Not only is this a superb place to spend some quality time, visitors learn about one of the oldest civilisations, the Minoans, who had made this lovely island their home.

There have been many wonderful artefacts found at the site of the Palace and these include the spectacular Bull’s Head which in the 16th century had been used in sacred rituals in the Little Palace of Knossos. Visitors to the island can see this marvellous Rhyton of the Bull’s Head at the museum of Iraklion where it is on permanent exhibition.

This beautiful vessel is a stone carving that was meticulously made with the muzzle encrusted with mother of pearl, the eyes made from rock crystal and the horns were gilded. During the 16th century the Minoans had perfected the art of stone carving and many wonderful works were created during this time. Luckily for us today we can see and marvel at some of the most beautiful ancient art work from Minoan times that have been discovered in Crete by visiting the museums on the island.

One of the Minoan divinities was in the form of a snake and is known as the ‘Snake Goddess’. Also known as the Household Goddess, the goddess is thought by some to have bought good fortune to Minoan houses although the goddess was also a symbol of the underworld giving her a Chthonic aspect as well. There has been much discussion about the meaning behind the Snake Goddess and what she meant to the ancient Minoans. Many people do not believe that she was a household deity or the Chthonic aspect that has been given to her by the early discoverers of these beautiful objects. What we do know is that she was worshipped by all Minoans.

The two very famous faiences of Snake Goddesses were found at Knossos and they date back to 1600 BCE. These statuettes are beautifully made and depict the women of the palace court dressed in lavish classical Minoans clothes. On one of the Snake Goddesses

the snake is seen to sliding around her body whereas the other statuette shows her holding the snakes in both of her hands.

There is so much to learn about the Minoan civilisation and seeing these lovely objects from ancient times it gives us an insight into an incredible period of Cretan culture as it was so very long ago. It is an extraordinary experience to see both the Bull’s Head and the statuettes of the Snake Goddesses that meant so much to the cults and civilisations who made this beautiful island their home. These great and ancient cultures have left so much for us to see and wonder at.

We all feel privileged to know just a little bit more about the way of life in ancient Minoan Crete.

The legend of the god Zeus is one such myth. It is said that he was born in the Diktian Cave and after a battle with his father, Kronos, he took over the skies whilst his brother Poseidon ruled the oceans and of course Hades became king of the underworld.

The myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth is a tale of deception that went wrong and the result was the birth of the Minotaur, a being with a body of a man but the head and tail of a bull. A Labyrinth was built under the Palace in Knossos to imprison the Minotaur but later on it was slain by Theseus to prevent any further sacrifices being made to the Minotaur.

But Theseus forgot to put up a white sail, as he had promised to let his father know he had succeeded in killing the beast. His father was distraught and fell into the sea hence it was called the Aegean Sea. The myth is a wonderful legend that children all over Crete are taught because these stories explain the way things came about in ancient times and why things are how they are today.

There are more recent legends and tales on the island and one such tale is the story of the ’Drossoulites’. These are the ghosts of Chatzimichalis Dalianis and his men who were killed by the Turks during the 1821 revolution. On the 17th May every year these ghosts walk out of the sea to return to the fortress of Fangokastello where they were slain.

The myths, tales and legends of Crete form a vital part of their unique culture and the world would be a much poorer place if we did not have all the mythological beings, Gods and animals that are so important to the tales. Directors have made superb films based on Greek mythology which we have enjoyed for years and will probably delight in for years to come.

Visiting the island of Crete is arriving at the heart of a world of fantasy and wonderland where anything can happen no matter how fanciful it is. This is one of the many reasons that Crete is so much more than just a beautiful place to visit.

King Minoas was believed that possessed a great treasure in his palace and that an imaginary creature called the Minotaurus guarded the treasure.

That creature had half the body of a man and half the body of a bull and inhabited the labyrinth of the palace, killing anyone who entered it. It is very exciting to read about the way that young Theseus managed to enter and kill the legendary creature, then made it out of the maze with help from the king’s daughter, princess Ariadne.

More stories like this one are written down in the books of Greek Mythology, so if you liked it find similar stories in websites like Wikipedia. Even better, you could visit some of Crete’s magnificent museums! If you plan on visiting the island, check out the car fleet of Car Hire Crete and you will definitely find a vehicle to suit your transportation needs on Crete.