- Minoan men wore loincloths and kilts
- Women wore robes that were slit to the navel and had short sleeves and flounced skirts
- The patterns on clothes emphasized symmetrical geometric designs.
- Minoan temples were generally L-shaped and housed priestesses, families, storerooms, and craftsmen.
- The Temple of Knossos was built of cedar and covered 24,000sq yards and was 4 stories tall. It had 60+ rooms, including the center court where men would jump over bulls.
- Minoan sacred symbols include the Bull, Bull's Horns of Consecration, Double Axe, Pillar, Snakes, Sun, and Tree.
- Minoan art suggests that the Minoans may have worshipped a Mother Goddess who was the Goddess of Fertility, Animals, Cities, Households, Harvests, and the Underworld.
- She was often represented by snakes
- The Goddess was linked to the Earthshaker, a male represented by the bull and the sun, who would die each fall and be reborn each spring
- Other illustrations have led to some theories that the Minoans also believed in animal-headed demons.
- Although long thought to be a peaceful people, recent evidence uncovered at a temple structure near one of the palaces shows that the Minoans engaged in human sacrifice. To date, however, only one such archaeological find has been made.
- Minoans buried their dead in pottery jars.
- The Minoans were primarily a mercantile people engaged in overseas trade
- The most apparent characteristic of Minoan religion was that it was polytheistic and matriarchal, that is, a goddess religion; the gods were all female, not a single male god has been identified until later periods.
- Minoan men wore loincloths and kilts
- Women wore robes that were slit to the navel and had short sleeves and flounced skirts
- The patterns on clothes emphasized symmetrical geometric designs.
- Minoan temples were generally L-shaped and housed priestesses, families, storerooms, and craftsmen.
- The Temple of Knossos was built of cedar and covered 24,000sq yards and was 4 stories tall. It had 60+ rooms, including the center court where men would jump over bulls.
- Minoan sacred symbols include the Bull, Bull's Horns of Consecration, Double Axe, Pillar, Snakes, Sun, and Tree.
- Minoan art suggests that the Minoans may have worshipped a Mother Goddess who was the Goddess of Fertility, Animals, Cities, Households, Harvests, and the Underworld.
- She was often represented by snakes
- The Goddess was linked to the Earthshaker, a male represented by the bull and the sun, who would die each fall and be reborn each spring
- Other illustrations have led to some theories that the Minoans also believed in animal-headed demons.
- Although long thought to be a peaceful people, recent evidence uncovered at a temple structure near one of the palaces shows that the Minoans engaged in human sacrifice. To date, however, only one such archaeological find has been made.
- Minoans buried their dead in pottery jars.
- The Minoans were primarily a mercantile people engaged in overseas trade
- The most apparent characteristic of Minoan religion was that it was polytheistic and matriarchal, that is, a goddess religion; the gods were all female, not a single male god has been identified until later periods.
Minoan Civilization 24 April 2009 http://www.dilos.com/location/13406
Minoans: Religons 24 April 2009 http://wsu.edu/~dee/MINOA/RELIGION.HTM
http://scienceblogs.com/neurotopia/MinoanSnakeGoddessColor-l.jpg
Back to Notes