Evans, Arthur J.: The Palace of Minos: a comparative account of the successive stages of the early Cretan civilization as illustred by the discoveries at Knossos (Band 4,1): Emergence of outer western enceinte, with new illustrations, artistic and religious, of the Middle Minoan Phase (London, 1935)

CONTENTS xxxi

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Metalwork origin of this class of ewer; ' Creamy-bordered' class based on silver
work;. Argonaut reliefs from 'Kouloura' 2—earliest examples of a persistent
Minoan type; M. M. II a polychrome vases—' Prickle work' imitated in profile;
Thorn-bossed bowls and ' Barbotine ' prototype; M. M. II b polychromy—Palmette
decoration and vessel parallel to the ' Abydos' pot.

§94. A 'Snake Room' of Domestic Cult; 'Snake Tubes', their

Origin and Survival .......... 138

Room in private house for Domestic Snake Cult; Utensils deposited in large jar;
Miniature 'Milk jugs' as in Temple Tomb; Bowls for offerings as in 'Spring
Chamber'; Cylindrical vessels with cups attached—for snakes to drink from;
Analogous ritual ' tubes' of sanctuaries . at Gournia., Sec.—with rustic figures of
Snake Goddess; Theory that the tubes were for chthonic libations invented ad hoc;
Real origin of ' Snake tubes'from Minoan drain sections—two varieties of these
adapted ; Looped class of' tubes ' thus explained—cording of pipe sections ; Simpler
class, without loops, the earlier; Early type at Kumasa; Common Ring Snake a
haunter of drains—still abounds on site of Knossos; Inference from origins—
ritual 'Snake tubes' not libation vessels; Tripod Snake table—Lithuanian parallel;
Snake cauldron (?) of seal-impression ; Tripod hearth with ashes inside; Ritual
transportation of ashes—Russian custom ; Snakes as spirits of the household :
Snake house guardian among Greeks ; Household snake in Macedonian village—
fed by British officers; Ritual vessel of honeycomb shape with feeding snake;
Cretan snake attacks wild honeycomb for grubs ; Other snake vessels from domestic
shrine; Honey in food offerings to snakes—sacred snake of Erechtheion; Triple
Cups of Diktaean Libation Table—Pone for /leXLKptjTov; Snake table in Egypt;
Knossian 'Snake Room' contrasted with primitive sanctuaries at Gournia, &c;
'Snake Room' cult purely domestic—the Shrines show further religious evolution;
Snake attributes in Palace Shrines, of terrifying nature ; Chronology of' Snake-tube '
sanctuaries ; Knossian 'Snake Room' relics assigned to L. M. II ; Rustic clay idols
of sanctuaries—cylindrical base derived from bell-shaped M. M. I a skirt; Survivals
of old Snake cult in Sub-Minoan and Geometrical times ; Rhodian 'Snake tube ' of
Geometrical date ; ' Snake Lube ' assimilated' to cult of Cyprian Goddess—becomes
a dove-cot; ( Snake tube ' of Philistine Cult at Beth-Shan.

§ 95. The Sacred ' Adder Mark ' and a Stone Statuette of Goddess
as'Snake Mother'
Part I. The'Adder Mark'of the Goddess. .... 17S

Sacral use of ' Wave and dot' pattern ; Its appearance round movable tripod hearths
at Knossos; Such hearths also used as altars; Fixed hearth of Mycenae Megarpn
—'Wave and dot' motive on its successive layers of painted plaster; Source of
motive in markings on Adder's sides ; Similar markings on Cretan Cat-snake, locally
regarded as Viper—O^ei'Tpa ; Motive as executed round L. M. I b ritual vessels with
handles terminating in snakes' heads; Goblets from Knossos and Phaestos; Asso-
ciated on Phaestian vessel with Double Axe symbol; Snake as beneficent Genius
in primitive cult, but, as attribute of Chthonic Goddess, acquires more awesome
significance; Chaldaean analogy in case of Tiamai; Snakes, of Goddess in mature
cult viperine; The 'Adder Mark" of die Goddess; Etruscan parallel from Grotta
dell' Oreo—Demon Tutulkha with similar 'Adder Mark' on wings, holding snakes;
Minoan survivals of this sacral motive, but absence of Greek tradition; Suggested
Virgilian allusion; Possible Anatolian links with Etruria; Diffusion of sacred
1 Adder Mark' to Egypt and appearance on axe-head of King Aahmes; Ceramic
use in L. M. I b and element of ' Palace Style ', L. M. II, surviving in L. M. Ill a.