Mycenaean religion

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The religion of the Mycenaean culture of mainland Greece of the Bronze Age is known from both archaeological finds and written finds. It is similar to the later Greek religion of classical antiquity .

Mycenaean sanctuaries

The Mycenaean sanctuaries were both inside the palaces and cities and, if less often, in their own buildings in the open air.

In Mycenae , the sanctuary was within the fortification walls. It consisted of five building complexes decorated with frescoes. Some of the frescos were located between the so-called house of Tsountas and the south-west building, in the south-west building itself or in the fresco room. In the sanctuary there was a large sacrificial hearth and a terracotta bathtub that may have been used for bathing rituals. There was also a bench with cult horns. Numerous male and female terracotta figurines with individual features, which were found in the cult center in the area of ​​the base and in the area of ​​the idols, probably represented the venerated deities.

The sanctuary in Tiryns consisted of several free-standing buildings, which v. A. Contained figures of goddesses, but also a broken clay phallus and armed figures of gods of oriental origin ("smiting gods").

The sanctuary in Ayios Konstantinos on the Methana peninsula was used to worship a male god. It consisted of three chambers and contained tripods, vessels for libations (Rhyta (singular Rhyton )), kylikes (singular Kylix ), a beaker and ladle, various clay figures, a stepped stone bench, a platform and a sacrificial hearth.

The sanctuary of Phylakopi on the island of Melos was used to worship deities of both sexes. It was divided into an east and a west shrine. There was a holy stone in front of the entrance to the West Shrine. The altars of the deities were probably separated according to the sex of the respective deity. There were again numerous terracotta and clay figures, including the "Lady of Philakopi".

The sanctuary of Aya Irini on the island of Kea , however, contained numerous almost life-size terracotta figurines of female deities.

Mycenaean cult practices

Fresco depicting a goddess or priestess from Mycenae

Offerings were also made by the elites of the palace in distant places and not only in their own palace. B. also in Amnisos and not only in Knossos. Gold vessels, wool, barley, figs, flour, ham, olive oil, perfumed oil, honey, small tins and cans, bouquets of roses and clay figurines were all possible offerings. Cows, pigs, goats, sheep and wild boars were used as sacrificial animals. Human sacrifice could also have existed. The sacrificial rituals are usually performed by women on frescoes, but the king ( wanax ) also played an important role. Ritual banquets may also have been held.

Mycenaean funeral rites

The Mycenaeans buried their princely dead in lavishly built large Tholos graves with numerous grave goods made of gold and amber , but also with personal belongings of the dead, symbolic clay figures and even with sacrificed dogs and horses, sometimes also with sacrificed servants. This suggests a belief in life after death.

Mycenaean deities

The iconographic representation of Mycenaean deities is diverse. There are terracotta figurines of goddesses sitting on thrones. Mycenaean frescoes show a warlike goddess with a boar-tooth helmet and a griffin on her arm. An ivory carving shows two goddesses with a child. A Mycenaean fresco shows either donkey-headed demons or cult functionaries in donkey masks.

  • Fresco representation of a goddess with a boar tooth helmet and griffin from Mycenae

  • Ivory carving of Mycenaean goddesses with child

  • Fresco representation of so-called donkey demons from Mycenae

Numerous Mycenaean deities are known from Linear B texts (see table). Many of the Mycenaean deities are also known from classical Greek culture (e.g. Artemis, Hera, Hermes). But there are also deities mentioned in the text that were unknown in later times (e.g. Drimios, Mnasa, Poseidaeia).

