Snake Goddess

Heraklion Museum- Knossos

This statuette is commonly referred to as the Snake Goddess. It is widely believed to be goddess of fertility. Some aspects of the artifact that give scholars that impression is the bare breasts, the snakes in her hands, and her gender. Breasts, being the source of food for babies are associated with fertility.The fact that the statuette is a female associates her with fertility, since women are the ones who give birth and raise the children, especially in ancient Greek times. The snakes are also animals that live close to the ground and are associated with earth and by extension fertility. Fertility on the land as well as in the population would have been prized, because the early Greeks were agricultural people and depended on the land for their food. Human fertility was also valued, because most Greeks tended to have larger families so that they could have more help tending to the farm.

Seeing this statue was a big deal for me, because the Snake Goddess is a common example of how artifacts can be interpreted to get information about ancient civilizations. I have seen her in many textbooks, but seeing her in real life added a whole new level of appreciation for her and what she stands for!