DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1118#0127
RITE OF TONSURE ASSOCIATED WITH BOY-GOD 483
in the remains of the steatite and ivory Sphinx. Whether or not—as there
are some reasons for suspecting—the ' Boston Goddess' and figurine of the
ivory boy-God, so closely akin to it, were derived from the same deposit,
the votive reliefs of hair-offerings that it contained must be clearly brought
into the same religious association. Here, too, as was the case of the actual
hair-offerings in the Sanctuary of the Carian Zeus at Panamara, their
votive equivalents are associated with the Cult of the Double Axe.
It seems, moreover, reasonable to suppose that the chryselephantine Rite of
image of the youth before us should itself be taken to represent the offspring S^'asso-
of the Goddess herself rather than any mortal personage. The ritual ci.ated
tonsure and votive hair-offerings of boys on approaching mature years youthful
can be equally assumed in the case of the adolescent divinity.
In this little gold and ivory figure we may once more be allowed to
recognize a boy-God, slightly older than the other, but standing in the same,
probably filial, relation to the Minoan Goddess. More than one youthful
personage of about the same age is seen in attendance on her, such as the
young warrior who stands before the seated Goddess on the Mycenae ring,1
or the boy ministrahts who pull clown for her a branch of the sacred tree
or proffer a flask with its juice, as on the 'Ring of Minos'.2 In these
figures, hardly to be interpreted as any kind of Consort, as in that before
us, we may well—in a more advanced and serviceable stage of his boyish
career—recognize the child who, under a still more infantile aspect, is
otherwise seen on the lap of the Mother Goddess.3
1 See/', ofM., iii, p. 464, Fig. 324. clay image, Mavro Speh'o, and p. 47r, Fig.
2 See below, pp. 948, 949. 328, Thisbe ring.
1 P. of M., iii, p. 469, Fig. 327: painted
ick
in the remains of the steatite and ivory Sphinx. Whether or not—as there
are some reasons for suspecting—the ' Boston Goddess' and figurine of the
ivory boy-God, so closely akin to it, were derived from the same deposit,
the votive reliefs of hair-offerings that it contained must be clearly brought
into the same religious association. Here, too, as was the case of the actual
hair-offerings in the Sanctuary of the Carian Zeus at Panamara, their
votive equivalents are associated with the Cult of the Double Axe.
It seems, moreover, reasonable to suppose that the chryselephantine Rite of
image of the youth before us should itself be taken to represent the offspring S^'asso-
of the Goddess herself rather than any mortal personage. The ritual ci.ated
tonsure and votive hair-offerings of boys on approaching mature years youthful
can be equally assumed in the case of the adolescent divinity.
In this little gold and ivory figure we may once more be allowed to
recognize a boy-God, slightly older than the other, but standing in the same,
probably filial, relation to the Minoan Goddess. More than one youthful
personage of about the same age is seen in attendance on her, such as the
young warrior who stands before the seated Goddess on the Mycenae ring,1
or the boy ministrahts who pull clown for her a branch of the sacred tree
or proffer a flask with its juice, as on the 'Ring of Minos'.2 In these
figures, hardly to be interpreted as any kind of Consort, as in that before
us, we may well—in a more advanced and serviceable stage of his boyish
career—recognize the child who, under a still more infantile aspect, is
otherwise seen on the lap of the Mother Goddess.3
1 See/', ofM., iii, p. 464, Fig. 324. clay image, Mavro Speh'o, and p. 47r, Fig.
2 See below, pp. 948, 949. 328, Thisbe ring.
1 P. of M., iii, p. 469, Fig. 327: painted
ick