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Original, the following link leads you directly to the Snake Goddess in the Archaeological Museum
in Iráklion, Crete:
The great snake goddess from the palace of Knossos
dates from the 16th century B.C. She holds in each hand the head of a snake that winds up at her arms to the head, waist, back and below the pubic area.
The Mediterranean inhabitants of Crete, who were not Indo-European, became the bearers of the Cretan-Mycenaean culture, the oldest high culture in Europe (2,600 to 1,150 BC), which had a strong charisma. Its highlights were in the 19th/18th century and in the 16th century BCE.
Despite strong communication with the cultures of the Near East, especially Egypt, the Cretan-Mycenaean culture retained its independence.
This faience statue probably depicts a priestess, with open bodices and snakes winding up her arms.
At that time, breasts worn openly were an integral part of women's fashion.
The relationship to snakes was ambivalent in ancient early cultures. The Babylonians saw in her the embodiment of evil, the Egyptians, on the other hand, the manifestation of wisdom. In Greek antiquity, the snake was often kept as a pet to kill mice. They didn't loathe her and even let children play with her. Noble Greek women wore snakes around their necks to cool off during the hot season.
The lovers of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility, the Bakchen, wore daggers, Thyrsosticks and snakes at festivities.
Exhibit of the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, Crete; reproduction original size hand-painted
This product was added to our catalog on Monday, January 27, 2014.