A few weeks ago I was on Crete, having coffee with an archaeologist friend. She happened to mention something strange. Crete has always been a seismic zone, with lots of earthquakes, yet remarkably, in Minoan times, no one was killed in collapsing buildings; they were never taken by surprise. We pondered this – it seems […]
Snake Priestesses of Crete as Earthquake Oracles? by Laura Shannon
Minoan
Crete: The Cradle of Minoan Culture by Len Kagami
This article is very detailed and full of stunning photos. I highly recommend reading it and following Len’s blog! 🙂
The Minoan Goddess: A Modern Cretan Artist’s Rendition
Based off numerous frescoes and statues of the Minoan goddess and priestesses, I created my own Minoan-inspired rendition of a Minoan Goddess or Priestess.
A long flounced skirt with a waist-slimming belt, and an open-breasted jacket… These are just some aspects of Minoan fashion. Go here to find out more about what the Minoan people wore, how they styled their hair, etc.
The Goddess by The Dolphin fresco! This is a photo I took back in 2011 when I was in Knossos. The fresco’s color scheme is what inspired the colors I used for her outfit.
In this version, she has a labrys in hand and is surrounded by blue butterflies. The wings or butterflies aren’t shown in the Minoan’s depictions, but I added them due to her association with animals (including birds and butterflies). Also, another word for the labrys is butterfly axe.
