Mystic Plants and Nature Goddesses j 155155 155
above (see Figure 6.6). To show her pain she presses her left palm against her forehead, while
rubbing her injured foot, which appears to be bleeding. A crocus blossom next to her foot
shows that she has been gathering crocuses. A small, leafy branch projects from a diadem in
her hair, and the fingers of her left hand touch it at its base. The shape and arrangement of
the leaves are consistent with olive, myrtle, or willow, but the association with pain points
to willow. Willow bark and leaves both contain salicylic acid, the basic ingredient of aspi-
rin, which had been used to cure headaches in the Near East since the early Bronze Ages.
However, olive oil and myrtle leaves also have medicinal uses, and it’s possible that the leafy
branch was considered symbolic of several medicinal plants.
As noted earlier, one among the many interpretations of the Xeste 3 frescoes is that they
represent a puberty ritual for adolescent girls. The injury to the young woman’s foot, which
causes bleeding, could be construed as symbolic menstruation. The rocky outcropping on
which the woman sits is nearly identical to the terrain in the Crocus Gatherers fresco, perhaps
connecting the two frescoes in a single narrative. Symbolic menstruation would be consistent
with the hypothesis of Ferrence and Bendersky that the goddess in Xeste 3 is a goddess of heal-
ing especially concerned with women’s health. However, because saffron was a well- known
and valued pharmaceutical in the Mediterranean region, this scene could also reference the
function of women as healers with particular knowledge of the uses of botanical medicines.The Table Dancers of Phaistos
Two of the most intriguing examples of the association of women and plants in ancient
Crete were painted onto two ceramic objects found at the Palace at Phaistos dating to the
Old Palace period (c. 1900– 1700 bce). The first is a reconstructed pedestal table with a
basin used for ritual offerings (Figure 6.13). All of the painted anthropomorphic figures
on the offering table are bird- women. Three dancers are illustrated on the upper surface—
a larger central figure with a flower in each hand, and two smaller figures on each side,
each with one arm curved downward and the other raised over her head. Three blossoms
with prominent stamens attached to the corollas enclose the dancing bird- maidens on three
sides. Additional female figures are painted along the rim of the table and also around the
base. The figures along the rim are all bending over to the ground, possibly picking flowers,
while those on the base are shown with arms akimbo. According to Goodison and Morris,
the ritual significance of the table is suggested not only by the meticulous craftsmanship
required to make it, but by the figures themselves:Several features of the design itself also suggest more than an everyday scene of peo-
ple dancing. The all- female cast suggests a special dance performed by a particular
group. The repeated bending gesture around the rim shows no practical purpose;
since repetition can be a defining feature of ritual action, this repeated gesture may
be symbolic. Moreover, the heads of the figures seem to have beaks like birds— a fea-
ture noticeable in other Cretan designs, perhaps indicating a bird- mask or some ritual
headgear. Lastly, the gesture of the central figure with two arms raised is one which
in later images usually indicates a goddess. ... Whether she is a priestess or a god-
dess, the scene seems clearly focused both on her and on what she is holding up in her
hands: two pieces of vegetation in flower.^36