Editing Labrys (section)

==Etymology== 
[[File:Bronze Ax Messara Crete.jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[Bronze Age]] axe from the [[tholoi|tholos]] tombs of [[Messara Plain|Messara]] in Crete]]

[[Plutarch]] relates that the word {{lang|grc-Latn|labrys}} was a [[Lydian language|Lydian]] word for 'axe': {{lang|grc|Λυδοὶ γὰρ ‘λάβρυν’ τὸν πέλεκυν ὀνομάζουσι}}.{{efn|
"[[Heracles|Herakles]], having slain [[Hippolyta|Hippolyte]] and taken her axe away from her with the rest of her arms, gave it to [[Omphale]]. The kings of Lydia who succeeded her carried this as one of their sacred insignia of office and passed it down from father to son until it was passed to [[Candaules]], who disdained it and gave it to one of his companions to carry. When [[Gyges of Lydia|Gyges]] rebelled and was making war upon Candaules, Arselis came with a force from [[Milas|Mylasa]] to assist Gyges; Arselis then slew Candaules and his companion and took the axe to [[Caria]] with the other spoils of war. And, having set up a statue of Zeus, Arselis put the axe in his hand and invoked the god, [[Labraunda|Labrandeus]]."<ref name=Plutarch-Moralia-45>{{cite book |author=[[Plutarch]] |title=[[Moralia]] |trans-title=Greek Questions |at=45, 2.302a}}</ref>
}}<ref name=Plutarch-Moralia-45/> ("For Lydians name the double-edged axe 'Labrys{{'"}}). Many scholars including [[Arthur Evans]] assert that the word ''[[labyrinth]]'' is derived from ''labrys'' and thus implies 'house of the double axe'.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Oxford Classical Dictionary |year=2012 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |place=Oxford, UK |page=960 |edition=4th |isbn=978-0199545568 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bVWcAQAAQBAJ&q=dapurito+linear+B}}</ref> A priestly corporation in [[Delphi]] was named ''Labyades''; the original name was probably ''Labryades'', servants of the double axe. In the [[Roman era]] at [[Patrai]] and [[Messene]], a goddess [[Laphria (festival)|Laphria]] was worshipped, commonly identified with [[Artemis]]. Her name was said to be derived from the region around Delphi.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Gods, Heroes and Tyrants: Greek chronology in chaos |first=Emmet John |last=Sweeney |publisher=Algora Publishing |isbn=9780875866826 |date=2009 |page=116 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wI6zh4E06TgC&q=Labryades&pg=PA116}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |first1=Nicolas |last1=Platon |first2=Béatrice |last2=de Tournay |date=2015-05-18 |title=La Civilisation égéenne: Le Bronze récent et la civilisation mycénienne |trans-title=Aegean Civilization: The late Bronze Age and the civilization of the Mycenaeans |publisher=Albin Michel |isbn=9782226341075 |page=iii |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UJVtCQAAQBAJ&q=Labryades&pg=PA178}}</ref>

In [[History of Crete|Crete]] the "double axe" is not a weapon, and it always accompanies female goddesses, not male gods, referring to the male bull god itself.<ref>Nilsson, vol. 1, p. 277.</ref> [[Robert S. P. Beekes]] regards the relation of ''labyrinth'' with ''labrys'' as speculative, and rather proposes a relation with {{lang|grc-Latn|laura}} ({{lang|grc|λαύρα}}), 'narrow street', or to the Carian [[theonym]] Dabraundos ({{lang|grc|Δαβραυνδος}}).<ref name=Beekes>{{cite book |last=Beekes |first=Robert |title=Etymological Dictionary of Greek |year=2009 |page=819 |publisher=Brill |location=Boston, Massachusetts |isbn=978-9004174184}}</ref>

