Minoan Lady of the Beasts/Artemis > Likes and Comments
3 likes · Like
Owlsinger wrote: "Hi, Eleanor! ~
First, thank you for all the insight, via these blog posts, on the customs and mores of the era in which the Martis series takes place. I'm always up for learning more about less-..."
Hello- A ritual that went all the way from Minoan Crete into Classical Greece. Young girls (I've seen the ages listed from 8 to 11) dressed in bearskins and danced as an offering to Artemis or, later, Athena. Not sure why a bear was chosen but it was a ritual that continued for centuries.
I wanted to add that I chose a teenager because the lifespans then were really short. A typical Cretan girl would be married by 18, a mother shortly thereafter, and a grandmother in her thirties. Also, as per the Theseus and Minotaur myth, young people were used to leap the bull. To do that, she had to be young and agile, and also unencumbered with children.
Thanks of writing in.
back to top
date
newest »
newest »
Owlsinger wrote: "Hi, Eleanor! ~ First, thank you for all the insight, via these blog posts, on the customs and mores of the era in which the Martis series takes place. I'm always up for learning more about less-..."
Hello- A ritual that went all the way from Minoan Crete into Classical Greece. Young girls (I've seen the ages listed from 8 to 11) dressed in bearskins and danced as an offering to Artemis or, later, Athena. Not sure why a bear was chosen but it was a ritual that continued for centuries.
I wanted to add that I chose a teenager because the lifespans then were really short. A typical Cretan girl would be married by 18, a mother shortly thereafter, and a grandmother in her thirties. Also, as per the Theseus and Minotaur myth, young people were used to leap the bull. To do that, she had to be young and agile, and also unencumbered with children.
Thanks of writing in.
First, thank you for all the insight, via these blog posts, on the customs and mores of the era in which the Martis series takes place. I'm always up for learning more about less-well-known historical civilizations; actually, just learning more, in general! The time around the Trojan War, for example - I'm waiting to read Emily Wilson's new translation of The Iliad.
I've finally read "Shadow of the Bull"; my first impression, part way in, was that it might be a miscategorized YA publication. Typical whiny, rebellious young teen, sneaking around and engaging in barely-tolerated activities, operating under the radar because of the impending wedding. After her sister's death, though, the need to investigate moved the story up into for-real (for me!) historical fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, from that point onwards, and retroactively, also.
All that being (finally) said, Thanks again for the post on Artemis and her place in Minoan society, as well as in that time in history. I do have one question about a phrase you used: "Playing the bear"? A Google search brought up a metric gazillion references to the TV show "The Bear", but that's about all. Enlightenment, please?
Thanks!
~ Bill