Anat, Goddess of War
Ancient Canaanite battlefield badass...
Anat is a fierce and formidable Canaanite war goddess and sister/wife of Ba’al, the god of fertility and thunderstorms. She’s often described as revelling in the act of slaughter, joyfully dismembering her enemies and washing her hands in their blood.
Anat is renowned for her prowess in battle, wielding numerous weapons with skill and ferocity. Many tales describe her relentless pursuit of enemies and her role in combating chaos and threats to the divine order.
In the conflict between Ba’al and the sea god Yamm, Anat played a crucial role in defeating the sea god, using her formidable combat skills to help establish the supremacy of her brother the storm god.
When the desert god Mot defeated Ba’al in battle, he swiftly met his end at the hands of the avenging Anat, who dismembered him with her sword and pitchfork before burning him with fire, then grinding him to pieces with her millstone, and finally seeding the fields with his remains.
After defeating Mot, Anat retrieved the body of Ba’al, ensuring his resurrection and the renewal of the natural order.
In addition to her martial attributes, Anat is associated with love and fertility, expressing a duality and complexity that is evident in her many depictions, where she’s described as both a fearsome warrior on the battlefield and a nurturing force connected with the cycles of life.