Minoan/Crete Dieties

[Agaliha]

Lately I have been stuck in a middle point between being unsure about all Dieties and feeling the pull and call of one. A few things have lead me to the Minoan Snake Goddess, in the very way that I was led to Saraswati and the others. So even though I am confused about things, I am also hopeful about this one-- the Snake Goddess. As she has come to me and pulled me in at a time when I need it, giving me hope about various things. I am trying not get my hopes up too much though, I rather be cautious and skeptical than get disappointed and farther in the hole, you know.
I have spent some time looking up all the info I can about the Minoan Snake Goddess. And it's odd, I never considered a Greek area Goddess would call to me or anything, the fact that one seems to be is interesting and surprising to me. From the reading I have done, things seemed to [I]click...so only time will tell I suppose. :)


Here are some sites I have come across, in case anyone is interested:

Minoan Snake Goddess, essay in 10 parts (http://witcombe.sbc.edu/snakegoddess/)
Pantheon.org entry (http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/minoan_snake_goddess.html)
Good info about the Snake Goddess (http://inanna.virtualave.net/snakegoddess.html)
Cretian Goddesses, short summaries (http://inanna.virtualave.net/cretian.html)
Minoan Religion (http://www.wsu.edu:8080/%7Edee/MINOA/RELIGION.HTM) and other aspects of Minoan culture (http://www.wsu.edu:8080/%7Edee/MINOA/MINOANS.HTM)
Good info about the Snake Goddess (http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/mother.html) also called Potnia among other things
About the Minoan relgion (http://projectsx.dartmouth.edu/history/bronze_age/lessons/les/15.html)
Another one about Minoan relgion and cuture (http://www.fhw.gr/chronos/02/crete/en/religion/index2.html)
Short article (http://www.mythicimages.com/printsnake.htm)
Inclues short summaries of other Neolithic Goddesses too (http://www.goddess-gallery.com/neolithic.html)
Some pics of statues (http://www.e-archetypes.com/Euro3.html)
Goddesses of Crete (http://www.nccn.net/%7Ewwithin/crete.htm)
The Palace at Knossos (http://dominae.fws1.com/AncientSites/GreekWorld%20Guide/Knosses_Crete/TourMinotaur_3.htm)
Short article (http://webpages.charter.net/asylem/cliodhna/minoansnake.html)
Crete Civilization, Dieties (http://victorian.fortunecity.com/palette/187/crete.html)
short thing about Linerar B, with pics of Minoan Language (http://www.crystalinks.com/linearb.html)
Short list of Crete Goddesses (http://www.mothergoddess.com/crete.htm)
Cyber Museum of Minoans and Myceneans (http://www.members.tripod.com/jaydambrosio/greece.html#mn)
Britomartis-- a Minoan Goddess (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britomartis)
Minoans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoans)
Potnia Theron (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistress_of_the_Animals) and here (http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/mistress_of_wild_animals.html)
Snake Goddess statues to buy (http://www.goddessgift.net/page72.html) <--bottom left


I was curious if anyone else has felt a draw to any of the Minoan Dietes or the Snake Goddess? Anyone work with or honor her? Or anything else...?
Oh and if anyone has any more info, please let me know!:)

NOTE: I am not looking for info on the "Minoan Tradition and or Brotherhoods"

[Sage Rainsong]

thanks for all of the lovely info. Are you a member of the Minoan Tradition of witchcraft by any chance?

[Agaliha]

thanks for all of the lovely info. Are you a member of the Minoan Tradition of witchcraft by any chance?

You're wecome. It's all interesting reads, IMO.
And I am not part of the Minoan Tradition...I read a summary of it on Witchvox though.
I'm not one to join a Tradition/Coven/Group, I rather do things on my own and in my own way...
;)

[Djinn]

From what I hear, the Minoan Trad is mostly gay or bisexual men. I don't know if they have a women's trad.

[Agaliha]

From what I hear, the Minoan Trad is mostly gay or bisexual men. I don't know if they have a women's trad.

Good to know. I think in the summary there is a Sisterhood. I didn't pay much attention because like I said...I'm not looking to join them. I like my Path, even though it is a little messed up right now, heh.

Here is a link to their Tradition if anyone is interested though: http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usny&c=trads&id=3600

I wonder if it's Recon...? I don't think it is....


...anyone have any Minoan/Cretian Diety experiences though ? *looks hopefull*

[Theres]

i know nothing about any Minoan 'trad', but i do know a little something about Minoan deities.
the Snake Goddess is something of a conglomeration of a number of goddesses, with the snake being the common link. that has come down to us as the 'Snake Goddess' (the Minoans considered the snake as a protector of home, ancestral line, etc). i'll have to check my notes and books for more details, if you like.

but you might also consider looking into the Titans.
as the Myceneans moved into the Greek mainland, they absorbed the local tribes along with their deities. as the old local gods gave way to the newer Mycenean gods (as is always the case), the myth of the battle between the Titans and Olympians was born, with the Olympians (the new gods) winning out.
fascinating stuff.

