Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • Asiatic epithet for Rhea or Cybele: "Agdistis" is a name used in ancient Anatolian (Phrygian) mythology to refer to the mother goddess, identified with the Greek goddess Rhea or the Phrygian goddess Cybele.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The cult of Agdistis was closely associated with that of Cybele.
  • In some myths, Agdistis is described as a hermaphroditic being.

Advanced Usage

• Mythological Context: The term is used specifically in discussions of ancient Near Eastern and Phrygian religion, often in academic or historical texts comparing different mother goddess figures.
  • The complex myth of Agdistis involves themes of duality and transformation.

Variants and Related Words

• Cybele (n): The Phrygian mother goddess, often equated with Agdistis and later with Rhea in the Greco-Roman world.
• Rhea (n): In Greek mythology, a Titaness, the mother of the gods, often identified with Cybele and, by extension, Agdistis.
• Magna Mater (n): The "Great Mother," a Roman title for Cybele, linking to the same divine concept as Agdistis.

Synonyms

• Mother Goddess: A general term for a major female deity associated with fertility, the earth, and motherhood.
• Great Mother: An epithet for powerful mother goddesses across various cultures.

Notes on Meaning

• This word has a single, highly specific meaning rooted in comparative mythology. It is not used in modern general English but appears in scholarly works on ancient religion and mythology.

Noun

1. Asiatic epithet for Rhea or Cybele