{"database": "deitydb", "table": "entities", "rows": [["ENT_ARM_ASTGHIK", "Astghik", null, "Armenian", "goddess of love and water", "Love Deity", "love; beauty; water; stars; fertility; night; roses", null, null, null, "A", null, null, null, null, null, "Goddess of love, beauty, and water; companion of Vahagn. The name Astghik means \"little star\" in Armenian (astgh = star). Khorenatsi (I.15) describes her cult at Ashtishat (literally \"city of Ashtart\" \u2014 the place name derives from Astghik/Ashtart, revealing the Semitic Astarte layer beneath the Iranian-Armenian tradition). Agathangelos (\u00a722) equates her with Aphrodite. Armenian folk tradition preserves the Vardavar festival (originally a water-pouring celebration of Astghik, later Christianized as the Feast of the Transfiguration) in which celebrants pour water on each other and release doves \u2014 the dove and rose being Astghik's symbols. She is the Armenian reception of the widespread Near Eastern love goddess (Ishtar/Inanna \u2192 Astarte \u2192 Astghik), shaped by the Iranian environment of the Armenian highlands. Russell (1987) pp. 340-380; Khorenatsi I.15; Agathangelos \u00a722.", "deity"]], "columns": ["entity_id", "canonical_name", "greek_name", "tradition", "entity_type", "category", "primary_domains", "tags", "cult_scope", "primary_period", "evidence_confidence", "review_status", "inclusion_basis", "earth_association_score", "chthonic_flag", "serpent_flag", "short_note", "entity_class"], "primary_keys": ["entity_id"], "primary_key_values": ["ENT_ARM_ASTGHIK"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.2144100001023617, "source": "jebboone/deitydb", "source_url": "https://github.com/jebboone/deitydb", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT"}