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200

THE PALACE OE MINOS, ETC.

Ta-urt
source of
later
Minoan
Genii.

Imita-
tions of
Xllth

Dynasty

scarab

types.

like instrument. Behind is an uncertain animal form, and in front spiraliform
scrolls.

The appearance already at this epoch of a Minoan version of the
Hippopotamus Goddess derives a special interest from the fact that several
centuries later, in the early part, that is, of the Late Minoan Age, we recognize
the same divinity in a fully assimilated form, taking its place as a beneficent
Minoan Genius. The race of Minoan Genii, so well exemplified by a series
of later gems, though partially metamorphosed
and generally provided with a lion's face and
claws, still retains unquestionable evidence of
its origin in the figure of Ta-urt and exhibits
her characteristic mane. Moreover, as will be
shown in a later Section, something of her
beneficent nature has entered into the spiritual
being of these later Genii, who appear as bearers
of the quarries of the chase, waterers of thirsty
palms, bringers of rain by means of magically
sympathetic libations. It was always difficult
to understand how such fully equipped demonic
personifications could have sprung suddenly to
life. We now see that the Ta-urt type had
been already imaged by Minoan artists genera-
tions earlier, and had thus been able to root
itself in the popular imagination.

Another Minoan scarab, of similar white
steatite (Fig. 149) from the same tholos
ossuary, is engraved with a spiraliform pattern
clearly imitated from a design of a class found
on a common type of Twelfth Dynasty scarab,
in which case the spiral coils are at times
seen to terminate in the talismanic nefer
sign, often reduced as on the Cretan example

to the stem and loop, without the cross-piece. In other cases such spiraliform
scrolls are connected with the ankh or ' life ' sio-n a reminiscence of which
again is to be seen in the circle and T-cross set horizontally in the lower part
of the design in Fig. 149. In some characteristic Egyptian scarab types of
the Twelfth Dynasty (Fig. 150, a, 6) decorative scrolls also connect themselves
with the ivaz or sacred papyrus stem. This, again, we see taken over in the
Minoan 'button' seal (Fig. 150, e). It will be seen that this sacral symbol

Fig. 148. White Steatite
Scarab from Smaller Tholos
of Platanos with Figure
imitated from the egyptian
Goddess, Ta-urt. (f)

Fig 149. White Steatite
Scarab, Platanos. (f)