DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0712
The decoration of the double axe 637
Denmark and southern Sweden1: M. Hoernes2 and B. Schnittger1
take them to be symbols of the sky-god or thunder-god ; and, re-
membering that jewelry in general often originates in magic4, and
that amber in particular seems to have been associated with the
sun-god3, we may readily grant that the beads in question had some
such religious significance.
In the sanctuary at Nirou Khaninear Knossos S. Xanthoudides
discovered four enormous double axes of bronze, with flat blades
rivetted to their sockets6. These were of course ritual in character.
But miniature axes in gold, electrum, or gilt bronze would likewise
be appropriate to the flashing god of heaven. The yellow double
axes of the sarcophagus from Hagia Triada were supposed by
R. Paribeni to represent originals in gold or gilded metal7. Bulls'-
heads with double axes of thin gold were found by the score at
Mykenai8. And small double axes made of bronze plated with gold
came from a treasure-chamber in the palace at Knossos (fig. 551)".
The trinkets recovered by D. G. Hogarth from the statue-base of
the oldest {c. 710—c. 660 B.C.) Artemision at Ephesos include a
1 C. Neergaard ' Ravsmykkerne i Stenalderen' in the Aarbfiger for nordisk Oldkyn-
dighed og Historie 1888 p. 291 ff. figs. 14 and 15 ( = niy figs. 549 and 550: scale i),
O. Montelius The Civilisation of Sweden in heathen times trans. F. H. Woods London
1888 p. 23 with fig. 24 (from Vester-Gotland), id. Aluse'e des antiquite's natiouales de
Stockholm : Catalogue soinmaire Stockholm 1899 p. 4 pi. 1, 4 (from Inston), P. B. Du
Chaillu The Viking Age London 1889 i. 80 f. fig. 17 (from Stege in the island of Mtien),
S. Miiller Nordische Altertumskande trans. O. L. Jiriczek Strassburg 1897 i. 152 with
figs. 74 and 75 after C. Neergaard loc. cit., J. Dechelette Manuel d'arche'ologie prihistorique
Paris 1908 i. 625, B. Schnittger in Hoops Reallex. p. 260.
2 M. Hoernes Natur- und Urgeschichte des Menschen Wien und Leipzig 1909 ii. 345
('Sie sind wohl Symbole einer (Himmels-)Gottheit und liefern ausserdem einen Beleg
fiir die oft vorkommende Sitte, kleine Abbilder grosser Gebrauchsgegenstande als (talis-
manische ?) Schmuckform zu tragen').
3 B. Schnittger in Hoops Reallex. p. 399 pi. 33, 1 f. (' Die religiose Bedeutung dieser
Perlen als Symbole des Donnergotts ist auffallig').
4 See e.g. Schrader Reallex. p. 729. Sir W. Ridgeway goes so far as to say 'that
jewellery and every other kind of ornament arose not from aesthetic but from magical
considerations' (in Alan 1919 no. 84: cp. id. 'The Origin of Jewellery' in the Report of
the British Association for the Advancement of Science 1903 (Southporl) London 1904
p. 815 f., id. ' The Origin of the Turkish Crescent' in The Journal of the Royal Anthropo-
logical Institute of Great Britain and Ireland [908 xxxviii. 241 ff. pis. 19—25, id. in Sir
J. E. Sandys A Companion to Latin Studies'1 Cambridge 1913 p. 581, id. in L. Whibley
A Companion to Greek Studies'1, Cambridge 1916 p. 366).
5 Supra p. 498.
6 S. Xanthoudides in the Kp7?Tt/c7j '^(pij/xepis Aug. 5, 1919, Sir A.J. Evans The Palace
of Minos London 1921 i. 436 b fig. 313 (a specimen \-iom in diameter). The associated
pottery was of the ' Late Minoan i' period.
7 R. Paribeni in the Mon. d. Lincei 1908 xix. 29 and 43 (cited supra p. 518 n. 1).
8 Sipra p. 538 fig. 409.
9 Sir A. J. Evans in the Ann. Brit. Sch. Ath. 1901 —1902 viii. ior fig. 58 ( = my
fig- 551 : slightly enlarged).
