The Lily Prince

To me, there really is no greater creative endeavor than breathing new life into masterpieces of the ancient world. Not too long ago, I came across a talented digital artist who depicts characters from the Ancient Mediterranean in a way that makes my jaw drop every time. Amongst Ancient Greek gods and heroes, I was most taken by Brittany’s (also known as artistfuly) Minoan-inspired pieces, especially as a Cretan Greek person. It’s amazing how she brings people from frescoes or figurines of antiquity to life!

I have permission to share some of her art on here, but to experience the full scope of her striking artwork, please visit (and follow) her Instagram page and consider supporting her on Ko-fi ❤️. And this should go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: Don’t repost these works without credit under any circumstances!

There are about a dozen Minoan-inspired pieces so far, but here are a few of my absolute favorites (which were so difficult to pick because they’re clearly all stunning):

The Minoan Snake Goddess drawn by Brittany (Artistfuly) — Brittany’s rendition of The Minoan Snake Goddess ©

The Minoan Lily Prince drawn by Brittany (Artistfuly) — Brittany’s rendition of The Lily Prince ©

a dancing Minoan woman drawn by Brittany (Artistfuly) — **a dancing Minoan woman drawn by Brittany** ©

a Minoan-inspired poetic story about how The Lily Prince got his name

Soon after he took his initial steps,
his heart was drawn to the coast at sunset
bedecked with rosen cumulus clouds.
The seagulls’¹ elegiac yeows
set to the Aegean’s sonorous symphony—
all served as an invitation from the sand lilies².

Prince of the Lilies Reconstruction from Original Fragments

So, the young wide-eyed prince wandered off
every opportune moment he got
to inhale the warm salted air
sweetened by the flowers’ subtle flair.

But it wasn’t long before his mother caught up
and urged him to return with her to the palace at once.
And he would oblige, for he was the Wanax’s³ son,
but not before he picked her the most vibrant one.

P.S. You’ll be seeing quite a bit of Minoan-inspired poems from me this month because it’s National Poetry Month/NaPoWriMo. 😀

Seabirds of the genus Larus were likely present in ancient Crete. ↩︎
Also known as a sea daffodil or sea lily (Pancratium maritimum), the sand lily is native to Crete and has been around since prehistoric times, with the Minoans depicting it in their art. ↩︎
“king” in Mycenaean Greek (pronounced as wa-na-ka in Linear B). While not directly associated with Minoan rulers, there is evidence of kings in Minoan Crete, but there is no known word for them. ↩︎