Queen of Heaven
/ˌkwiːn əv ˈhɛvən/noun
An epithet historically applied to goddesses such as Inanna, Ishtar, and Astarte, and later used as a title for the Virgin Mary.
Did you know?The phrase appears in the biblical book of Jeremiah, where worship of the “Queen of Heaven” is condemned—probably referring to a Mesopotamian or West Semitic goddess such as Ishtar or Astarte.
Etymological Timeline
3rd Millennium BCE
Sumerian
nin-an-na
“Lady of Heaven; an epithet of the goddess Inanna”
2nd Millennium BCE
Akkadian
šarrat šamê
“Queen of Heaven; a title associated with Ishtar”
1st Millennium BCE
Biblical Hebrew
מְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם (meleket ha-shamayim)
“Queen of Heaven; a goddess worshiped by some communities, according to Jeremiah”
4th–5th Century CE
Latin
Regina Caeli
“Queen of Heaven; a Christian title applied to the Virgin Mary”
Old English period
Old English
cwēn heofones
“Queen of heaven; an English rendering of the Marian title”
Modern English
English
Queen of Heaven
“A title for the Virgin Mary and, in historical or comparative religion, an epithet for several ancient goddesses”
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