Denmark and southern Sweden1: M. Hoernes2 and B. Schnittger1
take them to be symbols of the sky-god or thunder-god ; and, re-
membering that jewelry in general often originates in magic4, and
that amber in particular seems to have been associated with the
sun-god3, we may readily grant that the beads in question had some
such religious significance.
In the sanctuary at Nirou Khaninear Knossos S. Xanthoudides
discovered four enormous double axes of bronze, with flat blades
rivetted to their sockets6. These were of course ritual in character.
But miniature axes in gold, electrum, or gilt bronze would likewise
be appropriate to the flashing god of heaven. The yellow double
axes of the sarcophagus from Hagia Triada were supposed by
R. Paribeni to represent originals in gold or gilded metal7. Bulls'-
heads with double axes of thin gold were found by the score at
Mykenai8. And small double axes made of bronze plated with gold
came from a treasure-chamber in the palace at Knossos (fig. 551)".
The trinkets recovered by D. G. Hogarth from the statue-base of
the oldest {c. 710—c. 660 B.C.) Artemision at Ephesos include a
1 C. Neergaard ' Ravsmykkerne i Stenalderen' in the Aarbfiger for nordisk Oldkyn-
dighed og Historie 1888 p. 291 ff. figs. 14 and 15 ( = niy figs. 549 and 550: scale i),
O. Montelius The Civilisation of Sweden in heathen times trans. F. H. Woods London
1888 p. 23 with fig. 24 (from Vester-Gotland), id. Aluse'e des antiquite's natiouales de
Stockholm : Catalogue soinmaire Stockholm 1899 p. 4 pi. 1, 4 (from Inston), P. B. Du
Chaillu The Viking Age London 1889 i. 80 f. fig. 17 (from Stege in the island of Mtien),
S. Miiller Nordische Altertumskande trans. O. L. Jiriczek Strassburg 1897 i. 152 with
figs. 74 and 75 after C. Neergaard loc. cit., J. Dechelette Manuel d'arche'ologie prihistorique
Paris 1908 i. 625, B. Schnittger in Hoops Reallex. p. 260.
2 M. Hoernes Natur- und Urgeschichte des Menschen Wien und Leipzig 1909 ii. 345
('Sie sind wohl Symbole einer (Himmels-)Gottheit und liefern ausserdem einen Beleg
fiir die oft vorkommende Sitte, kleine Abbilder grosser Gebrauchsgegenstande als (talis-
manische ?) Schmuckform zu tragen').
3 B. Schnittger in Hoops Reallex. p. 399 pi. 33, 1 f. (' Die religiose Bedeutung dieser
Perlen als Symbole des Donnergotts ist auffallig').
4 See e.g. Schrader Reallex. p. 729. Sir W. Ridgeway goes so far as to say 'that
jewellery and every other kind of ornament arose not from aesthetic but from magical
considerations' (in Alan 1919 no. 84: cp. id. 'The Origin of Jewellery' in the Report of
the British Association for the Advancement of Science 1903 (Southporl) London 1904
p. 815 f., id. ' The Origin of the Turkish Crescent' in The Journal of the Royal Anthropo-
logical Institute of Great Britain and Ireland [908 xxxviii. 241 ff. pis. 19—25, id. in Sir
J. E. Sandys A Companion to Latin Studies'1 Cambridge 1913 p. 581, id. in L. Whibley
A Companion to Greek Studies'1, Cambridge 1916 p. 366).
5 Supra p. 498.
6 S. Xanthoudides in the Kp7?Tt/c7j '^(pij/xepis Aug. 5, 1919, Sir A.J. Evans The Palace
of Minos London 1921 i. 436 b fig. 313 (a specimen \-iom in diameter). The associated
pottery was of the ' Late Minoan i' period.
7 R. Paribeni in the Mon. d. Lincei 1908 xix. 29 and 43 (cited supra p. 518 n. 1).
8 Sipra p. 538 fig. 409.
9 Sir A. J. Evans in the Ann. Brit. Sch. Ath. 1901 —1902 viii. ior fig. 58 ( = my
fig- 551 : slightly enlarged).