Religion and rites in Minoan society

Evans

Problem: gaps in evidence and knowledge – we don’t really know!

Arthur Evans discovered the Minoan society – gave it it’s name

Evans’ primary interest was in what local women in Crete called ‘milk stones’ – seal stones which often depict religious images or icons – pictures used by the people

He ‘bought the biggest hill in town’ – Knossos was underneath – first day discovered the ‘throne room’

Major Minoan religious icons

Bull – sacrifice / fertilise cows – cheese + milk Labrys – double headed axe Horned altar – offerings / art – horns / hills – Mt Juktas Flowers – lilies + crocuses = goddesses – aphrodisiacs

/ saffron Maze patterns – labyrinth / Theseus = Minotaur Sea Creatures – dolphins / octopus Birds –in air / messengers of God The Pillar / Column – pillar crypt where the pillars

don’t reach the ceiling – libations at base = stable / strong – Crete 5 or 6 earthquakes per year

Labrys / Pillar cult

Minoan legend

The importance of the bull in Minoan legend and the physical evidence of bull iconography – Theseus and the Minotaur

Importance of women and religion – evidence and legend

Similarity of religious links between Minoan artefacts and Mycenaean

Evans, Nilsson and others saw them as being the same

Horns of consecration / Libation jug

The bull

Bull leaping fresco

Legends in

common

Zeus is present in Linear B texts –

Knossos / Pylos

Story of Europa and the White

Bull (Zeus in disguise) Zeus born

on Mt Juktas – near

Knossos

Minoan religion evidence

Minoans worshipped a ‘goddess’ or female god: Linear A texts refer to Dameter (same as Greek) Chief of Myc. + Greek goddesses – mother /

cereal growing – link between Linear A + B texts Great goddess – fantastic mixed creatures / lion

and deer / snakes / labrys – “Mistress of the Animals” – seal stone from Knossos

Statues – Syria and Sumeria – origin of Pop.? Armed goddess – ideas taken from Near East and

adopted by Greeks at Athena – Potnia (Linear B)

Goddess

Represented several goddesses – hunt / poppy / snake / mistress of the animals (Thera)

Portrayed as superior because she is bigger

Demeter? Sacrifice

Mistress of the Animals fresco - Thera

Worship

Rites Offerings /

statues / nature settings / ecstatic dancing / worshipped near trees

Scholars suspect drugs?

Poppies?

Late-Minoan gold ring: Minoan priestesses, a man, and two altars. These rings are lively miniatures depicting the sacred rites.

Tree worship / cult: Late-Minoan gold ring (Archeological Museum, Athens), three priestesses, the double-axe, and a tree representing the Goddess

Archanes ring

Crocus

Saffron crocuses originated as sacred flowers of Crete.

A Minoan fresco found at Thera in 1973 shows women dressed in yellow & orange-red, gathering saffron stigmas from crocuses, & offering them to a seated goddess or high priestess.

This was found decorating a lustration chamber where cultic activity surrounded menstruation, childbirth, & young girls coming of age ceremonies.

Crocus used in worship?