Usually known collectively, the Kotharat (Kôṯarātu) are seven patron goddesses of pregnancy, childbirth, nursing mothers and infants. In the Bronze Age their worship centers around Ugarit, north Syria.
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Mesopotamian equivalents of the Kotharat are the Sassuratu (Šassūrātu), assistants of the ancient Sumerian Mountain Mother Goddess Ninmah. They're also compared with the Hurrian fate goddess dyad of divine midwives Hutena and Hutellura.
Early mention of the Kotharat comes from Mari, an ancient city state on the bank of the life-giving Eurphrates River, c. 2900 - 1759 BCE. Ugaritic writings mention the word Kotharat is plural. Traditionally the Kotharat are seven goddesses or a heptad, but the number can vary.
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The Kotharat relate to conception, pregnancy, birth, and the formation of the fetus in the womb. Ancient literature calls them 'divine midwives'. They bless marriages with fertility, protection and health.
Both Kotharat and Sassuratu appear on god lists in Mari. Excavations of the city reveal remains from c. 3100 BCE. The influential Amorites pay homage to the Kotharat in various northern Syrian cities.
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While some suggest the goddesses have single names, like the Sassuratu, little evidence has yet been found. In mythology they appear in Ugaritic myth in the Marriage of Nikkal and Yarikh. They oversee the birth of a son and give wedding blessings to a human woman.
The Kotharat also appear in the Epic of Aqhat (c. 1350 BCE). They visit the house of Danilu after Baal intervenes on his behalf and grants him a descendant. This is Aqhat, the hero of the story. Danilu holds a six-day feast in honor of the Kotharat. On the seventh day they leave.
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Despite similarity in names, mythologists differ about whether the Kotharat relate to the artisan god Kothar. He's a patron of creators in north Syria, especially Ugarit.
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