Kybebe
/kɪˈbiːbi/noun
Kybebe is an ancient Anatolian mother-goddess name and an early Greek variant of Cybele.
Did you know?Kybebe’s cult was associated with ecstatic music, ecstatic dancing, and the galli—priests who ritually castrated themselves in devotion to the goddess.
Etymological Timeline
Early 1st millennium BCE
Phrygian/Anatolian
Kybebe
“A name or title associated with an Anatolian mother goddess; its deeper etymology is uncertain.”
6th–5th century BCE
Ancient Greek
Κυβήβη (Kybēbē)
“A Greek form of the goddess’s name, used for the powerful mother deity later identified with Cybele.”
Classical Greek
Ancient Greek
Κυβέλη (Kybélē)
“Cybele, the mother goddess connected with mountains, fertility, wild nature, and ecstatic worship.”
2nd century BCE
Latin
Cybele
“The Anatolian mother goddess whose cult was officially introduced into Rome.”
Modern English
English
Kybebe
“A rare scholarly spelling referring to the ancient goddess and an early form of the name Cybele.”