Minoan religion
The religion of the Minoan civilization of the Bronze Age Crete is largely known only from archaeological finds.
Religion of Protopalatial
In the Protopalatial ( Frühminoisch I to Mittelminoisch IA) paved courts existed near tholos tombs. These could have been used socially in connection with the death cult or religious festivals. Other sanctuaries existed both inside and outside built-up areas. Peak sanctuaries (eg on the mountain Iuktas ) and sacred caves (eg the cave Psychro, the Kamares Cave and the Cave of the Eileithyia in Amnissos ) seem to have existed and probably served the community worship, while shrines ( for example, in Myrtos Fournou Korifi ) private cult practices were used. Mountains were probably the preferred locations of the gods, so there erected shrines and religious festivals were celebrated. Often the sacred area was bounded by a wall. Within the sacred precinct stood an altar, more rarely a small temple. Votive offerings were deposited in crevices or burned in bonfires. These votive offerings were burned Lehmfigurinen, including people as worshipers, body parts for solicitation of healing, animals ( bulls, sheep, goats, pigs, dogs, birds, beetles, rare Wiesel ) to solicitation of protection for the cattle, scarabs probably symbolic, and crops Request for a good harvest. The deities seem to have been deities of nature and the occasional differences in the sacrificial practices indicate a polytheistic religion.
Religion of the early palace period
In the early palace period ( Mittelminoisch IB and II) peak sanctuaries and sacred caves were used in rural areas, in the cities but most spaces within the palaces and houses, rarely stand-alone buildings. The peak sanctuaries, of which there were at least 37 pieces, experienced in the early palace period its zenith. The peak sanctuaries had a special relationship with the nearby palaces, the mountain Iuktas to Knossos, the mountain Traostalos to Zakros, Mount Prophet Elias at Mallia and Karames Cave to Phaistos. Kamares cave was a sacred well of 35 caves. Especially in the caves, but rarely also on peak sanctuaries was ceramic, usually filled with grain, sacrificed, such as the Kamares pottery in the eponymous Kamares Cave. A well-preserved palace early temporal sanctuary was located in the west courtyard of the old palace of Phaistos. The sanctuary consisted of three rooms. In the first room there were benches with holes and pour stopper for animal sacrifices, in the second room was a stone mortar for grain offering while in the third room a Triton shell and find a bull-headed effigy were. As Lustralbecken or adyton designated spaces of the early palace period were absorbed into the floor, had a paved or plastered floor and could only be reached by stairs. They were sacred acts, as well as open courtyards. The only known free-standing temple of the early palace period was found in Mallia. On the slope of the mountain Iuktas in Anemospilia there was another dreiräumiger temple where human sacrifice was performed, which was preserved by an earthquake.
Religion of the late palace period
In the late palace period ( Mittelminoisch II to Late Minoan IB first half ) numerous small peak sanctuaries were not used, but a few larger peak sanctuaries expanded. The religious activities shifted into the palaces and palace -related peak sanctuaries. The mountain Iuktas was connected by a road with Knossos. Outside the enclosure, a building was erected within Megalithterassen were built around an altar with intense burn marks. The ordinances were performed in the open air near a crevice. In addition, there were statuettes, libation tables, seal stones and Votivwerkzeuge of bronze. The sacred caves continued to be well attended, partly also set up new ones. The Psychro Cave, also known as diktäische grotto, and the Ida Cave contained a particularly large number Votivaben. Both caves were in the later Greek mythology as the birthplace of Zeus. Other shrines were in the palaces and private homes. The changes taking place in the palace ceremonies were either published or not directly accessible to the majority of the population. Thus, for example the Throne Room at Knossos have been used for a " Epiphaniezeremonie " with an appearance dressed as Goddess Priestess, including sacrifice in the adjacent Lustralbecken. More cult rituals depicted on seals and seal impressions were ecstatic dances, the shaking trees and hugging large stones.
Haghia Triada sarcophagus: A priest sacrifices a liquid on a decorated altar with double axes. It is followed by another woman and a lyre player.
The Isopata gold ring. Found in Isopata ( Crete) in the 15th century BC
Minoan gold ring of Mochlos.
