The Minoan Deities: Goddesses and Gods
Long before Homer and Hesiod invoked the Muses and began to proclaim the deeds of gods and heroes, a civilisation had flourished there in Crete for over 1000 years before their time. Their script, which is today called linear A, remains unknown, and thus, most of what we know about them comes from the buildings they left behind-the famous palaces, Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, and Zakros- but also through the oldest language of man, the painting that was favoured during their period. The Minoans flourished during the period today called Bronze Age, specifically the period between 2700 and 1400 or 1100 BC. Their name was given by sir Arthur Evans, who led the excavations at Knossos. He coined this term based on the legendary king of Crete, Minos. From the artefacts that have survived, we can understand that religion played a central role in their lives. The names of the deities differed significantly from those of the traditional Ancient Greek religion, the one known to all as Dodecath...