Angitia & Snake Goddess

Greece- Crete-Snake Goddess

The figurine identified as a “Snake Goddess” was discovered by the British archaeologist Arthur Evans in the “palace” of Knossos in Crete in 1903.

The first two of such figurines were found incomplete and belonged to the Minoan civilization.

The figurines are made of faience, a technique for glazing earthenware and other ceramic vessels by using a quartz paste.

The goddess holds a snake in each hand and were found only in house sanctuaries, where the figurine appears as “the goddess of the household”.

The snake is often symbolically associated with the renewal of life because it sheds its skin periodically. In Minoan religion, the snake was the protector of the house.

Among the Greek Dionysiac cult it signified wisdom and was the symbol of fertility.

Snake goddess wears a long flounced skirt, touching the floor that you can’t see her feet. There are seven overlapping flounces (cloth that is sewed only from the upper edge, leaving the bottom overalapping the next flounce). Each flounce is made of square panels.

Over the hips and falling to the front is a tongue-shaped apron bordered with stripes and patterned with diagonal grid of lines. The colour of the skirt is light brown -brown.

The skirt and the apron are fastened with a wide belt or girdle, decorated with vertical lines. The belt or girdle, emphasizes her narrow waist.

The bodice, fits tight over the figure’s torso and over the upper arms to just above the elbow. It is decorated with dark wavy lines.

The bodice is collarless and open in the front revealing the breasts.

The goddess holds two snakes in her raised hands. On her head she wears a hat, not very tall and flat extending a while from the head.On the hat sits on its back feet a panther or a cat looking up.

The colour of her skin is white and the clothes are brownish.

Abruzzo- Italy – Angitia 

Angitia was a goddes among the Marsi (we are Marsi).

She was associated in antiquity with snake charmers who claimed her as their ancestor.

Angitia was one of the three daughters of  Aeetes, along with  Medea and Circe, two of the most famed sorcerers of Greek myth.

Angitia lived in the area around the Fucino Lake and specialized in curing snakebites.

She lived in Lucus Angitiae, a village nearby. There she had a temple and a treasury.

The Romans derive her name from anguis that means serpent.

As snakes were often associated with the healing arts in antiquity, Angitia is believed to have been mainly a goddess of healing.

She had powers of witchcraft, magic and medicine being regarded as complementary in the ancient world. She was a mistress in the art of miraculous and herbal healing, especially when it came to snakebites.

She was also attributed with a wide range of powers over snakes, including the power to kill snakes with a touch.

From many historical writers, she is descripted as a woman with long wavy black hair and black eyes.

She wears a long sleeved dress, draped on her body and that covers her feet.

Around her waist, she wears a black ribbon tied in front.

She is wrapped in a wide black cloak with a yellow flamboyant motif.

She brandishes a snake in either hand so as many snakes lie on her feet.

Other snakes lie around her feet.

ANGITIA AND THE SNAKE GODDESS

SIMILARITIES

• They are both Snake Goddesses.
• They both, in different way, are connected to snakes
• They both protected people

Saint Domenico of the snake charmers

Nowadays, in this area, we celebrate Saint Domenico.

Saint Domenico is believed to protect people from snakebites and toothache.

In fact, many years ago, he lived in this area and gave one of his teeth to people.

Every year, on the first of May, there’s a big procession in his honour.

The days before, the snake charmers go and catch many snakes.

During the procession, people hold the statue of the saint covered by snakes.

The bishop shows a shrine with the holy tooth inside.

This is an interesting mix of pagan and Catholic rites.