Ma was a local goddess atComana inCappadocia. Her name Ma means "Mother", and she also had the epithets "Invincible" and "Bringer of Victory".[1]
Ma has been interpreted as amother goddess, but at the same time as a warrior goddess, as her name and epithets indicate both.[1]
She was associated with the transition of adulthood of both genders, and sacred sex rituals were practiced during her biennial festivals.[1]
Ma was also seen as a moon goddess, being associated with the Anatolia moon godMēn, with a temple estate dedicated to Mēn Pharnakou andSelene at Ameria, nearCabira, in theKingdom of Pontus, being an attempt to counter-balance the influence of the Moon goddess Ma of Comana.
Ma has been identified with a number of other deities, indicating her function. She has been compared toCybele andBellona. The ancient Greeks compared Ma to the goddessEnyo andAthena Nicephorus.[2]Plutarch likened her withSemele and Athena.[1] Ma was introduced and worshiped inMacedonia together with other foreign deities.[3][4]
Ma-Enyo, a fusion between the Anatolian goddess Ma and the Greek Goddess, Enyo, was considered the great west Asian nature-goddess, with Comana's temple and its fame in ancient times as the place where the rites of this, a variety of the nature goddess, were celebrated with much solemnity.
Ma is described as a local Anatolian goddess, with her cult centered around her temple at Komana in Cappadocia. Her temple in Comana is described byStrabo.[5]
