DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1118#0674
ioi4 EVIDENCES OF SNAKE CULT
belonging to the closing phase of the Third Middle Minoan Period. In
that case a branch with leaves thus striated is combined with a highly
artificial flower—of lily-like appearance—the petals of which repeat the
striations of the leaves in the same pale green and brownish tints'. The
Tell-el-Amarna spray of PL XXXV, d, reflects this Minoan tradition.
It was doubtless believed that the brilliant hues of the incense vessel
—like the heavenly blue of the 'window' openings in the timbered ceiling-
above—were a visible source of pleasure to the dead, despite the pervading
gloom. The bright colouring of the interior of the recipient was itself a
proof that it was not intended for actual use, though, in the Spirit World,
fumes sweet as those of incense might be diffused from it.
Evidences of Snake Cult in connexion with Temple Tomb—Ritual
' Milk Jugs ': the Goddess as ' House-Mother'.
Evidence The dark, subterranean chamber with its central pier must, as already
Cult- observed,2 be regarded as itself a shrine of the Goddess. As in the case
small of other pillar crypts it would naturally connect itself with the Goddess on
vessels on i J_l ; J
roof her dread chthonic side, the little Temple above the ground and free to the
identical light of day being representative of her celestial being. But the last funeral
vviihihose r;tes 0f which we have the evidence in the mortal remains and relics before
of Snake
Room', us, were in any case mainly inspired by the idea of placing the dead under
the protection of the Great Mother of a simpler household cult.
The characteristic aspect of the Goddess as ' house-mother' has been
shown in the first Part of this Volume :i to have been intimately bound up
in Minoan Crete with the widespread cult of domestic snakes as representing
the actual spirits of departed members of the household. The cult of the
domestic snakes has indeed received an illustration, unexampled in its com-
pleteness, in the actual ' Snake Room' with its full furnishment, near the
West wall of the Palace.
Amongst the smaller vessels, in this case specially designed for feeding
the snakes, several specimens occurred of plain, miniature jugs, about
8 centimetres (3J inches) in height, the original looped upright handles of
which, springing behind from the rim, had in both cases only survived in
a rudimentary form.* From their association with the nourishment of the
household snakes we may reasonably regard them as ' milk jugs '.
It is therefore of great interest to record that, along the Eastern border
1 See P. uf'M., i, p. 500. Fig. 358 is here '' Examples of these, slightly variant in the
repeated in Fig. 9G3. shape of the body, are given in Pt. I, Fig. 109,
- See above, p. 977. 3 See Pt. I, § 94. 18-22..
belonging to the closing phase of the Third Middle Minoan Period. In
that case a branch with leaves thus striated is combined with a highly
artificial flower—of lily-like appearance—the petals of which repeat the
striations of the leaves in the same pale green and brownish tints'. The
Tell-el-Amarna spray of PL XXXV, d, reflects this Minoan tradition.
It was doubtless believed that the brilliant hues of the incense vessel
—like the heavenly blue of the 'window' openings in the timbered ceiling-
above—were a visible source of pleasure to the dead, despite the pervading
gloom. The bright colouring of the interior of the recipient was itself a
proof that it was not intended for actual use, though, in the Spirit World,
fumes sweet as those of incense might be diffused from it.
Evidences of Snake Cult in connexion with Temple Tomb—Ritual
' Milk Jugs ': the Goddess as ' House-Mother'.
Evidence The dark, subterranean chamber with its central pier must, as already
Cult- observed,2 be regarded as itself a shrine of the Goddess. As in the case
small of other pillar crypts it would naturally connect itself with the Goddess on
vessels on i J_l ; J
roof her dread chthonic side, the little Temple above the ground and free to the
identical light of day being representative of her celestial being. But the last funeral
vviihihose r;tes 0f which we have the evidence in the mortal remains and relics before
of Snake
Room', us, were in any case mainly inspired by the idea of placing the dead under
the protection of the Great Mother of a simpler household cult.
The characteristic aspect of the Goddess as ' house-mother' has been
shown in the first Part of this Volume :i to have been intimately bound up
in Minoan Crete with the widespread cult of domestic snakes as representing
the actual spirits of departed members of the household. The cult of the
domestic snakes has indeed received an illustration, unexampled in its com-
pleteness, in the actual ' Snake Room' with its full furnishment, near the
West wall of the Palace.
Amongst the smaller vessels, in this case specially designed for feeding
the snakes, several specimens occurred of plain, miniature jugs, about
8 centimetres (3J inches) in height, the original looped upright handles of
which, springing behind from the rim, had in both cases only survived in
a rudimentary form.* From their association with the nourishment of the
household snakes we may reasonably regard them as ' milk jugs '.
It is therefore of great interest to record that, along the Eastern border
1 See P. uf'M., i, p. 500. Fig. 358 is here '' Examples of these, slightly variant in the
repeated in Fig. 9G3. shape of the body, are given in Pt. I, Fig. 109,
- See above, p. 977. 3 See Pt. I, § 94. 18-22..