no idol-worship in the beginning, but Artashes erected the statues of Anahit, and promulgated orders to worship them. The historian Berosus identifies Anahit with Aphrodite, while the Armenian mythology identifies her with the Greek Artemis. According to Strabo, Anahit’s worship was dedicated to prostitution, while king Trdat extolls the “great Lady Anahit,” the glory of our nation and vivifier . . .; mother of all chastity, and issue of the great and valiant Aramzd. Anahit-worship was established in Eriza, Armavir, Artashat and Ashtishat. A mountain in Sopheren district was known as Anahit’s throne (Athor Anahta). The entire district of Eriza, the Akilisene (Ekeghiats), was called “Anahtakan Gavar.”

The temple of Eriza was the wealthiest and the noblest in Armenia, according to Plutarch. During the expedition of Antony, the statue was broken to pieces by the Roman soldiers. Pliny the ElderLink to my note at the bottom of this page gives us the following story about it: The Emperor Augustus, being invited to dinner by one of his generals, asked him if it was true that the wreckers of Anahit’s statue had been punished by the wrathful goddess. “No!” answered the general, “on the contrary, I have to‑day the good fortune of treating you with one part of the hip of that gold statue.”

The Armenians erected a new golden statue of Anahit in Eriza, which was worshipped at the time of St. Illuminator. Religious prostitution, if it had existed at some previous period, seems to have been suppressed before that date.

The annual festivity of the month Navassard, held in honor of Anahit, was the occasion of great gatherings, attended with dance, music, recitals, competitions, etc. The sick went to the temples in pilgrimage, asking for recovery. The great king Artashes, taken ill, had sent an official to ask the goddess’ help, but the king died before the return of the pilgrim messenger.