War Goddesses of the Ancient World

While in the ancient world, most of the fighting was done by men, there was occasionally a woman who made her mark militarily. Likewise, while most of the war gods were male, there were also war goddesses, some of whom doubled as love and fertility goddesses.

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Agasaya

Semitic
Semitic war goddess who was combined with Ishtar. She is called "The Shrieker."
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Anahita

Possibly Anahita with Ardashir I and Shapur. From Sarab-e Qandil, vicinity of Kazerun, Fars province, Iran, May 2009. CC Flickr User dynamosquito

Persian, Chaldean, Iranian, and possibly Semitic
As well as being a war goddess, Anahita is the Persian water goddess, fertility goddess, and patroness of women. She drives a 4-horse chariot with the horses representing wind, rain, clouds, and sleet. She is tall, beautiful, and wears a golden crown
Sources:
"Anāhitā and Alexander," by William L. Hanaway, Jr. Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 102, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1982), pp. 285-295.
Dictionary of Ancient Deities, by Patricia Turner, Charles Russell Coulter.

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Anath

Semitic
West Semitic love and war goddess, associated with Baal.
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica

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Andraste

Celtic
Celtic Britain war god honored by Boudicca.
Source: "Omens and Celtic Warfare", by Ellen Ettlinger. Man, Vol. 43, (Jan. - Feb., 1943), pp. 11-17.

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Ankt

Egypt
Spear-carrying war goddess.
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Anouke

Egypt
Elder war goddess with bow and arrows, as well as a shuttle.
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Ashtart

Canaanite

Journal of Near Eastern Studies

, Vol. 14, No. 1, Henri Frankfort Memorial Issue (Jan., 1955).

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Athena

Athena at the Carnegie Museum. CC Flickr User Sabbath Photography

Greece

Multi-faceted virgin goddess. Goddess of wisdom, crafts, and warfare.

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Badb

Celtic
Irish Celtic war goddess who takes part in battle. Assumes raven shape. Also Morrigan.
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Bellona

Rome
Roman war goddess who accompanied Mars into battle. Wears helmet, and carries a spear and torch.
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Enyo

Greece
Greek horror and war goddess, sometimes daughter of Ares. Associated with Bellona.
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Eshara

Chaldean
Chaldean war goddess.
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Inanna

Sumer
Love fertitlity and war goddess. Most important Sumerian goddess.
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Ishtar

Lion frieze, Ishtar Gate, Pergamon Museum, Berlin. CC Flickr User Rictor Norton & David Allen

Babylonia/Assyrian Love, fertility and war goddess, associated with a lion. Carries a staff known as a harpe that was, once, a weapon.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin

, New Series, Vol. 10, No. 7 (Mar., 1952), pp. 211-216.

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Korrawi

Tamil
Also called Katukilal. War and victory goddess.
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Menhit

Egypt
"She Who Slaughters." Lion and war goddess.
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Minerva

The Roman goddess Minerva at Corbirdge. CC Flickr User Alun Salt.

Rome

Multi-faceted virgin goddess. Goddess of wisdom, crafts, and warfare.

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Nanaja

Sumer
Sumerian and Akkadian goddess of sex and war.
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Neith

Hieroglyph for Neith. CC Flickr User pyramidtextsonline.

Egypt

Southwestern Journal of Anthropology

, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Spring, 1948), pp. 1-30.

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Sakhmet

Sskhmet. CC Flickr User unforth.

Egypt
Destructive lioness-headed Egyptian goddess associated with war and vengeance
Sources:
Encyclopedia Mythica.
"The King of Egypt's Grace before Meat," by A. M. Blackman. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 31, (Dec., 1945), pp. 57-73.

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Zroya

Slavonic
Virgin war goddess associated with the storm god Perun.
Source: Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Gill, N.S. "War Goddesses of the Ancient World." Learn Religions, Dec. 6, 2021, learnreligions.com/war-goddesses-of-the-ancient-world-118520. Gill, N.S. (2021, December 6). War Goddesses of the Ancient World. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/war-goddesses-of-the-ancient-world-118520 Gill, N.S. "War Goddesses of the Ancient World." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/war-goddesses-of-the-ancient-world-118520 (accessed April 1, 2023).