Our Goddess

Original Greek Version

H Θεά μας έχει ένα φίδι σε κάθε χέρα.
Την προσκυνούμε με αφοσίωση κάθε μέρα.

Μια μικρή κουκουβάγια καθεί στο στεφάνι της.
Την ζωή και τον θάνατο, και τα δυό τα διοικεί.

Transliteration

I Theá mas éhei éna fídi se káthe héra.
Tin proskynoúme me afosíosi káthe méra.

Mia mikrí koukouvágia katheí sto stefáni tis.
Tin zoí kai ton thánato, kai ta dyó ta dioikeí.

English Version

Our Goddess holds a snake in every hand.
We worship her with devotion so grand.

A little owl* sits atop her crown.
Life, death, in between… She commands it all.

Literal Translation (sans proper syllable count & rhyme)

Our Goddess has one snake in each of her hands.
We worship her with devotion each day.

One little owl sits on her crown.
Life and death, she commands the two.

Note: In Sir Arthur Evans’ controversial rendition of the Minoan Snake Goddess, he placed a cat atop her crown that he found in one of his excavations. In a lot of Cretan renditions, there’s a little owl instead. Some scholars have posited that this Goddess is the precursor to the Greek goddess of wisdom & warfare (Athena); therefore, the owl addition makes more sense (they are a primary symbol of hers after all).