[Agaliha]

i know nothing about any Minoan 'trad'

Don't worry, I wasn't looking for info about them. SaigeRainsong brought it up...not I ;)

but i do know a little something about Minoan deities.

Yeah! :veryweird

the Snake Goddess is something of a conglomeration of a number of goddesses, with the snake being the common link. that has come down to us as the 'Snake Goddess' (the Minoans considered the snake as a protector of home, ancestral line, etc). i'll have to check my notes and books for more details, if you like.

That does make sense. If you would like and have time then I would love some more details!


but you might also consider looking into the Titans.
As the Myceneans moved into the Greek mainland, they absorbed the local tribes along with their deities. as the old local gods gave way to the newer Mycenean gods (as is always the case), the myth of the battle between the Titans and Olympians was born, with the Olympians (the new gods) winning out.

Really? Wow, the Titans. That is facinating! So Gaia, being a Titan has a link to the Minoan Dieties? That is cool. :) I knew there was a like between Minoans and the Greeks though, just not exactly how.

[Theres]

Really? Wow, the Titans. That is facinating! So Gaia, being a Titan has a link to the Minoan Dieties? That is cool. :) I knew there was a like between Minoans and the Greeks though, just not exactly how.
no Gaia would be Greek (EARLY Greek), as the Titans were overthrown by the invading Myceneans (the Olympians... theoretically).
keep in mind the timeline here. the height of Minoan influence was about 500 years before Homeric Greece, and there is little to no written history (Linear A and B texts mostly). but the archeaolgical evidence reveals much about their trade and spheres of influence.
there was a significant Egyptian influence in Crete due to these trade routes, and some of this was passed down to the Greeks. my personal feeling is that this was slightly less significant than is generally assumed, and that Anatolia (Asia Minor, or modern Turkey) made as great an impression on the early Greek culture (especially their religion).

[Agaliha]

Ahhhh, very interesting!

:dancy:

[Agaliha]

I'm going to try to do some reading about the Minoan Goddess tonight, hopefully tomorrow somone else will reply with some experiences or great info! *Pretty please!* :)

[Nantonos]

my personal feeling is that this was slightly less significant than is generally assumed, and that Anatolia (Asia Minor, or modern Turkey) made as great an impression on the early Greek culture (especially their religion).

I would be interested to hear more about that, perhaps not in this thread, but I encourage you to post more on it.

[Nantonos]

From what I hear, the Minoan Trad is mostly gay or bisexual men. I don't know if they have a women's trad.

The question was about a historical Minoan goddess, not a modern 'trad':


NOTE: I am not looking for info on the "Minoan Tradition and or Brotherhoods"

[Nantonos]

I'm going to try to do some reading about the Minoan Goddess tonight, hopefully tomorrow somone else will reply with some experiences or great info! *Pretty please!* :)

Unlike most "does anyone know" questions in G&G, your first post listed a bunch of good information that you had already found. Which is very helpful, to other people reading the threead or coming acrross it later - but might also mean that no-one has any better information than what you already found.

OK so lets see:

Several museums have forged, modern snake goddesses that were made and sold to museums, so watch out for that. There is a book on this,

Kenneth Lapatin (2002) Mysteries of the Snake Goddess: Art, Desire, and the Forging of History Boston, Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 0618144757 (hardback)

There is also a paperback edition

Kenneth Lapatin (2004) Mysteries of the Snake Goddess: Art, Desire, and the Forging of History Da Capo Press. ISBN: 0306813289 (paperback)

Its reviewed here: http://www.archaeology.org/0101/abstracts/goddess.html

The Archaeological Museum of Herakleion has some pictures of (genuine) ones
http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21123m/e211wm01.html

[Agaliha]

Thanks for replying! :)

I originally started the thread to ask if anyone had any experiences with her, not for info really .
I can find info and links for just about [I]any topic I want [search engines are my friend ;)], so asking for links isn't too helpful to me-- as I already found them all. I posted them for those who didn't know and were interested.

...This is why I don't really start threads about Dieties. Heh. Usually if I do it's based on personal experiences and not the need for info. I just do all my research on my own without really relying on others to do all the work [shrug]
Oh well!

Maybe sometime in the future someone will replying with an experience! Or maybe I will have one of my own to talk about.

Thanks :)

[Sybile]

Hi!

It's an old thread but I wanted to tell Agaliha that I work with the Minoan Snake Goddess. Over the years, I learned that the Snake Goddess is a powerful archetype linked to Demeter, Persephone and Hekate. I also found that she is close to Shakti's energy in Hindouism.

[Mnemosyne]

Thanks for some interesting info, you guys!

I don't know much about Minoan mythology. I suppose since there is a lack of religious writings from the time period. Were there any Minoan religious works written in Linear B?

I've only felt a draw to the Minoans after studying them in art history. I remember being drawn to the beauty and power of the snake goddess.

[Agaliha]

I can look for some text later. :)
I find the Minoans to be really interesting (still).

Try poking around these search results "Lineral B (http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=+Linear+B+minoan+texts&fr=FP-tab-web-t400&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8)"

If I find anything cool and helpful I'll share!