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THE FORGOTTEN APHRODITE: SYMBOLISM OF THE SCYTHIAN SERPENT GODDESS ARGIMPASA

Zuzanna Morawek

First published: 2025https://doi.org/10.35603/sws.iscah.2025/s01.06View metrics

Abstract

This paper investigates Argimpasa, the Scythian serpent goddess of fertility, divination, and chthonic power. Identified by Herodotus as the Scythian „Aphrodite Urania”, she represents a syncretic archetype integrating Scythian, Greek, and Near Eastern religious traditions. Unlike classical Aphrodite, Argimpasa appears as a telluric, half-woman, half-serpent being, embodying both generative and underworld forces. Her cult involved the enarees, mystical androgynous diviners whose ritualized afflictions were interpreted as a form of divine empowerment, linking sexual transformation, prophecy, and social cohesion. Primary sources for this study include Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, Pseudo-Hippocrates, and archaeological evidence from Scythian kurgans, supplemented by iconographic analysis of artifacts depicting hybrid female forms and fertility symbols. Comparative analysis situates Argimpasa alongside Aphrodite, Anahita, Cybele, and other Great Mother figures, highlighting common motifs of fertility, nature, and protective authority. The paper further examines the reception of Scythian mythological elements in especially Greek and Near Eastern contexts, illustrating the role of cross-cultural interaction in shaping religious syncretism. Drawing on historiography and theoretical frameworks from anthropology, archaeology, and religious studies – particularly the work of Mircea Eliade and Yulia Ustinova – this study argues that Argimpasa exemplifies a complex religious archetype whose symbolism of serpentine power, fertility, and chthonic authority persisted in the Black Sea region and beyond.

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Publication details

Title
THE FORGOTTEN APHRODITE: SYMBOLISM OF THE SCYTHIAN SERPENT GODDESS ARGIMPASA
Authors
Zuzanna Morawek
Proceedings
Proceedings of 12th SWS International Scientific Conference on Arts And Humanities - ISCAH 2025
Publisher
SGEM WORLD SCIENCE (SWS) Scholarly Society
Year
2025
Pages
51-58
SWS Citekey
Morawek202515158
ISSN
2682-9940
ISBN
978-3-903438-15-6
Language
en
Publication type
Proceedings Paper
Keywords
ScythiansHerodotusreligionArgimpasaAphroditeenareessnakes
References15

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