Snakes and Snake-Birds (Phoenix)
The right one was originally missing its whole left arm and whatever the right hand was holding was broken off. Consequently, the snakes as well as the cat on top were added by the “restorer.” (Olmsted personal photo)
The left version is the only one which survived almost whole. She is represented as being similar to the Egyptian goddess Wadget with the cobra on top of a hat. The Egyptians and Minoans had extensive trade connections at this time. The bare breasts and no wings indicate a non-connective life power. Snakes by themselves symbolized the power of life and death.
Wadjet was the name for the feminine life-growth source power in Lower Egypt (Nile delta region). The upper and lower river regions of Egypt had different religious traditions until around the iron age (1150 BCE). Each region had their own set of deities which were later merged often with new deity names, the name which are popular today. Knowledge about these early deities is only found on the funeral texts written in hieroglyphics on various pyramids (called the Pyramid Texts).
Wadjet (Egyptian Wzt) means “lady of the plant” or “lady of the green” in Egyptian. Her temple was at the city of Buto in the Nile Delta. Significantly, Buto was divided into two parts named Pe and Dep. Wadjet was associated with Pe in the Pyramid texts. In the Middle and New Egyptian Kingdoms, Wadjet was often shown with the eagle-vulture goddess Nekhbet on the headdresses of pharaohs to form the Uraeus.
Hekate as a Snake Goddess is Not Representative of Minoan Culture
(July 12, 2022) The two (and only two) "Minoan" snake goddess were found in one of the Knossos palace's trash pits known as the east Knossos Temple repository. It contained various damaged ritual items used during this period. (Sinclair 2013):
- many fragments of faience figurines
- vessels with molded designs
- beads
- molded plaques of ‘votive robes’
- suckling goats
- cattle
- flowers
- leaves
- shells
- flying fish
- fruit
- a figure of eight shields
In addition, the repository contained stone libation bowls, a large quantity of colored sea shells, clay administrative sealings, a clay tablet, ivory inlays, bone, burnt maize and stag horns. All of which were placed under a jumble of soil, gold foil and some forty ceramic amphorae and jugs which were used to provide a date for the collection of between 1650 and 1600 BCE.
References
Sinclair, Andrea (2013) Enduring Fictions of Late Victoria Fantasies, Sir Arthur Evans and the Faience. ‘Goddesses’ from Minoan Crete. Ancient Planet, Vol. 5 Online at: https://hcommons.org/deposits/item/hc:24487
(November 12, 2023, updated December 20, 2024)
The next image clockwise around the room shows three deities in a cloud. They are right to left: dark new moon god Su with a bear cap, underworld goddess of fate Kate/Hekate with snakes in her hair (symbols of life and death), and the life manifestation/emanation god Hu. (Original photo: Rönnlund, Wikimedia Commons, 2012).
Translation in Akkadian (Text Med 19.3)
(read right to left. Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)- Nu A A
- Mu EDu Bu IGu Na Pu Ya
- Du U Ṣu
In English
- Revelations (of fate) are are result of them (Kate/Hekate and Su).
- Fertility-fluids are moved by nourishing the eyes-of-fate (planets). The Revelations (of fate) are not being opened.
- Life-power-manifestations are because of activity (motion powers)
(Photo: Rönnlund, Wikimedia Commons, 2012).
Etruscan Orcus Tomb Two Image 1: Thu being Weakened by a Snake Wielding Kate/Hekate
(Sept. 9, 2022, Updated December 23, 2024) This location is labeled "Theseus and Tuchulcha" on the Orcus Tomb map. Unfortunately, this image is too destroyed to interpret it fully. All that is visible is a winged donkey spirit with big donkey ears holding a snake over a kneeling man with long hair down his neck. The wings on the donkey spirit indicate it is affecting the middle layer powers of the ancient Pagan Paradigm. The donkey spirit represents the connection between life and the astrological motion powers of the moon.
Translation in Akkadian (Text Med 19.1)
(read right to left. Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)- Ṭu Ezu E
- Tu U Ša Ṣu LaŠu A
In English
- Thu can be frustrated by ineffectiveness
- Astrology-magic and similar activities are influenced by that.
Egyptian Bow Drill Fire Making
By Ancient Wisdom Survival School.
This image was taken from the medieval book The phoenix, “unica semper avis” (ever-singular bird) dated to 1583 via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phoenix_(1583).svg)
The Fire Making Bow Drill May Have Been the Source of the Fire-Bird (Phoenix)
(April 22, 2024, updated December 23, 2024) The bow drill (Akkadian qaqû, quqû) was used to start fires with friction. It consisted of a stick pushed down upon a dry, notched piece of wood having kindling in the notch, and a bow which was used to rapidly turn the stick. The bow can be imagined as bird wings while the stick can be imagined as its body. This image would seem to be the origin of the phoenix fire-bird mythology.
The word "Phoenix" is Greek φοῖνῐξ (phoînix). This is the Akkadian phrase: Ṭ'.IN.IS or the "One-near to the moon-eye's (Su's) woman" where Su's woman is Kate/Hekate because they both share the dark night sky.
The Second Etruscan Skadi Pot From Vulci 550 BCE
Photo: French National Library Number: De Ridder.918b. The Bibliothèque nationale de France is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites known respectively as Richelieu and François-Mitterrand. It is the national repository of all that is published in France. This is on display at the Museum's Richelieu site. Online at: https://medaillesetantiques.bnf.fr/ws/catalogue/app/collection/record/3981?vc=ePkH4LF7w1I94aqfsJQGpkZopb6-HeEUCs0ZZaU5yZlgDbBQAQAAqC-Q
Etruscan Snake Text (Med Text 21.1)
Translation in Akkadian
(read right to left. Capital letters on pot. Inner vowels inferred)- ALu Mu A E
In English
- Alu's fertility-fluids are made ineffective by this
Etruscan Skadi Krater from Vulci, Italy Illustrates an Attack on the Coherence of Life and Motion Powers
(Updated March 30, 2024) The krater on the left shows the demon Skadi on far right threatening a dancing couple representing the coherence of life and motion powers with an angry snake. To the right of the couple is another demon with an axe ready to cut links out of the life network.
Some graffiti was scratched above the snake and on either side of the “V” on the opposite side. The dancing couple are the life goddess Ayu identified by her snake skin hat and some god identified by his tiara. This was found in 1844.
Right Text Above Skadi's Snake Threatening the God Alu
- Alu's fertility-fluids are made ineffective by this
Text Behind the Woman (Goddess Ayu who Edits the Life Network)
- (bottom or right) Motion-powers deplete the fabric (life network).
Leftmost Text In Front of a Wingless Skadi
- (leftmost) The sky-shell's openings are lacking the expectations to force-flow anything. : Revelations (of life forms) are nourished by that : Ayu makes stormy the life-manifestations : Su is lacking nothing. The divine's connections are nothing.
This text is blaming the motion powers for a drought and blaming emotion magic rituals for not being an effective cure. "Expectations" are generated by emotion magic rituals and these rituals were being done to push the fertility fluids through the life network represented by the goddess Ayu. The astrological motion powers represented by the full moon god Su are not being blamed. The cure for the drought is from supporting the life powers of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm.