:: minoan honey ::
:: the bull, the mushroom and the mistress of the dance ::
:: a mythographical essay exploring the original Cretan labyrinth ::
This essay attempts to throw some light on a few particulars of Minoan religion, and began with an enquiry into the figure of King Minos and the labyrinth, having noticed that many interpretations of Minoan culture relied upon this king-like figure from the mythology whilst the archaeology seemed to offer up no evidence of any form of kingship on the island. A careful study of the mythology reveals a confused relationship between Minos, his father and his son (both called Asterion) which in turn leads into the heart of what the labyrinth represents and a possible identification, following Kerényi, of the famous Minoan Serpent Bearer statuettes with the later character of Ariadne. The character of Glaucos is also examined in light of McKenna's identification of him with a psilocybin species of mushroom.
The work here, which includes the main essay and a number of accompanying photo essays, is the result of several site visits to Knossos and numerous other Minoan sites (including Gournia, Vasiliki and the two sites Pyrgos and Fournou Korifi near the village of Myrtos in Crete) and several years of research and mythographic reading of such authors as Joseph Campbell, Karl Kerényi, Terence McKenna and Robert Graves, as well as the relevant archaeological literature from Crete.
1. Introduction
2. The Minoans : A Short Archaeological Overview
3. On The Womanliness Of Minoan Culture
4. The Spatial Structure Of Minoan Religion
5. Minos : From Myth To Memory
6. The Mistress Of The Dance
7. The Vision In The Honey Pot
8. Glaucos The God?
9. From The Minoans...
Notes & References
Select Bibliography
Photo Essay 1 : Female Roles In Minoan Culture
Photo Essay 2 : Male Roles In Minoan Culture
Photo Essay 3 : Plazas from Minoan Sites
Photo Essay 4 : The Eye Game and the Eye Goddess
Photo Essay 5 : Mushrooms In Cretan Archaeology
Photo Essay 6 : Spirals and Labyrinths
Photo Essay 7 : Serpent Women or Snake Goddesses
Photo Essay 8 : Minoan Sacred Poses and Dance Postures
Photo Essay 9 : From Mistress to Gorgon - Demonising the Feminine
Photo Essay 10 : Two Sacred Buildings at Pyrgos near Myrtos, Ierapetra
'Minoan Honey: The Bull, The Mushroom & The Mistress of the Dance'
Copyright (c) 2009 - Bruce Rimell
January 2009
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