Guest Post by Dr. Carla Ionescu of Artemis Institute
These wheel-made terracotta figurines represent standing female figures with raised arms, a gesture long associated with prayer, invocation, or divine presence in Aegean ritual life. Found in a domestic-religious context in the Lower Citadel of Tiryns, they likely served as votive offerings or symbols of household worship during a time of profound societal change following the decline of the Mycenaean palatial system.
Their presence in a burial context suggests a protective or intercessory role, perhaps ensuring the deceased’s safe passage or ongoing connection to divine forces. These figures may embody a local goddess, an ancestral spirit, or the abstract concept of feminine power, underscoring the deep spiritual significance of women in ritual and myth. Far more than decorative objects, they reflect how ordinary people engaged with the sacred in everyday spaces.
#artemisexpert #artemiscentre #femalefigurine #mycenean #sacredfeminine #goddesslearning #goddessenergy #goddesscourses #ancientgoddess #divinefeminine #explore #adventure #museum #museumlover #artifact #mythology #myth
#AncientHistory #Archaeology
#theninthwave #HistoricalArtifacts
2 Comments
It’s so fascinating to think about. Today, our prayer gesture — in Christianity, at least — is usually two hands pressed together, while arms wide open feels more like a greeting. And when we bury our dead, we place almost nothing in the coffin. The culture you’ve described feels so distant in time that it’s almost like looking at life on a different planet (:
Thank you Sophie for the comment. When I first started down this path about a dozen years ago, in public, I threw my hands up in the air, and I remember clearly my trepidation. ‘Put your hands down. Be a ‘good’ girl. A quiet girl!’ Nope. So much RECLAMATION occurring these days. This is Her Story … Our Story. Making it so. Sending love.