Astarte, Ashtoreth

"Astarte is the Hellenized form of the Ancient Near Eastern goddess 'Aṯtart.' Aṯtart was the Northwest Semitic equivalent of the East Semitic goddess Ishtar . . . In various cultures Astarte was connected with some combination of the following spheres: war, sexuality, royal power, beauty, healing and - especially in Ugarit and Emar - hunting; however, known sources do not indicate she was a fertility goddess, contrary to opinions in early scholarship. Her symbol was the lion and she was also often associated with the horse and by extension chariots. The dove might be a symbol of her as well, as evidenced by some Bronze Age cylinder seals. The only images identified with absolute certainty as Astarte are these depicting her as a combatant on horseback or in a chariot." [Astarte, Wikipedia, ret. 07/14/2024]

Zadok Allen mentioned Ashtoreth when talking about the cult in Innsmouth. [HPL Innsmouth (online text)]

Shub-Niggurath is described as "a kind of sophisticated Astarte." [HPL Mound (online text)]

Astarte is another name for Ishtar. [FBL WereSnake (online text)]

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