Maiden
What you need to sow
Begin the journey with your protection in place.
Sogdian / Uzbekistan
Nana
Four-Armed Lady on the Lion
Sogdiana (Samarkand, Bukhara), c. 5th–8th centuries CE
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Her story
Historical context
goddess · Sogdiana (Samarkand, Bukhara), c. 5th–8th centuries CE
Nana, whose worship came from Mesopotamia, became the chief goddess of Sogdiana, including Samarkand and Bukhara. Murals and coins show her with four arms, holding the sun and moon, seated on a lion.
Mythology & traditions
Nana’s cult traveled an extraordinary route from Mesopotamian Inanna-Ishtar traditions into Iran and Central Asia, changing as it moved. Sogdian murals from Panjikent show a richly dressed, four-armed goddess on a lion, while documents and personal names attest her prestige. Her imagery joins local sovereignty with a cosmopolitan Silk Road sacred world.
Domains
- sovereignty
- the sun and moon
- protection
- cities
Symbols
- lion
- sun and moon
- sceptre
In the oracle
Her guidance
Mother
What you need to grow
Grow authority with grace.
Crone
What you need to know
Know that you can hold both the light and the dark.
Her tradition
Sogdian & Bactrian Tradition
Silk Road goddesses of sovereignty and abundance from Samarkand to Bactria.
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