Cook, Arthur B.: Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 2,1): Zeus god of the dark sky (thunder and lightning): Text and notes (Cambridge, 1925)

5 16 The double axe in relation

beneath them, best taken to denote the Milky Way1 conceived as
Okeanos the celestial river2. Below this are two significant objects.
To the left is a shield with human head, hands, and feet projecting
from behind it: it grasps a spear or staff and is—to judge from
analogous representations3—conceived as descending through the
air. To the right, and occupying the very centre of the field, is a
double axe with duplicated blades likewise descending from the
region of the sun and moon towards the goddess and her entourage.
It is reasonable to suppose that the shield and axe thus falling from
above are the weapons of the sky-god. Further than that we cannot
at present go.

Another example of the double axe in mid air has been thought
to occur on a clay sealing found by D. G. Hogarth in a 'Minoan'
house at Kato Zakro, a village of eastern Crete4. But of this impress
a more likely explanation has been advanced by G. Karo, as we
shall subsequently see5.

(/3) The double axe in relation to tree- or plant-forms.

In a second group of cult-scenes the double axe is brought into
more intimate relations with tree-or plant-forms. A smallsarcophagnsy
discovered by the Italian excavators close to the palace at Hagia
Tridda, two miles to the north-west of Phaistos, and now to be seen
in the Museum at Kandia, has first claim upon our attention6. It was
found, lid less, empty, and partially damaged, in a rectangular tomb-
building, which can be referred to the end of the period known as
'Late Minoan ii' or the beginning of'Late Minoan hi,' that is, to a
date c. 1400 B.C. The sarcopliagtts, made of greyish limestone, in

1 Supra p. 49 n. 1. " Supra p. 481 f.

3 See the sarcophagus from Milato (Sir A. J. Evans in the Joum. Hell. Stud. 1901
xxi. 174 fig. 50) and the gold ring from Knossos (id. id. 1901 xxi. 170 fig. 48). Supra
p. 47 ff.

4 D. G. Hogarth in the Joum. Hell. Stud. 1902 xxii. 77 f. fig. 5, cp. Sir A. J. Evans
in the Ann. Brit. Sch. Ath. 1900—1901 vii. 54.

5 Infra § 3 ('") i M-

6 R. Paribeni in the Kendiconti d. Lincei 1903 xii. 343 ff. (description), id. ' Ricerche
nel sepolcreto di Haghia Triada presso Phaestos ' in the Mon. d. Lincei 1904 xiv. 714—719,
id. ' II sarcofago dipinto di Haghia Triada' in the Mon. d. Lincei 1908 xix. 5—86 with
23 figs, in text and 3 minutely accurate coloured plates by Stefani ( = my pi. xxviij. The
three articles together constitute the most authoritative account of this important monu-
ment. For further discussion see F. M. f. Lagrange 'La Crete ancienne' in the Revue
Biblique Internationale Nouvelle Serie 1907 iv. 338—345 figs. 30—32, 34 f. (inexact),
A. J. Reinach ' Le Sarcophage de Haghia Triada' in the Rev. Arch. 1908 ii. 278—288
with 4 figs., F. von Duhn ' Der Sarkophag aus Hagia Triada' in the Archivf. Rel. 1909
xii. 161 —185 pis. 2—4, E. Petersen 'Der kretische Bildersarg ' in the Jahrb. d. kais.
deu/sch. arch. Inst. 1909 xxiv. 162 —170 with 5 figs., Harrison Themis pp. 158 fF..
fig. 30 f., 299 f.