What Role Did Religion Play In Minoan Culture

In both eras each time created religious activities to thank their respected Gods. Religion played an important role in Minoan Crete and many activities, and artistic products revolved it. As evidence in the art of the period, the Minoans believed that man should live in harmony with the natural environment. For the Minoans they had religious activities for their nature gods they made several animal sacrifices as well as used music to dance and achieve religious ecstasy. They believed it would keep them in touch with the supernatural. This activity was usually done during ritual celebrations. This took place in sacred caves, on sanctuaries on mountain peaks, and in the palaces and villas which all had their own sanctuaries. The animals they …show more content…
The people participating in taurokatharpsia the people in the Minoan era ritual objects such as the bull mask, the double axe, and the bull horns. They also created pots in honor of their gods. However, in the Hellenistic period, even though, public festivals were still being done in the honor of their Gods such as On Themophoria, which was a three-day festival married women camped put at sanctuary women fastened and celebrated kalligenia meaning good birth. People believed they were losing the religious meaning and function; they had originally had. The characteristic religion of the Hellenistic period was dualistic.. People sought to escape from the oppression of this world and its rulers and to ascend to another world of freedom. As a result, Hellenistic people saw themselves as exiles from their actual home, the Beyond, to encounter the god beyond the god of this world who was the real god, and to awaken that part of them. Magic was practiced widely, during Hellenistic