Description

Double Axe – Minoan Crete

Athens 2004 Olympic Games Pin

Double axe have been found carved into stone in Knossos. It is known that the double-headed axe played a major role in Minoan culture and was a symbol of power. Excavations of the Knossos palace have uncovered a mural of a heavily armed woman who has a double axe in each hand.

The Minoan culture flourished in Knossos on the Greek island of Crete in around 2500 BC. Knossos was probably the biggest and most powerful of several centres in the eastern Mediterranean at that time. The enormous palace, Labyrinth, was home to the ruling dynasty, but also the hub of political and economic life in Knossos. Colourful religious ceremonies and ecstatic cult festivals took place here. The name Labyrinth comes from the word Labrys, an ancient Cretan word for a double axe. The name of the palace, Labyrinth, meant House of the Double Axe.

The House of the Double Axe and the woman with the double-headed axes represented just a few of the symbols and depictions in Minoan society. Religion and ritual were an integrated part of general culture.

The pin depicts the “Double Axe” of the Minoan Crete

Product: Olympic Pin

Pin code: #03-009-006

Tiraz: <10.000pcs

Official Licensed Product

Licensed Manufacturer: Efsimon Collection

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