The Maritime Goddess Tanit in the New World
Zena Halpern
USA
Summary: This power point presentation for the Atlantic Conference discusses three relatively unknown areas.
1) The Maritime Aspect of Tanit. Ancient seafarers carried a nautical symbol; the insignia of Tanit on their ships for protection against the dangers of the sea. Thus there was a maritime religion followed as far back as the Canaanites/Phoenicians, or with even earlier mariners who adapted the ancient mother goddess for protection. They navigated their ships across the oceans weith the insignia of Tanit on the prow or stern of their ships.
2) The Sacred Maritime Symbol. This has been found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In over a dozen sites across America, the distinctive insignia of Tanit has been carved in remote areas stretching fromVermont to California. These are shown in the presentation and compared to Tanits in the Mediterranean world.
3) New Evidence. Recent archaeological discoveries point to the widepread worship of Tanit across the entire Mediterranean area, from the East Mediterranean where she is found in over a dozen archaeological sites both on the coast and inland to the West Mediterranean and into the Iberian Peninsula. Tanit was a later reflection of the goddess Asherah identified on texts from Ugarit.