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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still trying to understand what differences there were, if any, between the signifcance of the Minoan Snake Goddess and the Crete Snake Goddess, or even the Snake Goddess figures found in other cultures. Ancient Greek Origins Both Snake Goddesses (Crete and Minoan) date back to around the year 1600 BCE.
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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way). Greece believed that the snakes represented wisdom and fertility. Other animals included in the snake Goddess’s sculpture. She also represents a guardian over the animal world, while the snakes themselves represent wisdom. The open breasts represent the clarification that she is also a fertility idol. Use in ritual In General, it is believed the Greek Snake Goddess was a fertility symbol, a symbol of nature, and purification, and was used in rituals celebrating these things.
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
whole. Conclusion, ctd. Researchers also seem to think the Snake Goddess of Greece could have been influenced by the Snake Goddess of other cultures. But it is not always clear as to how other cultures influenced the design of the Greek Snake Goddess, if they influenced it at all. But there is more to be learned about the snake goddess, in time.
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Kimbrough, David L. Taking up Serpents: Snake Handlers of Eastern Kentucky. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1995. Print.
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