Minoan

Minoan Civilization: Egalitarian or Matriarchal?

/ Rei Arkangelakis / 1 Comment

The Land of Kings and Goddesses

The patriarchy has been rooted in our reality for what seems to be eons, but the Minoan’s way of experiencing the world was not through such a lens. Their royalty may have consisted of kings, but the religious side of things consisted predominately of goddesses and priestesses. Men ran multiple facets of their society, but so did women. And when men were typically off at sea, women more or less took over in several arenas, including politics. Women and men alike also partook in various sports, including bull-leaping.

Minoan Priestess with Snakes, Archaeological Museum in Herakleion. Photo by Wolfgang Sauber.

Gender Equality with Matriarchal Leanings

For a long time, archaeologists and historians have suspected a full-fledged Minoan matriarchy, especially due to the the prevalence of women in leadership roles. However, it seems more accurate to call this civilization egalitarian with matriarchal tendencies. It’s also important to note that their iconography contains no distinct depictions of kings. In fact, King Minos’ reign could very well be solely mythical….

Painting on limestone sarcophagus of religious rituals from Hagia Triada. Source: Wikimedia Commons User ArchaiOptix

Distinct Gender Roles with Some Gray Areas

Egalitarian but not perfectly so, Minoan society was still distinctly gendered as seen in illustrations, fashion, and certain societal duties. For instance, in family documentation written in Linear B, spouses and children weren’t listed altogether. In one section, it was solely fathers and their sons, whereas in another section, mothers were listed with only their daughters. That being said, there was an evident gender divide.

At the same time, on the Agia Triadha sarcophagus (shown above), there is a priest AND priestesses making offerings. Just like in Ancient Egypt, the Minoans color-coded their genders (lighter skin for women, darker skin for men). So, that person with darker skin playing the lyre (who has often been mistaken for a woman) is in fact a man. It is posited that priests wore women’s vestments during rituals to honor the goddess.

Conclusion

The verdict is there’s no set-in-stone answer and as with most things, it’s not so black and white. But one thing is for sure: Minoan society was not patriarchal. Also, while I did discuss usually clear gender roles and women in leadership, the matriarchal nature of the society doesn’t make it such via the domination by women alone; it has to do with its connection to nature and emphasis on creation (in a creative sense, not just a maternal one), among other things.

And I’ll wrap up this post with a quote by a Classics Professor at The University of Kansas:

“Basically, this culture on Crete around 1600-1500 BCE is the closest candidate for a matriarchy that we have.”

-John Younger

Sources

National Library of Medicine: The Woman in Minoic Crete
New World Encyclopedia: Aegean Civilizations
Kansas University: Religious Artifacts Support Idea of Minoan Matriarchy on Ancient Crete
*Featured Photo Credit: Agia Triada sarcophagus (long side) from Wikimedia Commons User Zde

Minoan Symbols: The Labrys (Butterfly Axe)

/ Rei Arkangelakis / 6 Comments

A “Weapon” That’s Far From It

The double-bitted axe may look like a robust weapon to use in war (and it was in various areas of the world), but in ancient Crete, it mostly served as a sacred symbol. In fact, its main symbolism is the brink of creation, which is referred to as Mater-arche (“arche” means “beginning”). Interestingly, The Labrys (pelekus: πέλεκυς in Classical Greek) solely accompanied goddesses, never gods, and its spiritual significance can be confirmed by how often smaller versions were found alongside other religious objects. These little double axes were used as votive offerings. A less peaceful use for the so-called butterfly axe (often taller than an adult) was for bull sacrifice rituals conducted by priestesses.

Bronze votive double axe from the cave of Archalokori, Crete. Photo from Wikimedia Commons: Jebulon
Bronze votive double axe from the cave of Archalokori, Crete. Photo from Wikimedia Commons: Jebulon

A Timeless Symbol of Divine Feminine Power

Seeing as The Labrys was solely used by Minoan women and only depicted with mother goddesses, it encapsulated the sovereignty of the divine feminine and matriarchy. Although, it is posited that Minoan Crete was egalitarian and not a full-fledged matriarchal civilization. This powerful symbolism has carried on through the ages and wound up becoming one of Olympian god Zeus’ prime symbols in Greek mythology. In the present day, it’s a symbol of Hellenic polytheism.

Reconstructed fresco of a goddess holding a labrys in each hand and worshippers
Reconstructed fresco of a goddess holding a labrys in each hand and worshippers
Photo source

Conclusion

Much like the Horns of Consecration, the Labrys was an prevalent symbol throughout Minoan civilization. Not only were they created in numerous sizes with various materials like bronze, gold, or clay, but they were also carved in the outlines of the labyrinth at Knossos, as well as engraved on sealstones and painted on pottery.

Sources

Hellenica World: Labrys
Penn Museum: The Double Axe and Some Other Symbols
Symbol Sage: Labrys Symbol
*Featured photo credit: Votive double axes of gold sheet. Arkilochori Cave, 1700-1450 BC. Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. Found on Wikimedia Commons by Zde.

Minoan Symbols: Horns of Consecration 𓄋

/ Rei Arkangelakis / 3 Comments

The Symbol of Sanctity

Sacred bull horns (made of limestone or clay) were one of the primary symbols in Minoan culture. They could be found on rooftops, tombs, larnakes (coffins), shrines, temple entrances, sealstones—you name it! In some instances, the horns were depicted with flowers or the labrys (butterfly axe) in between them. They were clearly a notable part of daily life as much as they were a part of mystical rituals, which is why archaeologist Arthur Evans coined them as such.

Findings from post-palatial shrines on Crete. Horns of Consecration are on the upper left and right. Displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.
Findings from post-palatial shrines on Crete. Horns of Consecration are on the upper left and right. Displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.

It has been suggested that the colossal horn sculptures atop buildings could have been used as frames for viewing stellar movement. However, one thing is for certain: these weren’t mere horns of a bull; they held religious significance—bulls in general were regarded as sacred animals to the Minoans and were integrated into most rituals.

Sacred Seat or Pot Holder… or Both?

Some scholars claim the larger Horns of Consecration served as honorary seats for royalty and/or deities. On the other hand, some scholars have had a more practical use in mind: perhaps the horns of lesser size were pot-support in a hearth. While a true consensus isn’t feasible, it would be safe to ascertain that these horns were in fact multi-functional.

The Bull Under The Sun

Another element of The Horns of Consecration are their potential solar quality (the sun was an equally important Minoan symbol). Many researchers like Emilia Banou (Faculty Member at University of the Peloponnese) propose that they are a sign of sun worship as posited in the following evidence:

  • a clay model of it on the peak sanctuary of Petsophas
  • astronomical research results from various other peak sanctuaries
  • a Goddess with Upraised Arms (pictured in the first photo in the upper center) alongside a clay model of Horns of Consecration were found at the Mycenaean cemetery of Tanagra

With Egyptian influence of Minoan culture being undeniable, such religious notions relay back to Ancient Egyptian symbols of both mountain and horizon, which ultimately have a solar basis.

Me by the Sacred Horns of Consecration outside the South Entrance (Propylaea) of Knossos back in 2011. Reconstructed by Arthur Evans.
Me by the Sacred Horns of Consecration outside the South Entrance (Propylaea) of Knossos back in 2011. Reconstructed by Arthur Evans.

Sources

Academia: Horns of Consecration
BYU Library Digital Collections: Minoan Symbols
*Featured photo from Wikimedia Commons by Afrathianakis Emmanouil
*First photo from Wikimedia Commons by Rda