Astghik ("asterisk"), in Armenian mythology, the goddess of love and water.
The name Asthik goes back to the symbol of the goddess — the planet Venus. Later, Anahit and Asthik became independent deities. According to myths, Astghik, an extraordinary beauty, bathed every night in the Euphrates where it flows through a narrow rocky gorge.
To admire the naked goddess, young men lit fires on Mount Dagonats (Taron Mountain, within modern Turkey). Protecting herself from the eyes of others, Astghik covered the entire Taron Valley with fog.
According to other myths (which probably arose after the spread of Christianity), Asthik is the daughter of Xisutra (Noah), born after the flood.
After the d...