DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.810#0473
YOUTHFUL MINOAN GOD—ZEUS VELCHANOS 843
her attributes, which it is well to bear in mind in relation to those of the
Delphinian Apollo, was 'guardian of harbours',1 and a principal temple of
Britomartis was the Cretan Khersonesos,2 the port of Lyttos. Of her final
Hellenized shape on that site the best record is supplied by the beautiful
fifth-century intaglio of red cornelian found here, and illustrated at the end
of this Section (Fig. 559).:i
The maritime side of the Minoan Goddess has been full}' illustrated
in an earlier section of this Volume.4 It has been shown, moreover, that,
through an assimilation with Isis Pharia or Pelagia who played an important
part in the later classical cult of the Mediterranean regions, the ' power of
the sea' once wielded by the Minoan divinity was attributed to the Christian
Saint, Pelaeia, little churches dedicated to whom overlook the sites of now
deserted Minoan harbour towns.'5
In considering this remarkable tenacity of religious tradition in the
Island one fact, the full import of which has been hardly sufficiently regarded,
should be kept in mind. This is the survival to a comparatively late
classical date of the indigenous Eteocretan race and language.
The analogy supplied by Diktynna and Britomartis would be alone Youthful
sufficient to suggest that the male satellite of the Goddess who appears as emified
Apollo Delphinios in later records of the Island may for long have still also wlth the
borne a native name, representing that of the youthful male personage whom Velcha-
we see associated with the Goddess in Minoan religious scenes. Under one
aspect, indeed, the name of this early forerunner of the 'Cretan Zeus' has
been preserved for us. At Hagia Triada, where a local worship originally
connected with the divinities of the Double Axes is shown to have survived
to Hellenic times, the male partner, now ascendant, bears the name of Zeus
Velchanos in dedications,0 and Velchanos appears again at Phaestos as the
name of young God holding a cock and seated, like Europa, on a tree-trunk,
as seen upon tetradrachms of the fine style.7
1 Kallimachus, Hymn, in Dian., v. 39 missione italiana in Creta, 1903-5 ; Rendi-
Xipivvro-iv ItvUtkotto^ v. 259 Ai/ieroo-K07ros. cotiti dell Acad, dei Lincei, xiv, pp. 379, 380.
2 Strabo, 1. x, 4, 15 Xeppovrjo-os iv jj to t>}s The name is inscribed on the tiles of a
B/HTo/xaprcos Upov. Hellenistic shrine (' tempietto') in the dia-
3 Obtained by me from the site of Kherso- lectic form fivxp.vo<s. As Professor Halbherr
nesos. Its upper surface is cut in the shape of remarks, p. 381 : ' L'apparire del suo sacello
a couchant lion, but of more elongated form sul posto dovei Festii preistorici adoravano il
than the usual Ionian type of ring-stone—per- simbolo della la/irys e un fatto, la cui impor-
haps an indication of some local fabric. anza non ha bisogno di esser posto in rilievo.'
4 See p. 248 seqq. 7 Svoronos, Numismatique de la Crete an-
5 See above, p. 250 seqq. cienne, PI. XXIII, 24-6 ; Warwick Roth,
6 See F. Halbherr, Lavori eseguiti dalla B.M. Cat., Crete, &c, PI. XV, 10 and 12 and
her attributes, which it is well to bear in mind in relation to those of the
Delphinian Apollo, was 'guardian of harbours',1 and a principal temple of
Britomartis was the Cretan Khersonesos,2 the port of Lyttos. Of her final
Hellenized shape on that site the best record is supplied by the beautiful
fifth-century intaglio of red cornelian found here, and illustrated at the end
of this Section (Fig. 559).:i
The maritime side of the Minoan Goddess has been full}' illustrated
in an earlier section of this Volume.4 It has been shown, moreover, that,
through an assimilation with Isis Pharia or Pelagia who played an important
part in the later classical cult of the Mediterranean regions, the ' power of
the sea' once wielded by the Minoan divinity was attributed to the Christian
Saint, Pelaeia, little churches dedicated to whom overlook the sites of now
deserted Minoan harbour towns.'5
In considering this remarkable tenacity of religious tradition in the
Island one fact, the full import of which has been hardly sufficiently regarded,
should be kept in mind. This is the survival to a comparatively late
classical date of the indigenous Eteocretan race and language.
The analogy supplied by Diktynna and Britomartis would be alone Youthful
sufficient to suggest that the male satellite of the Goddess who appears as emified
Apollo Delphinios in later records of the Island may for long have still also wlth the
borne a native name, representing that of the youthful male personage whom Velcha-
we see associated with the Goddess in Minoan religious scenes. Under one
aspect, indeed, the name of this early forerunner of the 'Cretan Zeus' has
been preserved for us. At Hagia Triada, where a local worship originally
connected with the divinities of the Double Axes is shown to have survived
to Hellenic times, the male partner, now ascendant, bears the name of Zeus
Velchanos in dedications,0 and Velchanos appears again at Phaestos as the
name of young God holding a cock and seated, like Europa, on a tree-trunk,
as seen upon tetradrachms of the fine style.7
1 Kallimachus, Hymn, in Dian., v. 39 missione italiana in Creta, 1903-5 ; Rendi-
Xipivvro-iv ItvUtkotto^ v. 259 Ai/ieroo-K07ros. cotiti dell Acad, dei Lincei, xiv, pp. 379, 380.
2 Strabo, 1. x, 4, 15 Xeppovrjo-os iv jj to t>}s The name is inscribed on the tiles of a
B/HTo/xaprcos Upov. Hellenistic shrine (' tempietto') in the dia-
3 Obtained by me from the site of Kherso- lectic form fivxp.vo<s. As Professor Halbherr
nesos. Its upper surface is cut in the shape of remarks, p. 381 : ' L'apparire del suo sacello
a couchant lion, but of more elongated form sul posto dovei Festii preistorici adoravano il
than the usual Ionian type of ring-stone—per- simbolo della la/irys e un fatto, la cui impor-
haps an indication of some local fabric. anza non ha bisogno di esser posto in rilievo.'
4 See p. 248 seqq. 7 Svoronos, Numismatique de la Crete an-
5 See above, p. 250 seqq. cienne, PI. XXIII, 24-6 ; Warwick Roth,
6 See F. Halbherr, Lavori eseguiti dalla B.M. Cat., Crete, &c, PI. XV, 10 and 12 and