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• Town,

Palace, House

• Bench Sanctuary

• Lustral Baisin

• Pillar Crypt

Snake Goddess/Priestess

Goddess of the MountainGoddess of the Beasts

Goddesses

Minoan Pantheon

The Male Consort

Male Divinity?• Male figures rarer• Usually smaller

stature• Lesser Male

Divinity?• Rural Matriarchy?• Urban Patriarchy?

Ayia Triadha Sarcophagus:LMIIIA (14thC)

Painted Plaster over Stone

Celestial vs Chthonic Gods• “Chthon”

= earth

Sacrifice

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?)

Child Sacrifice & Cannibalism? • Children’s

bones with butchering marks in North House, Knossos

• Caravaggio

Child Sacrifice in Myth?

?

Theseus & the Minotaur• Athenians send

human tribute to bull crazy Minoans

• Palace at Knossos like Labyrinth to simpler Mycenaean Greeks

The Labyrinthine Palace• Note

dismembered bodies

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

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

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

Aegeus, Medea, & Theseus• Medea the

Colchian witch

• Murderer of brother & children by Jason

• Marathonian Bull

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

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

Cretan “Games”

Theseus’ trip to Crete

• Theseus as 1 of 7 boys

• White Sails for Success

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

Theseus’ edge: Inside Woman

Victory!• Theseus slays

Minotaur• Theseus &

Ariadne sail off into the sunset…

Homeymoon on Naxos

Dionysus to the Rescue

• Dionysus finds Ariadne

• They drink happily ever after…

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

Theseus & Herakles: Fratboy Heroes

• Herakles’ 12 labors

• Girdle of Hippolyte

• Theseus & Pirithouscarry off Antiope/Hippolyte

Amazon Invasion of Attica

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

Miller Lite commercial “tastes great; less filling”

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

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

Death of Theseus

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

• Theseus in exile• Murdered/fell of

a cliff