Minoan religion

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Minoan religion was the religion of the Bronze Age Minoan civilization of Crete. In the absence of readable texts from most of the period, modern scholars have reconstructed it almost totally on the basis of archaeological evidence such as Minoan paintings, statuettes, vessels for rituals and seals and rings. Minoan religion is considered to have been closely related to Near Eastern ancient religions. The names of Minoan deities, and the relationship Minoans had with their gods, is unknown. Prominent sacred symbols include the bull and the horns of consecration, the labrys double-headed axe, and possibly the serpent. The old view was that, in stark contrast to contemporary cultures in Egypt, Mesopotamia and Syria, Minoan religious practice was not centered around massive formal public temples. However, it is now thought the Minoan "palaces", and perhaps also the smaller "villas", were themselves the temples, and they were primarily used to perform religious rituals. There were also rural...

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