Minoan seal, about 1700 BC, 2001 Special Exhibition: In the Labyrinth of Minos, Baden State Museum Karlsruhe
Religion of the time of the last palaces
In the time of the last palaces (second half of Late Minoan Late Minoan IB to IIIA1 ) the Olympian gods were introduced by the Mycenaeans on Crete. Nevertheless, the religious legacies remained typical Minoan. In Knossos, the only unused palace and center of the Mycenaean dominion, the Olympian gods were worshiped likely during the minoischstämmige population still worshiped their old gods. The Sarcophagus of Agia Triada provides a picture of the rites of the time. It is shown as a dead man in his grave receives grave goods. A woman pours a liquid, maybe blood, in a boiler, which hangs between two double axes. A woman carrying bucket on a pole. Two men playing lyre and double flute. Several women sacrifice a bull and goats. Blood from the throat of the bull running in a rhyton. A woman sacrifices fruits at an altar between double axes in the vicinity of a temple with cult horns.
Religion of Postpalatial
In the Postpalatial ( Late Minoan IIIC to IIIA2 ) figures of the " goddess with raised arms " were placed in shrines. They were a typical Cretan phenomenon and showed strong Minoan features. In the ruined palace of Knossos, which was probably considered sacred, a nachpalastzeitlicher shrine was with just such figures. Even in the "flight settlements" Cretan mountains in the 12th century BC, there were still those deities.
Minoan deities
To some degree there the view that the Minoans had known no anthropomorphic deities. On seals and seal impressions emerging symbols of deities are birds, butterflies, cocoons, double axes and sacred knots. However, we find such small, floating, mostly females or men and women in a commanding gesture, which can be viewed as gods. You wear the customary dress of the Minoans. Earlier in the theory that the Minoans had had a Great Mother or Great Goddess, who was accompanied by a young male god. In the meantime, this is dismissed as unlikely, although not a refutation exists. Therefore, it is assumed that a polytheistic religion. One type of goddesses is the " Mistress of the Animals". It is accompanied by various animals, monkey, lion, griffins, snakes, fish, dolphins and birds, bringing their rule seems to extend over heaven, earth and sea. Sometimes she is depicted as a bird-woman. Also, the "Lord of the Animals ", usually in the company of lions appear on seals and seal impressions. Very famous are also the Knossian snake goddesses, women in courtly dress, the snakes keep in the air or on your body. The snakes, they have made as Earth Goddess and Goddess of the Underworld. The name of the snake goddess seems to have been the name Asasara (a -sa -sa- ra) contained in Linear A texts. Also appears more frequently a young male god. In the Linear B texts of the Mycenaeans in the time of the last palaces appear next to the names of the Olympians obviously also names of Minoan deities, the name Pipituna (pi -pi -tu -na ), for the Cretan goddess Dictynna ( Britomartis ) of the classical antiquity is held, or the notion of likely divine "Priestess of the Winds". Also Eilythea ( the Cretan goddess of birth ), Zeus Diktaios ( the youthful dying Zeus of Crete, synonym named in the texts as Welchanos ) Akakallis ( a daughter of Minos and Pasiphae ), a " Potnia ( mistress ) of the Labyrinth " ( the is sometimes thought of as Ariadne ) and a " totality of the Gods", probably a group of Minoan deities, as well as a God Dadaleion (later the inventor Daedalus ) are mentioned.
Bird jug from the Protopalatial (3300-2100 BC), Archaeological Museum in Herakleion.
Woman on a swing. Agia Triada, Late New Palace period (1450-1300 BC) in the Archaeological Museum in Herakleion
Three pillars of the sanctuary of the Cretan Protopalatial in the Archaeological Museum in Iraklion, Crete.
Fertility shell for the sacrifice of fruits from Phaistos seen in the Archaeological Museum in Herakleion
Tonrhyton in the form of a bull, keep the men by the horns. Protopalatial (3300-2100 BC)
Rerracotta vase in the shape of a bull's head, last Minoan period (ca. 1450-1400 BC)
Various examples of Minoan goddesses with upraised arms, whose position is inspired by the shape of the sacred horns, the Archaeological Museum in Herakleion.
Tonrhyton in the form of a pregnant woman from the Postpalatial (1300-1200 BC), Archaeological Museum in Herakleion.
The large cult horns ( bull horns ) near the south entrance of the Minoan palace of Knossos on the Greek island of Crete.