Aya: Goddess of Dawn or Divine Extra Terrestrial ?

Aya, goddess of light and the dawn, was a divine figure at par with her husband, Shamash,the sun god. Babylonian times refer to her as Serida, while her Akkadian name is Aya.

Aya’s name appears in texts from Ur, the Early Dynastic god-lists from Fara and Abu Salabikh. She is the goddess of Dawn and morning light and thus referred to as ‘morning maker’. Aya’s epithet kallatum means bride and daughter-in-law and it may also imply ‘the veiled one’. This description, while conveying mystery and enigma, also conveys the idea of high status which is referred to in her epithet ‘Great Mistress’ (bēltum rabītum). 

The One of Many Aspects

In the first millennium BCE, texts reveal Aya to be invoked for new year rituals and to avoid signs or omens of evil and hard times. She , with her husband Shamash, were called upon to witness important transactions, deeds or events. They were divine witnesses and were also givers of justice.

Moreover, Aya’s role was two-fold. Not only was she a primary deity, worshipped as the Dawn and giver of light, but she was also a mediator for Shamash.

The Mesopotamian pantheon was a very large one and allowed for some deities who were divine and yet perhaps more in touch with the common man. They were the ones who would intercede on behalf of the worshipper and bring their appeal to the notice of the deity. Thus, Gula and Belet –Ili would mediate on behalf of the worshipper, to Marduk, while Aya would mediate to Shamash.

The Depictions and their Meanings

Aya’s depictions in seals are very intriguing. She is shown frontally, facing the viewer. She wears a long robe, and has one hand stretched out to the side, pointing at the seated main deity, the sun god. Her feet are aligned, pointing in synchronization with the direction of her pointing hand. She wears the traditional crown, and at the edge of her shoulders, can be seen the upward curls of her veil, almost like a helmet . Her eyes are large and circular, and her expression shows a smiling face, full of vitality.

Asher-Greve (2003) have maintained that the full frontality of the face and body shows the goddess to be a divine patroness of the city or region, and shows her to be a high ranking deity who is yet more accessible to the common man. Moreover, the combination of frontality alongwith hand and feet directed away and towards the main god, shows the goddess to be in a position where she straddles two worlds- that of deities and that of the worshipper. 

In some cases, Aya has been depicted standing in front of a seated Shamash, pointing at him, while he holds the rod and ring of kingship in his hands.

Aya was a favourite patron goddess of priestesses. Seals depicting Aya alone or together with Shamash are believed to also have belonged to priestesses who dedicated themselves to Šamaš and Aya. They were very devoted to Aya, took her as their patron goddess and protector, and many had names composed with Aya.

The ‘Waking Up The House’ Ritual

 Inscriptions found at excavation sites speak of a ritual performed at Ebabbar, the temple of the sun god Shamash, at Sippar. The very name, Ebabbar means, ‘shining house’, the dwelling of the Sun. The inscription goes back to the seventh and eighth century BCE but in reality, is accepted as going much further back in time. 

This ritual, called “waking up the house”, was performed on four days of the month in celebration of Shamash, of which two days were dedicated to Aya who left her shrine for the ceremonies .

Assyriologist Stefan Maul points out how a propitious sighting showed a divine family coming together. On the days Aya was present , a crescent or full moon was visible, thus bringing together the astral triumvirate of Sin,or the Moon who was divine father, the son Shamash, the sun, and his spouse, Aya. 

 Ritual offerings were placed in the temple of Shamash and Aya, They included an armchair, bed, and throne for the deities , and just for Aya a “protective deity in the Ebabbar”, an emblem, a golden statue of Aya and a high pedestal for her statue.

Was Aya the Extra Terrestrial Power behind the Throne?

Centuries may have passed, but the first depictions of Aya on old seals which have been found at archaeological sites, have an immediate effect on the viewer and call to mind forms which are human, but more than human. 

Her eyes, large ,circular and slightly protruding, seem to indicate a form from somewhere else. This was not a mythical being engraved on seals - this was a being that was real and tangible for the carvers at that time.  Her expression, repeated time and over in engravings, shows a smiling face, with a slightly pointed chin. There is an alertness and energy which flows from the engravings even now. The angular lines of her face are also reminiscent of face coverings and masks, which visitors from other planets might wear.

The curved veil which can be seen on two sides of the face is more than a veil. It doesn’t have the fluid touch of cloth. Rather, it calls to mind the solidity and sharpness of helmets and head gear more suited for space travel. The round orbs contained within the edges of the veil are more like lights, which can glow and cast away darkness. 

 It does make one wonder- is this why she was associated with the Sun and called “morning maker” ?  Moreover, she was not called the “giver” of morning light, as would be more associated with divinities. Instead, she was one who could “make” it. The one who walked among the people, and yet seemed to have Sun –like abilities. 

When Aya was shown, pointing at the seated Shamash, what did they actually mean? Was she conveyed some special energy to activate the great Sun? Was she the one then actually controlling him?

I believe that Aya was a real figure with strange powers, who became amalgamated with the identity of Shamash. The figure came from the skies, or rather outer space, had a female form, wore headgear and mask, and was highly advanced in technology. The people of that time associated the powers of light and flight with the divine and with the sun, soon coming to believe that their sun god and this mysterious figure were allied together. This figure, being female, was his wife, and would carry their pleas to him. I also believe that the pointing hand indicates an understanding among the people at that time, that this visitor from the skies could have an effect on the sun. It could mean to show that they felt she was giving some kind of power, or influencing the workings of that great ball of fire. Or as many scholars  believe, she could intercede on their behalf.

“Divine bride”, “morning maker” or extra-terrestrial goddess, the figure of Aya will always remain a mystery.

References:

1.  Black, Jeremy. Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary. 2014

2.  Ornan, Talley. “The triumph of the symbol: Pictorial representation of deities in Mesopotamia and the biblical image ban”.  University of Zurich, 2005.

3. Koch, Heidemarie. “Theology and Worship in Achaemenid Iran”. Religion and Science, 1995

4.  Ford, Michael. Maskim Hul: Babylonian Magick. 2010.

5.  Jordan, Michael. Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses. New York: 1993,2004

6.  Folz, Richard. Iran in World History. United States of America, 2016

7. “Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses”, Oracc and UK Higher Education Academy, 

8. Asher-Greve /Westenholz. Goddesses in Context: On Divine Powers, Roles, Relationships and Gender in Mesopotamian Textual and Visual Sources. Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis (OBO) 259.

9.   Mark, Joshua J. “Ancient History Encyclopedia”, Ancient History Encyclopedia.