APPROACHES TO ARTEMIS IN BRONZE AGE GREECE

Mycenaean society possessed some female divinities which are unknown in later Greek mythology, such as Qe-ra-si-ja, Pi-pi-tu-na, Do-qe-ja (?), Qo-wi-ja, and Ma-na-sa. These are partly the legacy of female Minoan divinities.

Other Mycenaean female divinities have familiar names which link them to divinities of the 1st millennium: Di-wi-ja (Zeus’ female counter- part), the dove goddess Pe-re-*82/ Pelaia, Po-si-da-e-ja (Poseidon’s female counterpart),4 Ma-te-re te-i-ja (the divine Mother), and – perhaps – Ma- ka, Mater Gâ (Mother Earth).5

However, the most frequently mentioned Mycenaean goddess is Potnia. The goddess is either designated as Potnia alone, or with an epithet defining a specific type of Potnia. These epithets indicate various aspects of female goddesses.