4/25/13 Minoan Honey : The Bull, The Mushroom And The Mistress Of The Dance

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:: Minoan Honey : The Bull, The Mushroom And The Mistress Of The Dance ::

bibliography photo essay #2

:: photo essay #1 - female roles in minoan culture ::

As stated in the main essay, it appears from the archaeology that women took on a prominent role in Minoan society, and possibly adominant one. We see throughout Bronze Age Crete evidence of women leading religious rituals, performing public dances andoccupying positions of high status, such as that of the seated goddess on the Ring of Minos. This is in stark contract to virtually allother contemporary Eastern Meditteranean cultures, who were mostly (but not all) Indo-European or Semitic-speaking peoples. It isperhaps misleading to suggest that women were dominant however, for we see no depictions of queens in the modern sense: thismight indicate that distinctions between 'queen', 'goddess' and 'priestess' were not relevant for Minoan people, or as Riane Eslerargues, Cretan culture was at this time a partnership culture rather than one that participated in forms of dominance.

Public or Ritual DancersFresco at Knossos, 1500BC

Serpent BearerKnossos, 1600BC - Possibly identifiable with Ariadne

Public or Ritual Dancers, or PriestessesIsopata, Knossos - 1500BC

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Officiator/Leader at Bull Sacrifice CeremonyAgia Triada, 1400BC

Infant BearerKnossos, 1450-1350BC

Possibly figure represents goddess as Mother or identifiable with Pasiphae?

Lady of the ChariotAgia Triada, 1400BC and sketch from Ierapetra sarcophagus

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Tripartite Female DeityRing of Minos, Knossos, 1450BC

Top right, goddess of epiphanies, centre right, goddess seated on shrine, and bottom, sea goddess

Mistress of Epiphanies 1Ring of Minos, Knossos, 1450BC

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Mistress of Epiphanies 2Knossos, 1370BC

This figure demonstrates what is commonly known as the 'Blessing Posture'

Blessing DeityKnossos, 1370BC

Note opium poppies on crown and similarity with previous image: she may also be an epiphany deity

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PorterAgia Triada, 1400BC

Attender at Shrine GatheringsFresco at Knossos, 1500BC

Fertile Woman Figure or DeityPhaistos, 1900BC

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Musicians and DancersKnossos, 1370BC

Dancers at Shrine Gathering - Ritual or Public DancersFresco at Knossos, 1500BC

The main plaza at Knossos may be here depicted: is this a depiction of the labyrinthine dance?

bibliography photo essay #2

'Minoan Honey: The Bull, The Mushroom & The Mistress of the Dance'Bruce Rimell, January 2009

Copyright (c) 2002-2013 Bruce Rimell : All images, artwork, and words on this siteare copyrighted to Bruce Rimell and may not be reproduced in any form unless stated otherwise.