Master of Animals

by Dr Alena Trckova-Flamee, Ph.D.

 
Master of Animals – a Late Bronze Age deity
In the Minoan and Mycenaean mythological and religious iconography appears a male deity, called later by the Greeks, Master of Animals. He is a counterpart of the Mistress of Animals (Potnia theron) 1 portrayed with wild animals, mainly lions and exerting his power over them. On the seals and rings-relief the Master of Animals is depicted with the Minoan manner, wearing only a small cloth around his slim waist and turning his body to show his muscular breasts and shoulders in a frontal position. The head, usually with beard and rich hair, has a strong facial expression. The gem from Kydonia or the Mycenaean seal ring are illustrating such type, while the well known Aegina Treasure-pendant represents the Master of Animals with an Egyptian influence. The motif is created by a completely different way. The deity looks like an Egyptian, holding waterbirds in his hands and his surrounding consists of double snakes and papyrus flowers. The Oriental seals from the Palace of Cadmus in Thiva are showing the Master of Animals with goats, some vegetation and various symbols from the Syrian and Mesopotamian mythology.

Goddess of the Sea

by Dr Alena Trckova-Flamee, Ph.D.

 
The Goddess of the Sea or Mistress of the Fishes has a very old origin in the Greek tradition. She appears already in the iconography of the Minoan and Mycenaean art, sometimes called by the scholars the Goddess of the Navigation or the Mother and Mistress of the sea creatures, a counterpart of the Mistress of the Animals. The shrines dedicated to the Sea Goddess existed in the Minoan seashore, where her religious cult and the marine festivals were probably celebrated. There is also a suggestion about a sea-journeying goddess in the boat with a shrine, who was represented on the Minoan golden rings. According to some hypotheses this traveling goddess had to give a divine protection around the whole Creta island.

Dove Goddess

by Dr Alena Trckova-Flamee, Ph.D.

 

Without doubt birds, and especially doves, played an important role in Minoan belief. According to a current interpretation, doves could be understood as embodiment (epiphany) of a divinity, a representation of a goddess in a bird form nearby her sacred place – a shrine or on a tree. This idea can be supported with literature: according to Homer the goddess was able to take on the shape of a bird. From the Early Minoan period the libation vases and amulets or models in a bird form existed in Crete and they were used for a ritual reason. We can observe a shape of bird even among the signs on the famous Phaistos Disc. The clay models of birds and their images on the ritual vessels are also amongst the regular furnishings of the shrines like those at Knossos, Gournia or at Karphi. The type of these birds has been a subject of long discussions between scholars, but usually they are considered as representing doves.