The Prehistory of Greece: c 10,000 - c 1550 BC
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The Religion of Minoyan Crete
It is likely that there was a colossal statue of the great Mother at the palace of Knosós made of painted wood - bronze locks of hair have been discovered there together with burnt wood. The hall in which it stood was probably decorated with frescoes celebrating the bull-leaping ritual. Cretan religious symbols included bulls' horns and the double-axe. The term labrys means "axe". Later the sanctuary of a war god at Karia was called the Labraunda. It is possible that the term labyrinth was originally the name of the palace at Knosós and means "Place of the Double Axe". The palace had an elaborate drainage system, and a vast complex of rooms connected by corridors, light-wells and internal rooms. The inhabitants enjoyed great luxury. The main rooms were probably situated on the upper storey and were served by grand staircases. One particularly sumptuous suite of rooms, nicknamed the "Queen's Megaron" survives. It has frescoes decorated with blue dolphins and fish as well as images of probably dancing girls. It has a private bathroom and a flushable toilet. Clay pipes were used to bring in water and gullies carried rain-water away. The ladies wore flounced skirts, puffed sleeves and were open bosomed. The men wore loin-cloths only and a cloak in winter with a tight belt and boots. The Mycenaeans derived from northern herdsmen and their society was originally patriarchal. After their arrival in mainland Greece they assimilated a number of the local gods and the result was the Olympian pantheon. The religion of the original inhabitants continued to survive - it celebrated fertility - most notably celebrated at Eluesis in Attica, which was dedicated to the cult of Demeter. An ivory group has been found at Mycenae and this probably represents the divine triad of the Mother, Daughter and Daughter's Son. The Cretans adopted the name Zeus and applied it to their chief male deity, who was also a fertility god, who like Adonis died at some point in the year.
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Contents of
The Prehistory of Greece: c 10,000 - c 1550 BC
1 The Neolithic Age in Greece
2 The Early Helladic Period
3 Troy I
4 Migrations into Greece c. 2500 BC
5 Minoan Civilisation
6 The Greek migration
7 Megaron
8 Middle Helladic Age
9 The Aegean Bronze Age: The Minoan Civilisation: c. 2000 - 1550 BC
10 The golden age of Minoan Crete
11 Volcanic eruption on Thera c. 1600 BC
12 Crete and Mycenae
13 The amber route
14 The Religion of Minoyan Crete
15 The Linear B Tablets of Knosos
16 Relations between the mainland and Crete
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