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Minoan Religion

Minoan Religion

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Minoan Religion. Minoan Crete Map. Cave of Eileithyia. MM cult centers Baetyl Animal Bones Animal Figurines Bronze artifacts. Peak Shrines. Link to MM protopalatial elites through artifacts Linear A, Kamares Ware Ash layer, no bones Many figurines. Tripartite Shrine. Domestic Shrines. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Minoan Religion

Minoan Religion

Page 2: Minoan Religion

Minoan Crete Map

Page 3: Minoan Religion

Cave of Eileithyia• MM cult

centers• Baetyl• Animal

Bones• Animal

Figurines

• Bronze artifacts

Page 4: Minoan Religion

Peak Shrines• Link to MM

protopalatial elites through artifacts

• Linear A, Kamares Ware

• Ash layer, no bones• Many figurines

Page 5: Minoan Religion

Tripartite Shrine

Page 6: Minoan Religion

Domestic Shrines• Town,

Palace, House

• Bench Sanctuary

• Lustral Baisin

• Pillar Crypt

Page 7: Minoan Religion

Snake Goddess/Priestess

Page 8: Minoan Religion

Goddess of the MountainGoddess of the Beasts

Page 9: Minoan Religion

Goddesses

Page 10: Minoan Religion

Minoan Pantheon

Page 11: Minoan Religion

The Male Consort

Page 12: Minoan Religion

Male Divinity?• Male figures rarer• Usually smaller

stature• Lesser Male

Divinity?• Rural Matriarchy?• Urban Patriarchy?

Page 13: Minoan Religion

Ayia Triadha Sarcophagus:LMIIIA (14thC)

Painted Plaster over Stone

Page 14: Minoan Religion

Celestial vs Chthonic Gods• “Chthon”

= earth

Page 15: Minoan Religion

Sacrifice

Page 16: Minoan Religion

Human Sacrifice• Anemospilia• Near Archanes &

Heraklion• Bound male on altar• 2 others killed in

room by earthquake• 1 killed in anteroom

with krater (of blood?)

Page 17: Minoan Religion

Child Sacrifice & Cannibalism? • Children’s

bones with butchering marks in North House, Knossos

• Caravaggio

Page 18: Minoan Religion

Child Sacrifice in Myth?

?

Page 19: Minoan Religion

Theseus & the Minotaur• Athenians send

human tribute to bull crazy Minoans

• Palace at Knossos like Labyrinth to simpler Mycenaean Greeks

Page 20: Minoan Religion

The Labyrinthine Palace• Note

dismembered bodies

Page 21: Minoan Religion

Hero Story• Miraculous Conception/Birth Aegeus/Poseidon• Hiding of/Threat to Child Troezen, with Aethra

Medea?• Society’s Desire for Change No more sacrifice!• Withdrawal & Initiation Ummmm• Resistance of Hero RoleUmmm• Search for Lost Father Trip to Athens• QuestKilling Minotaur• Magical Tools/Weapons Club, thread, sword• Impossible Adversaries Numerous• Journey to Underworld Rape of Persephone• Return (in Disguise) to Save Beloved Ummmm

Page 22: Minoan Religion

Early Exploits• Father’s Tokens• Heroic Journey• Periphetes’ Club• Crommyonian

Sow• Sinis & tree• Sciron’s turtle• Procrustes’ bed• Daughters?• Herculean hero

Page 23: Minoan Religion

Aegeus, Medea, & Theseus• Medea the

Colchian witch

• Murderer of brother & children by Jason

• Marathonian Bull

Page 24: Minoan Religion

Marathonian/Cretan Bull• Brought to

Greece as one of 12 labors of Herakles…

• Bull of Poseidon• Pasiphae & Bull• Minotaur’s

father!• Good

Credentials for facing Minotaur

Page 25: Minoan Religion

Revenge of Minos

• Androgeos at Panathenaic games

• Victorious Cretan murdered by envious Athenian athletes or by Aegeus

• Athenian compensation:• 7 boys & 7 girls every 9

years

Page 26: Minoan Religion

Cretan “Games”

Page 27: Minoan Religion

Theseus’ trip to Crete

• Theseus as 1 of 7 boys

• White Sails for Success

• Black/Red Sails for Failure (death of Theseus)

Page 28: Minoan Religion

Theseus’ edge: Inside Woman

Page 29: Minoan Religion

Victory!• Theseus slays

Minotaur• Theseus &

Ariadne sail off into the sunset…

Page 30: Minoan Religion

Homeymoon on Naxos

Page 31: Minoan Religion

Dionysus to the Rescue

• Dionysus finds Ariadne

• They drink happily ever after…

Page 32: Minoan Religion

Theseus sails home to celebrate victory…&

freedom• Aegeus watches

for beloved son• Ooops - black

sails• Aegeus leaps to

death• Oh well, Theseus

becomes king of Athens

Page 33: Minoan Religion

Theseus & Herakles: Fratboy Heroes

• Herakles’ 12 labors

• Girdle of Hippolyte

• Theseus & Pirithouscarry off Antiope/Hippolyte

Page 34: Minoan Religion

Amazon Invasion of Attica

• Amazons defeated, Antiope slain fighting beside Theseus• Amazonomachy artform comparable to contemporary

Miller Lite commercial “tastes great; less filling”

Page 35: Minoan Religion

Theseus, Phaedra & Hippolytus

• Child of Antiope• Stepmother

Phaedra• False accusation

of rape• Bull from

Poseidon causes death of Hipploytus in chariot crash

• Phaedra hangs herself

Page 36: Minoan Religion

More bad behavior• Theseus abducts

12 year old Helen

• Theseus & Pirithous go to underworld to abduct Persephone

• Trapped in Chair of Oblivion

• Rescued by Herakles

Page 37: Minoan Religion

Death of Theseus

• Helen rescued by her brothers, the Dioscuri: Castor and Polydeuces (Pollux)

• Theseus in exile• Murdered/fell of

a cliff