Astłik


In the earliest prehistoric period Astłik, had been worshipped as the Armenian deity of fertility and love, later the skylight had been considered her personification, and she had been the consort of Vahagn. In the later heathen period she became the goddess of love, maidenly beauty, and water sources and springs.
The Vardavar festival devoted to Astłik that had once been celebrated in mid July was transformed into the Christian holiday of the Transfiguration of Jesus, and is still celebrated by the Armenians. As in pre-Christian times, on the day of this fest the people release doves and sprinkle water on each other with wishes of health and good luck.
Astłik was originally the goddess creator of heaven and earth, and later with her demotion to maiden, Aramazd, became creator and Anahit that had been worshiped as Great Lady and Mother Deity, she forms a trinity in the pantheon of Armenian deities. In the period of Hellenistic influence, Astłik became similar to the Greek Aphrodite and the Mesopotamian Ishtar.
Her name is the diminutive of Armenian ", and all star goddesses were originally called Night goddesses including the morning and evening star which from Proto-Indo-European is cognate to Sanskrit stṛ́, Avestan star, Pahlavi star'', Persian setār, astḗr etc.
Her principal seat was in Ashtishat, located to the North from Muş, where her chamber was dedicated to the name of Vahagn, the personification of a sun-god, her lover or husband according to popular tales, and had been named "Vahagn's bedroom".
Other temples and places of worship of Astłik had been located in various towns and villages, such as the mountain of Palaty, in Artamet, etc.
The unique monuments of prehistoric Armenia, vishap "dragon stones", spread in many provinces of historical Armenia – Gegharkunik, Aragatsotn, Javakhk, Tayk, etc., and are additional manifestations of her worship.