What did the Minoan Snake Goddess represent?
Hans Georg Wunderlich related the snake goddess with the Phoenician Astarte (virgin daughter). She was the goddess of fertility and sexuality and her worship was connected with an orgiastic cult. Her temples were decorated with serpentine motifs.
Who is the Minoan goddess of fertility?
The “Venus” of Willendorf [see The Venus of Willendorf] is also commonly identified as a “fertility” figurine, though she is different in almost every respect from the “Snake Goddess”.
When was the Minoan Snake Goddess?
The Snake Goddess is a faience figurine depicting a woman holding a snake in each hand. It was found in the main sanctuary of the Palace of Knossos in Crete and dates back to around 1650-1550 BCE.
What is the significance of the Snake Goddess?
In Egyptian mythology, the snake was a personification of the goddess Kebechet, who personified the purification of water in the funeral cult, and the snake was a protector of the pharaohs after death.
What is the Minoan Snake Goddess made of?
Faience Snake Goddess
Faience Snake Goddess figurines from Knossos Some of the best known images of Minoan ‘goddesses’ are these two standing figurines holding snakes and made of faience (a glassy quartz ceramic material often used in ancient Egypt).
What is the Minoan snake goddess?
Minoan Snake Goddess figurines c 1600 BCE. Heraklion Archaeological Museum. “Snake goddess” is a type of figurine depicting a woman holding a snake in each hand, as were found in Minoan archaeological sites in Crete.
Did Minoan women tame snakes?
Many images of elite Minoan women, perhaps priestesses, look very much like this figurine. If it is the action of snake-wrangling that makes her a goddess, this is also a problem. The image of a woman taming one or more snakes is entirely unique to the Temple Repositories.
What was the role of the snake goddess in ancient Greece?
Minoan Snake Goddess. The Post-Palace Snake Goddesses, worshiped in small public sanctuaries, probably had a more popular role. These ritualistic objects were influenced by Mycenaean culture. The attribute of the snake had a strong significance in the belief system of the entire Aegean region at that time.
What does a Minoan goddess look like?
Figurines. The goddess is depicted just as in other statues (crown on head, hands grasping snakes and so on) The expression on her face is described as lifelike, and is also wearing the typical Minoan dress. Another figure found in Berlin, made of bronze, looks more like a snake charmer with the snakes on top of her head.