Anat(h) was a goddess known by various epithets ("the Virgin Goddess", "Adolescent Anat", "The In-Law of the Peoples", etc.) and was a bit of a tomboy, as well as being reputed to be both Ba'al's lover and sister. She is sometimes represented with lions. She also has a bit of a temper, and is not afraid of standing up to the head god of the Pantheon: 'El. Though about 25 lines are missing from the beginning of the tablet, we get the sense that she has just finished bathing and perfuming herself.
....
Henna of seven maids,
Scent of coriander and murex.
-
The gates of Anat's house are closed,
She meets youths at the foot of the mountain.
And look! Anat fights in the valley,
Battles between the two towns.
She fights the people of the se[a]-shore.
Strikes the populace of the su[nr]ise.
Under her, like balls, are hea[ds.]
Above her, like locusts, hands,
Like locusts, heaps of warrior-hands.
She fixes heads to her back,
Fastens hands to her belt.
Knee-deep she glea[n]s in warrior-blood,
Neck-deep in the gor[e] of soldiers.
With a club she drives away captives,
With her bow-string, the foe.
-
And look! Anat goes to her house,
The goddess takes herself to her palace,
Unsated with her fighting in the valley,
With battling between the two towns.
She arranges chairs for the soldiery,
Arranges tables for hosts (armies).
Footstools for heroes.
Hard she fights and looks about,
Battling Anat surveys.
Her innards swell with laughter,
Her heart fills with joy,
Anat's innards with victory.
Knee-deep she gleans in warrior-blood,
Neck-deep in the gore of soldiers.
Until sated with fighting in the house,
With battling between the tables.
-
Warrior-blood is wiped [from] the house,
Oil of peace is poured in a bowl.
Adoles[ce]nt Anat washes her hands,
The In-Law of the Peoples, her fingers.
[She] washes her hands in warrior-blood,
Her [fi]ngers in the gore of the soldiers.
She [ar]ranges chairs with chairs,
Tables [with] table
;
Footstools she arranges with footstools.
[She] draws water and washes
[With D]ew of Heaven, Oil of Earth,
Showers of the Cloud[r]ider,
Dew which the Heavens pour on her,
[Show]ers the Stars pour on her.
(Writings from the Ancient World Vol. 9: "Ugaritic Narrative Poetry", Trans. Mark S. Smith, pp. 107-109, SBL, Scholars Press, 1997)
I hope you all enjoyed that as much as I did! I feel much better now....
Everyone likes cannabilism, right? Anyone see a parallel to another famous goddess from an entirely different religion there? One who also liked to hang heads on her?
For those wishing to find some Biblical parallels, references to Anath in the Hebrew Bible are relatively rare, but nonetheless, the existence of this goddess might go a long ways towards answering an old riddle concerning one of the Biblical "Judges". Immediately after the story of Ehud, we get:
After him came Shamgar, [son of Anath]*. He struck down a Philistine brigade single-handedly, using an oxgoad.
He too rescued Israel.
(Judges 3:31, AB; *original AB translation has "the Anathite" with note listing literal translation, which I have provided in brackets)
One might be tempted to assume that he came from the town of Beth-anath in Galilee ("House of Anath"?), but the literal translation of "Shamgar, the Anathite" is actually "Shamgar, son of Anath" (Shamgar ben Anath). This would have been a typical military-type reference to someone who used Anat(h) as his patron goddess, or adopted her principles - this would not have been too far from what was possible with the Judges, who were not always the most pious of Yahwists. Compare the form to others, such as Ishbaal ("Man of Baal"), ben Ishtar ("Son of Ishtar"), etc.
The second reference to Shamgar is in the Song of Deborah:
In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath
In the days of Jael, they ceased
The caravans and the wayfaring men
Who travel the winding roads.
(Judges 5:6, AB)
A curious question: could Shamgar's heroic solitary exploits against the Phillistines be a quasi-variation of the Anath tale quoted above? Was Shamgar making an "offering" to "sate" her hunger?
Anat(h):
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