Mycenaean name deity Spelling Linear B Place of delivery Tasks, meaning of the name Corresponding to classical Greek mythology
* Apeljōn / * Huperjōn [a / u?] - pe-ro 2 -ne dat. Knossos Apollo or Hyperion
Arēs a-re dat. Knossos Ares
Artemis
Artimis		 a-te-mi-to gen.,
a-ti-mi-te date.		 Pylos Artemis
Athānās Potnia a-ta-na po-ti-ni-ja Dat. Knossos "Mistress of Athens" Athena
* Daidalos da-da-re-jo-de allative (shrine name) Knossos proven in the shrine name Daidaleion Daidalos
Diwia di-u-ja , di-wi-ja Gen., Dat. Pylos female counterpart to Zeus Dia, nickname of several goddesses
Diwonusos di-wo-nu-so-jo Gen.,
di-wo-nu-so Dat.		 Chania, Pylos Dionysus
Domspotās (?) do-po-ta Dat. Pylos "Master of the house"
Drīmios di-ri-mi-jo Dat. Pylos Son of Zeus ev. nickname of Ares.
* Dzēus di-wo gen.,
di-wo dat.		 Chania, Knossos, Pylos Zeus
Eleuthia e-re-u-ti-ja Dat. Knossos birth Eileithyia
Enesidāhōn e-ne-si-da-o-ne dat. Knossos Ennosidas (Poseidon)
Enūwalios e-nu-wa-ri-jo Dat. Knossos war Enyalios , (son of Ares)
Gwowia qo-wi-ja Dat. Pylos "Cow"
Erīnnūs e-ri-nu , e-ri-nu-we dat. Knossos Erinys , nickname of Aphrodite and Demeter
* Hāphaistos a-pa-i-ti-jo (theophoric male name) Knossos Hephaestus
Hērā e-ra dat. Pylos Hera
Hermahās e-ma-ao 2 Gen.,
e-ma 2 Dat.		 Knossos, Pylos, Thebes Hermes
Hikkwō ( dual ) i-ku-wo-i-pi data dual Knossos "the two mares" Demeter and Kore?
Iphemedehia i-pe-me-de yes Dat. Pylos Iphimedeia
Komāwenteia ko-ma-we-te-ja Dat. Pylos, Thebes "Long-haired"
Kwhērasia qe-ra-si-ja Dat. Knossos
Mallinēus (?) ma-ri-ne-wo Gen.
ma-ri-ne-we dat.		 Knossos, Thebes has something to do with wool (gr. mallós)
Mnāsā ma-na-sa dat. Pylos
Mātēr Thehiā ma-te-re te-i-ja Dat. Pylos "Divine Mother"
Paiāwōn pa-ja-wo-ne Dat. Knossos "Savior"; Healing art Paieon (Apollon)
Pāntes Thehoi pa-si-te-oi data plural Knossos "All deities", collective of gods
Pereswā (?) pe-re-82 Dat. Pylos
Posidāhehia po-si-da-e-ja Dat. Pylos Paredros of Poseidon
Poseidāhōn po-se-da-o nom.,
po-se-da-o-no gen.,
po-se-da-o-ne dat.		 Knossos, Pylos "Lord of the waters"; Main god in Pylos Poseidon
Potnia po-ti-ni-ja Gen., Dat. Knossos, Mycenae,
Pylos, Thebes		 "Mistress"; Main goddess in Pylos; possibly denotes different goddesses
Potnia Aswia po-ti-ni-ja a-si-wi-ja Dat. Pylos "Mistress of Aswia" (= Asia Minor?)
Potnia Daburinthohio da-pu 2 -ri-to-jo po-ti-ni-ja Dat. Knossos "Mistress of the Labyrinth" Ariadne  ?
Potnia Hikkweia [po] -ti-ni-ja i-qe-ja Dat. Pylos "Horse mistress"
Sītōn Potnia si-to-po-ti-ni-ja Dat. Mycenae "Kornherrin" Demeter
Trīshērōs ti-ri-se-ro-e Dat. Pylos "Dreiheld" possibly ancestral deity

See also

  • Minoan religion to the ancient Aegean religion of the Bronze Age Crete, which also survived under Mycenaean rule and was reflected in Cretan Linear B texts.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Louise Schofield: Mycenae, history and myth . Mainz 2009, p. 146 f.
  2. ^ Louise Schofield: Mycenae, History and Myth . Mainz 2009, p. 152.
  3. ^ A b c Louise Schofield: Mycenae, history and myth . Mainz 2009, p. 150.
  4. ^ Louise Schofield: Mycenae, History and Myth . Mainz 2009, p. 151 f.
  5. ^ A b c Louise Schofield: Mycenae, history and myth . Mainz 2009, p. 157 f.
  6. ^ Louise Schofield: Mycenae, History and Myth . Mainz 2009, p. 158 f.
  7. ↑ a b c d Louise Schofield: Mycenae, history and myth . Mainz 2009, p. 161 f.
  8. ^ A b Louise Schofield: Mycenae, history and myth . Mainz 2009, p. 162.
  9. ^ A b Louise Schofield: Mycenae, history and myth . Mainz 2009, p. 163.
  10. ^ Louise Schofield: Mycenae, History and Myth . Mainz 2009, pp. 164-169.
  11. ^ A b Louise Schofield: Mycenae, history and myth . Mainz 2009, p. 155.
  12. ^ Louise Schofield: Mycenae, History and Myth . Mainz 2009, p. 134.
  13. ↑ Ivo Haynal: The Greek-Anatolian Language Contacts in the Bronze Age - Language Association or Loose Language Contact? . University of Innsbruck, p. 3.
  14. ↑ a b c d e f Jaquetta Hawkes: Birth of the Gods - At the sources of Greek culture . Bern 1972, p. 226.
  15. ↑ José Luis García Ramón: Mycenaean Omomastics. In: Yves Duhoux, Anna Morpurgo Davies: A Companion to Linear B: Mycenaean Greek Texts and their World. Volume 2, Louvain-la-Neuve-Warpole 2011, p. 235.
  16. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Louise Schofield: Mycenae, history and myth . Mainz 2009, p. 160.
  17. ^ Thomas G. Palaima: Sacrificial Feasting in the Linear B Documents . Hesperia 73, 2004, p. 219.
  18. ↑ José Luis García Ramón: Mycenaean Omomastics. In: Yves Duhoux, Anna Morpurgo Davies: A Companion to Linear B: Mycenaean Greek Texts and their World. Volume 2, Louvain-la-Neuve-Warpole 2011, p. 230.
  19. ↑ José Luis García Ramón: Mycenaean Omomastics. In: Yves Duhoux, Anna Morpurgo Davies: A Companion to Linear B: Mycenaean Greek Texts and their World. Volume 2, Louvain-la-Neuve-Warpole 2011, p. 231.
  20. ↑ Angelos Chaniotis: Ancient Crete . Munich 2004, p. 41.
  21. ^ Louise Schofield: Mycenae, History and Myth . Mainz 2009, p. 159.