Labrys (LAHV-rheece or LAH-breece): The symbol of
the labrys appears in many cultures throughout prehistory,
but is most often associated with the great Temple at
Knossós on the island of Kríti. The ancient Minoans carved the
symbol on walls throughout the stone corridors of Knossós, and
as a result, this remarkable structure became known as the Labyrinth
– the dwelling of the labrys. Since the wo
rd “labrys” is of pre
Indo-European origin, we can only speculate what it might have
meant to the Minoans, but there is little doubt that it was of great
importance to them. Archeologists have recovered hundreds of
small bronze labryses, as well as numerous artifacts which bear the
image, including exquisite gold jewelry and tiny sealstones. In Neolithic art, the Great Goddess of prehistory was sometimes
represented as a double triangle, in an hourglass configuration,
which when tipped on its side bears a close resemblance to a
labrys. The labrys has often been referred to as a “double axe.” However,
during Minoan times, there is no evidence that it was used as
a weapon, or to perform ritual sacrifices. On the contrary, nearly
all of the labryses found at Minoan sites are decorative in nature,
and many were discovered in rooms where sacred rituals are believed
to have taken place. Perhaps the symbol was a reminder of
the double-edged nature of technology. In their time, bronze was
the technology of the day, and most warrior cultures were using
it to make stronger and more deadly weapons with which they
could carry out their conquests. The Minoans, however, chose to
use the metal to make ritual objects and more durable tools, in
order to further the common goals of the entire community. Did
they understand that technology in and of itself was neither good
nor bad, but rather, could be used to create or destroy? By making
the labrys a central part of their rituals, it’s possible they were
reaffirming their conscious choice to use the new technology for
altruistic purposes. The symmetry of the labrys also suggests the idea of yin-yang,
the balance between the feminine and masculine energies, which
together, make up the whole within each of us.
