From the tradition of female deities of death such as Lelwani, Ereshkigal and Allani comes Asray, the underworld Goddess of Ugarit. A bustling center of trade, Urgarit appears about 1800 BCE in written form, although its roots go back to the Early Bronze Age c. 3000 BCE.
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Despite being a vassal of the Hittite Empire, the kingdom city of Ugarit in northern Syria is a powerful region, with crossroads of land and sea meeting within its borders. It rises to a golden age of prosperity c. 1450 BCE, and crumbles away during the cataclysmic events of the Bronze Age collapse c. 1200 BCE.
Pleas for help from attacking marauders, the Sea Peoples, appear on clay tablets, the most popular form of correspondence in the ancient near East. They offer a glimpse into the desperate circumstances of Ugarit and neighbors. The city is abandoned in c. 1185 BCE, just before the Hittite collapse of c. 1180.
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Battle and death attract the attention of Underworld divinities and Asray is no exception. She is sometimes compared to Allani (Allatu) of Hurrian myth. The two Goddesses both have temples in Ugarit.
A significant Syrian deity, Asray appears on the god lists between Canaanite Sun Goddess Shapash and the Goddess Ashara, another deity with Underworld connections. Ashara, also called Astarte, is equated with Ishtar, Shaushka and later Aphrodite and Venus.
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Common in many societies, god lists and offering lists determine the placement of the god/dess in the overall heirarchy, the divine entourage or deific family, sukkals if applicable, and the offerings expected.
Even hostile gods or demons are included, as offerings are important to placate them, or enlist their help. One example is the Mesopotamian demon Pazuzu, who can be invoked to protect against Baby-Eating Goddess Lamashtu.
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In the 13th century BCE, Queen Puhudepa of the Hittite Empire, a priestess in her home town, dedicates herself to organizing the thousands of Hittite gods. Many locales follow her example, leaving precious glimpses into the mythologies of bygone eras.
Asray is one of the three daughters of Creator God Baal. He's an Sky Deity of fertility, weather, rain, wind, lightning, seasons, war and sailors, often equated with the Greek Zeus.
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Baal's three daughters are Asray, Pidray and Tallay. The 'y' at the end of the names denotes feminine entities. He's considered to have more children.
Pidray is thought to be the tutelary deity of the Kings of Ugarit. Tallay is associated with weather such as dew and light rain. They're mentioned in the Baal Cycle, one of the earliest written works of Ugarit, a collection of Baal legends.
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Arsay's name translates in Ugaritic to Earth or Underworld. She's associated with water, specifically groundwater and freshwater sources, which are seen to originate from deep in the earth. She and her sisters take the appellation klt knyt or 'perfect brides', though at least one Goddess is unmarried.
According to Nicolas Wyatt, Arsay is a deity "governing meteorological phenomena and fertility" alongside Baal, Pidray and Tallay. Arsay is further mentioned in local offering lists.
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In one listing, Asray receives a ram after Sun Goddess Shapash and before Ashtart (an equivalent of Ishtar). In another, she receives two ewes and a cow, a customary offering to an Underworld Goddess.
Her role in the Land of Death is not as clearly defined as that of other Goddesses. She lives in a palace, as befits her station. From below the Earth she helps determine the fertility of the land, signifying life arising from death.
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She may also control drought and flood conditions. Because Underworld Goddesses are linked to fertility, such as water and nourishment from beneath the earth, they also incorporate elements of sexuality.
In the Mesopotamian Underworld, people are not judged by the lives they lead. The way they are buried or honored by their descendents, and the richness of their graves determine their qualitiy of life in death. Some areas create a necropolis, or City of the Dead, for departed souls to inhabit.
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