Minoan Deities and their Sacred Places
The Ancient Gods and Sanctuaries of Minoan Crete
Aug 30, 2009
Religion was an important part of Minoan life in Bronze Age Crete. From the evidence of figurines, carvings, reliefs, frescos, sacred objects, engraved seals and other ancient artefacts, it is possible to broadly identify the ancient gods worshipped of Minoan Crete and places associated with their worship.
Minoan Gods
Minoan religion closely linked humans and nature, which in its turn was believed to be infused with the divine. Frescos frequently show sacrifices and worship taking place beneath or next to images of the sacred tree, a symbol of nature that was part of the sacred precincts of Minoan palaces.
Animals were also of divine significance, symbolizing a manifest divine presence, fertility and protection. Important animals included such as the dove, goat, bull, cow, and snake.
Minoan deities are difficult to define as widespread depictions of god figures do not occur until the late Minoan period when reliefs and snake goddess figurines become commonplace. This evidence led Sir Arthur Evans to speculate that the Minoans had two main deities, each with different characteristics.
Evidence suggests that Minoan religion was basically a goddess religion.The major deity, based on the frequency of finds was the great mother goddess whose various guides included the Minoan snake goddess and the chthonic goddess or life and death. Whatever her guise, the great mother was essentially a fertility figure and symbol of life.
The Minoan goddess was complemented by a young male nature god, who again represented the regenerative qualities of nature. The god was often depicted with attendant daemons. Daemons were lesser deities and often regarded as intermediaries between god and man. They were generally regarded as benevolent.
Characteristics of Minoan deities are also preserved in later Cretan cults where they were combined with gods of the Greek pantheon. A Minoan dolphin god possibly survived at Knossos under the name of Apollo Delphinius and at least three aspects of the Minoan goddess were associated with the goddess Artemis. They include Artemis Eileithyia who became associated with the cave site at Amnisus, an old Minoan sacred site. The goddess’s Tritogeneia and Wadi also survived in combined form with Athena at Knossos and Castri.
Minoan Sacred Places.
The Minoans had very few buildings dedicated solely to worship. Cult places either occurred as household or palace shrines or else as natural sanctuary sites. These natural sacred places were generally associated with mountain tops or natural caves.
- Sacred caves. There are many important cult cave sites on Crete, the most famous being the Idaean cave which was the reputed birth place of Zeus. Archaeological investigation has revealed many to have been used as Neolithic ‘hunting lodges’ before becoming burial places. This led to them being regarded as sacred to the chthonic mother goddess by the Minoan period. Minoan votive offerings have been found in caves, made of bronze or terracotta. They were also believed to have been used for initiation rites.
- Mountain Sanctuaries. Again, often dedicated to the mother goddess, these sanctuaries did include manmade structures such as enclosing walls and terracing to accommodate worshippers as well as rooms for storing cult objects. Rituals would occur in the open air and included offerings made on altars and pyres or else tucked into recesses in the landscape. Again, bronze or terracotta figurines have been found as well as vases and other utensils. Important mountain sanctuaries include Mount Juktas and Symi Viannou.
The Oxford Classical Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion (2003) ed. Simon Price and Emily Kearns. Oxford University Press: Oxford
Minoan Crete: From Myth to History (1999) by Andonis Vasilakis. Adam Editions: Athens
