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Frescoes of Flower Rituals Involving Women
Crete is blessed with the richest flora in Europe, with more than 1,800 species, 10% of which
are endemic. Crete’s amazing floral diversity derives from two main factors: its former phys-
ical connection to both the European and Asian continents, and its extraordinary microcli-
matic diversity resulting from its many natural habitats, which include mountains, gorges,
valleys, prairies, and coastal areas. Not only is Crete’s flora unusually rich, but flowers can
be found blooming at all times of the year: in the prairies in spring, in the mountains in
summer and fall, and along the shore in winter. Thus, it is not surprising that flowers figure
so prominently in Minoan art and religion.
In his book, Minoan Religion as Ritual Action, Peter Warren analyzed the ritual use of
flowers in Crete based on the many painted frescoes of Crete, the island of Thera (located
about 80 miles north of Crete), and Mycenae on mainland Greece.^20 Warren noted four
distinct stages of the Aegean flower ritual: gathering, preparation, procession, and presenta-
tion. In each case, women were the primary participants, reinforcing the idea that women
were strongly associated with flowers, as was evident in the ring seal images presented ear-
lier. The stages of the flower ritual are discussed next.Gathering
Two beautiful frescoes illustrate the first stage of gathering. The first example, from the
villa of Ayia Triada in Crete, shows “a goddess seated upon a platform, supervising a scene
of flower gathering conducted by women” (Figure 6.5). Whether or not the woman on the
left is a goddess or a priestess is immaterial: what is important here is her close association
with flowers. Lilies, crocuses, and ferns are abundant in the landscape, which also includes
several types of animals: goats, cats, and birds. Interestingly, the animals and ferns are
restricted to the right half of the panorama and are absent from the left half, where she is
kneeling. Since lilies and crocuses do not bloom together in nature, the scene most likely
depicts a symbolic or “magical” garden.^21
The second example is from the Late Bronze Age Cycladic town near the modern village
of Akrotiri on the volcanic island of Thera (modern Santorini), where an immense eruption(d)Figure 6.4 Continued