Nikkal (pronounced nee-KAL) is the Canaanite Goddess of orchards, fruit, and the harvest. She is the daughter of Khirkhib, God of summer, and wife of Yarikh, God of the moon. Nikkal’s father did not want her to marry Yarikh, and suggested to him that he marry one of Baal’s daughters instead. Yarikh would not give up, and after paying a brideprice of silver, gold, and necklaces of lapis lazuli, Khirkhib relented. It was a good match, as the dew that Yarikh brings each night waters Nikkal’s orchards, ensuring a bountiful harvest.

Nikkal is the subject of a hymn which may be the oldest known musical score. In the 1950s, archaeologists found a tablet from Ugarit, dated back to 1400 BCE, now called the Hurrian Hymn. Although there is not enough left of the tablet to give a satisfactory translation of the lyrics, the music has been interpreted.

Nikkal’s full name is Nikkal-wa-Ib, which means “Great Lady and Fruitful” or “Great Goddess of Fruit”.

Gula is the Sumerian Goddess of healing. Her sacred animal was the dog, and many of her worshippers dedicated small statues of dogs to her. Dogs were allowed to wander freely in her temples. Gula is the consort of Ninurta, God of thunderstorms and the fertility of the earth. Her name means “great” and she is also known as Ninisina (lady of Isin), Ninnibru (lady of Nippur), Nintinuga (lady who restores life), and Ninkarrak, and it appears that the Goddess Bau was assimilated into Gula in later times.

Ninsun is the Sumerian Goddess of dreams and cows. Married to King Lugalbanda, she is the mother of the hero Gilgamesh, who was said to be two-thirds divine (from his Goddess mother) and one-third human (from his mortal father). She is also the mother of Dumuzi by the God Enki. Ninsun assists Gilgamesh by interpreting his dreams for him, and she also adopts his companion, Enkidu, as her own son. Epithets for Ninsun, mostly from The Epic of Gilgamesh, include “august cow“, “Lady Wild Cow“, “Wild Cow of the Enclosure“, and “The Great Queen“. Her name is also seen as Ninsuna and Rimat-Ninsun.

Kubaba is the Hurrian Goddess of the city of Carchemish. She was usually depicted as a regal woman wearing a long robe, either standing or seated on a throne. She holds a mirror and a pomegranate, symbols of magic and fertility. She was adopted by the Hittites after the fall of the Hurrians, and eventually evolved into the Phrygian Goddess Cybebe, later known as Cybele to the Romans.

Anat is the Semitic Goddess of war, savagery, and fertility. She, along with her sisters Astarte and Asherah, was known by various names throughout the ancient Mesopotamian area, and is sometimes confused with her sisters. She is a daughter of El, consort of Baal. She is often referred to as a virgin, but the meaning here is more “unmarried” than “unsexual”. She is quite ruthless and routinely slays Baal’s enemies. During one victory feast, she slipped out to slaughter the inhabitants of two neighboring towns. After making a belt of their heads and hands, she made a peace offering and then returned to the feast.

In another myth, Anat asks El to allow Baal to build a proper palace, but El refuses. Anat threatens El, and then enlists the aid of her sister Astarte, who persuades El to allow the palace. When Baal is killed by Mot, God of Death, Anat hunts down Mot and cuts his body into pieces. Anat is said to have killed various monsters who were enemies of Baal, including Yamm, a seven-headed serpent, and Arsh, a sea monster.

Even though her warrior aspects are often emphasized, Anat was also a Goddess of fertility and sexuality. In the Epic of Ba’al, she is called upon to “Remove from the earth war, Set in the dust love; Pour peace amidst the earth, Tranquility amidst the fields.”

Her many names come from the fact that she was worshipped throughout the ancient Near East. She is known as ‘nt (pronounced Anat), ‘Anat, ‘Anath, ‘Anatu, or ‘Anata in Ugaritic; Anta or Antu in Akkadian; and Anant, Anit, Anti, or Antit in Egyptian. Her epithets include:
Batalat ‘Anat (the maiden or virgin)
Yabamat Li`imim (the Kindred of the Peoples of Ugarit)
Rachmaya (adolescent)
Lady
Sister of the Mighty One
Strength of Life
Anat the Destroyer
Lady of the Mountain
Anat-her (Agreeable Anat)
Herit-Anta (terror of Anat)
Bin-Ptah (daughter of Ptah, from Egypt)

Astarte is the Semitic Goddess of sexuality and war. She, along with her sisters Asherah and Anat, was known by various names throughout the ancient Mesopotamian area, and is sometimes confused with her sisters. Astarte is the sister-wife of Baal, Lord of the Gods. She is often depicted wearing bull horns to symbolize her aggressive nature. She can also be identified with the Babylonian Ishtar.

Her many names come from the fact that she was worshipped throughout the ancient Near East. She is known as Attart or Athtart in Ugaritic; Astartu in Akkadian; and Ashtart or Ashtoreth in Hebrew. Other spellings for her name include Astoret, Astaret, Astarot, and Ashtoret, and she was also known by the epithets Queen of Heaven and Queen of the Stars.

Asherah is the Semitic Goddess of fertility, the moon, and the sea. She, along with her sisters Astarte and Anat, was known by various names throughout the ancient Mesopotamian area, and is sometimes confused with her sisters. Asherah appears in the Hebrew Bible as the consort of Yahweh and is represented by a sacred tree or pole.

In the Ugaritic tradition, Asherah is consort of the God El, the father of all the Gods. She is mother of the gracious Gods, the 70 sons of El. She is often depicted either standing with or riding a lion, and she is usually naked, symbolic of her role as fertility Goddess.

Her many names come from the fact that she was worshipped throughout the ancient Near East. She is known as Athirat or Atirat in Ugaritic; Ashratum or Ashratu in Akkadian; and Asherdu, Ashertu, Aserdu, or Asertu in Hittite. Other names and epithets include:
Qadesh (holy)
Qatesh
Qetesh
Kadesh
Qadeshet
Qodesh
Qudshu
Elat (feminine form of El)
Labi’atu (Lady of Lions)
Dat ba’thani (Lady of the Serpent)
Rabat Chawat ‘Elat (Great Lady Eve the Goddess)
Rabat ‘Athirat Yam (Great Lady She who Treads on the Sea)
Lady of Heaven
Queen of Heaven
Lady of the Stars of Heaven
Mistress of all the Gods
Queen of the Gods
She who gives birth to the Gods
Progenitrix of the Deities
Wet-nurse of the Gods
Lady of the Sea
Lady who Traverses the Sea
Goddess of the Tree of Life
Goddess of the Grove
Sacred Grove
Sacred Cow

Zintuhis is a Hittite Goddess. She is the granddaughter of Teshub, the storm God, and Wurusemu, the sun Goddess. In Queen Puduhepa’s prayers to the Gods to heal her sick husband, King Hattusilis, she calls on Zintuhis to intercede on his behalf with Teshub, and promises to “make a great ornament” in her honor.

Bau is the Sumerian Goddess of fertility and healing. Also known as Baba, she was the patron Goddess of the city of Lagash and protector of the king. She is the daughter of An, God of the sky. Bau is often depicted with the head of a dog, and it is thought that her name is derived from the bark of a dog.

Lamaštu is an Akkadian demon Goddess. She preyed on pregnant women, causing them to miscarry and then taking their babies. She also caused childhood diseases, and would steal breastfeeding babies from their mothers. She is usually depicted with a lion’s head and a hairy body; bare breasted, a dog and a pig feed at her breasts. Lamaštu also caused disease, poisoned rivers, brought nightmares, and drank the blood of her victims. Her name means “she who erases” and is also seen as Lamashtu.