First Discovery
The Minoan Snake Goddess was first discoverd in 1903 by british archaeologist named Arthur Evans.
Evans discoverd the goddess in the Knossos palace, Greece.
Evans assumed the Snake Goddess of Greece was linked to the Egyptian Goddess of the Nile, and interpreted the Minoan Snake Goddess as an underworld diety, but one that had benefit to society.
First Discovery, ctd.
A second Snake Goddess was discovered in Crete, which called into question whether the Minoan Snake Goddess was similar to the Egyptian God of the Nile, or something else completely.
The Snake Goddess of Crete did not seem to have a household function, or underworld orgin, like Evans had assumed of the Snake Goddess of Minoa.
To this day, scholars are
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Statues of the Goddess were erected in Knossos palace.
Later on, they were erected in public places of Khania, Gortyn, and Gumia.
Ancient Greek Origins, ctd.
Later version s of the Snake Goddess were discovered in the period of 1400 to 1100 BCE.
It is unclear whether these had the same function in ritual.
They were made with different matterials, and stylized according to the standards and values of the period . (This sometimes meant that other symbols, such as horns or birds were added to the symbol of the Snake Goddess).
Symbolic meaning
The snake goddess is a sacred kind of abstraction sculpture, which representeda kind of guardian and protector over the homes of the Greek Minoans.
The Greek Minoans believed the snakes in the Goddesses hands represented protection; and the "renewal of life" since snakes shed their skin every so often, to reveal newer skin.
Symbolic meaning ctd.
These animals that are disliked in other cultures were somehow admired by the Minoans and thus related Minoan life, as well as women (though in a positive
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The snake goddess has also been closely linked with the Egyptian goddess wadjet, or called Uto in Greek, who was goddess of the upper and lower regions of Egypt, and who protected the kings and the women in childbirth. It is also believed the snake goddess of Greece may have been influenced by the Snake Goddess of near-eastern societies.
Use in ritual, ctd.
Later uses of the Snake Goddess in Greek society seemed to have a similar function in ritual, even though they were sometimes slightly different in their design.
In general, there is still a lot of debate and uncertainty concerning the ritual functions of the Snake Goddess. It seems that early on (around 1600 BCE) the Snake Goddess was a symbol used in private rituals, whereas around 1400 BCE it became something more public
Conclusion
In conclusion, many things about the Greek Snake Goddesses (in Minoa and Crete), remain a mystery.
There are a number of basic conclusions that researchers have drawn, such as that the Snake Goddess was a symbol of fertility, renewal, and protection over nature (and a source of punishment for human beings when they disobeyed the Gods or violated nature). Likewise, worshipping the Snake Goddess was to benefit Greek society as a
The goddesses Played a vital role in Greek society for they were responsible for many aspects of Greek. life, i.e., a life of a child. birth, harvest, etc. Accompanying the 6 major goddesses (Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, Hestia, Demeter and Artemis) we have the lesser divinities such as the Muses, the Graces, the Fates, etc. The second level of women used in Greek mythology is that of the human.
Zora Neale Hurston’s short story “Sweat” is about the empowerment of Delia, the main character, as she tries to find herself and overcome her husband’s abusive strong hold. Throughout the story snakes are fervently discussed symbolizing evil and malevolence. Delia is petrified of snakes and her husband uses this to his advantage. Thus the snake in “Sweat” makes biblical references to The Garden of Eden and the Forbidden Fruit and the evil that can be so tempting. Just as Sykes uses the snake in “Sweat” to scare Delia and become powerful, in some way, Satan entered into the body of the serpent to tempt Adam and Eve.The serpent was the instrument the Devil used to do his bidding. At first Delia loathes the idea of even being in the same room
Kimbrough, David L. Taking up Serpents: Snake Handlers of Eastern Kentucky. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1995. Print.
Mythology was very important to the men and women of ancient Greece. They worshipped the gods and goddesses, wrote poems about them, and based a great deal of art work off of them. The people of Greece looked to the gods and goddesses for help in all aspects of their lives; including health, agriculture, and war. Reading about Greek mythology can inform people about the society of Greece because the Greek gods were created by the people of Greece. Three main goddesses who were worshipped by the Greeks were Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.
The Minotaur, commonly displayed in Grecian mythology as a half-man-half-bull creature, depicted with the head of a bull and the large body of a man. This menacing creature would usually have been shown with large axes, spears, halberds or swords to slay the humans that entered into the labyrinth, where this creature resided. The story goes that the king of Crete; Minos, was struggling with being ruler, so he prayed to the god Poseidon, to help him. One day, a beautiful, white, perfect calf was born. King Minos love this calf so much, but every year the god Poseidon demanded a sacrifice from King Minos. Not any old sacrifice, but his best bull. King Minos saw the white bull’s beauty and, because of the beast’s beauty, he spared it; sacrificing one of his own bulls instead.
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Hercules was a hero known for his strength and courage and for his legendary adventures. But there is much more to him. He was the son of the god Zeus and a human mother Alcmene, which is a huge thing because he was supernatural to tall others around him. He was a demi-god. He was wife was called Amphitryon. Hera was jealous of the human mother and decided to try and kill Hercules by putting two poisonous snakes in his c...
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These Goddess worshipping societies believed that spirituality and nature were one. In Minoan, Egyptian, Sumerian and various other ancient cultures, women became priestesses and served the Goddess. These cultures all gave their Goddesses
In Greek mythology, Serpens represents the snake held by Aesculapius, the god of healing. He was the son of Apollo, the god of the sun, music,healing and inspiration. Serpens is a symbol of life and rejuvenation
Nike of Samothrace is a beautiful winged sculpture also referred to as the Winged Victory of Samothrace is estimated to have been created between 200-190 BC. The BC marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike who was also known as Victoria (Victory) was not discovered until 1863. The sculpture was created to honor the Greek goddess and the sea battles of that time. On the other hand, the fearsome looking sculpture called the Coatlicue was created 1300-1500 in Tenochtitlan, Mexico. The Coatlicue was once buried because of the way it looks and Christians thought that images of the Aztec Gods were of the devil. The Christian were also afraid that if the Indian people were to see the stone images then they would start to worship them and abandon
The underworld in Greek mythology was not a lively place, for it was where all the dead souls went. When a person died, the soul would be sent to Hades, a more formal name for the underworld. "The dead would go to Hades because there was no annihilation in the Greek mythology. The dead are dead because they have a flavorless and unhappy existence".
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Thesis statement: In this research, I will investigate the basic concepts of the Egyptian mythology and its gods.