Minoan Goddess with Snakes - History & Meaning

The faience figurine identified as "Snake Goddess" was discovered in 1903 by Arthur Evans in the "Temple Repositories" of the Knossos palace in the island of Crete in Greece.

She is dressed in the typical Minoan clothes, with a long skirt and a tight open bodice that leaves her breasts uncovered and she holds a snake in each hand.

While the idol's true function is relatively unclear, it is believed that it represents a fertility figure. The snake, apart its chthonic symbolism is often associated with renewal of life due to the fact that it changes its skin periodically.

The fertility symbol, often mentioned as well as "Mother Goddess", is a symbol that is common in many prehistoric, stone age religions.

This belief of Mother Goddess, suppressed by Christianity, emerges again in the 18th century. Interest in this belief increased significantly during the 19th century and people became aware that this worship was not only a thing of the past, but a vivid one among many contemporary tribal people, who were in constant and direct contact with Earth.