Apart from their magnificent artwork, their religion and the many crafts they produced the Minoans spent some of their leisure time taking part in sports activities such as, boxing, wrestling and bull leaping.
The bull leaping is believed to be in connection with bull worship. In one type the leaper approaches the bull from the front, grabs the horns and somersaults backwards. This is a highly dangerous sport. It is possible the bull was sacrificed afterwards as part of a religious ritual.
The Bull leaping Fresco Knossos
Minoan Woman Weaving.
The Minoans also loved music. These musical instruments were found in a cave burial on the Lasithi Plateau Crete.
This is the famous Knossos Board Game. It is the ancient board game discovered by Sir Arthur Evans in the Palace of Knossos and goes back to 1600 BC It is a ‘ race game ‘, but at the same time something more. It portrays an ancient symbolism about life and the trip to Hades with a return back to life. A gap between the two parts of the board is supposed to represent the River-Ocean that separates the world of the living from the world of the dead.
Ritaroberts's Blog 
Silver in the Barn
December 6, 2014 at 3:55 pm
Every bit of this post fascinates me. I read somewhere that we have no idea what music in the ancient world actually sounded like. There are no traces of “sheet music” left to us. Have you heard this? The board game is simply exquisite.
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vallance22
December 12, 2014 at 2:56 am
Wonderful post. I just HAVE to reblog it. Richard
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vallance22
December 12, 2014 at 2:59 am
Reblogged this on Linear B, Knossos & Mycenae and commented:
This is a fantastic post! Just look at the lovely Minoan lady & the exquisite gaming board. A MUST read for anyone really fascinated by the Minoan civilization. Richard
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ritaroberts
December 12, 2014 at 12:27 pm
Thanks for your nice comments Richard, Glad you liked it.
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gunst01
February 6, 2020 at 9:37 pm
Reblogged this on Die Goldene Landschaft.
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