[[File:SATRAPS of CARIA. Hidrieus. Circa 351-0 to 344-3 BC.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Coinage of [[Idrieus]] of [[Caria]], ''Obv'': Head of [[Apollo]], wearing laurel wreath, drapery at neck; ''Rev'': legend {{lang|grc|ΙΔΡΙΕΩΣ}} ("IDRIEOS"), Zeus Labraundos standing with labrys in his right hand, {{circa|351–350 to 344–343}}&nbsp;BCE<ref>{{cite web |title=Ex von Aulock Collection |website=Classical Numismatic Group (CNG) |year=2007 |url=https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=96762 |access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref>]]

It is also possible that the word ''labyrinth'' is derived from the [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]], meaning: "the temple at the entrance of the lake". The [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] labyrinth near [[Lake Moeris]] is described by [[Herodotus]] and [[Strabo]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Tikkanen |first=Amy |date=October 14, 2008 |title=Labyrinth |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/labyrinth-architecture}}</ref> The inscription in {{nobr|[[Linear B]],}} on {{nobr|tablet ΚΝ Gg 702,}} reads {{lang|gmy-Linb|{{big|{{Script|Linb|𐀅𐁆𐀪𐀵𐀍𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊}} }} }} &thinsp; ({{lang|gmy-Latn|da-pu{{sub|2}}-ri-to-jo-po-ti-ni-ja}}). The conventional reading is {{lang|gmy-Grek|λαβυρίνθοιο πότνια}} (''labyrinthoio potnia''; 'mistress of the labyrinth'). According to some modern scholars it could read *{{lang|gmy-Grek|δαφυρίνθοιο}} (*''daphyrinthoio''), or something similar, and hence be without a certain link with either the {{lang|xld-Grek|λάβρυς}} or the labyrinth.<ref>For an overview, ''see''<br/>
{{cite book |last1=Melena |first1=José L. |year=2014 |section=Mycenaean writing |title=Companion to Linear&nbsp;B: Mycenaean Greek texts and their world |volume=3 |page=73 |editor-last=Duhoux |editor-first=Y. |last2=Morpurgo Davies |first2=A. |series=Bibliothèque des Cahiers de l'Institut de Linguistique de Louvain (BCILL&nbsp;133) |section-url=https://www.academia.edu/7078918/José_L._Melena_Mycenaean_Writing_in_A_Companion_to_Linear_B._Mycenaean_Greek_Texts_and_their_World_Eds._Duhoux_Y._Morpurgo_Davies_A._Volume_3_Series_Bibliothèque_des_Cahiers_de_lInstitut_de_Linguistique_de_Louvain_BCILL_133_2014 |via=Academia.edu}}</ref>

A link has also been posited with the double axe symbols at [[Çatalhöyük]], dating to the Neolithic age.<ref name=Schachermeyr-1964>{{cite book |last=Schachermeyr |first=Fritz |year=1964 |title=Die minoische Kultur des alten Kreta |lang=de |trans-title=The Minoan Culture of Ancient Crete |publisher=[[Kohlhammer Verlag|Kohlhammer]] |place=Stuttgart, Germany |quote=Abb. 85 |oclc=325167}}</ref>{{rp|style=ama|p= 161}} In [[Labraunda]] in [[Caria]], as well as in the coinage of the [[Hecatomnid]] rulers of Caria, the double axe accompanies the storm god [[Zeus Labraundos]]. [[Arthur Evans]] notes,

{{quote|It seems natural to interpret names of Carian sanctuaries such as Labranda in the most literal sense as the place of the sacred labrys, which was the Lydian (or Carian) name for the Greek {{lang|grc|πέλεκυς}} [pelekys], or double-edged axe<ref name=Evans-HelSt-XXI/>}}

and

{{quote|on Carian coins, indeed of quite late date, the labrys, set up on its long pillar-like handle, with two dependent fillets, has much the appearance of a [[cult image]].<ref name=Evans-HelSt-XXI>{{cite journal |last=Evans |first=A. |author-link=Arthur Evans |date=November 1900 |title=Mycenaean tree and pillar cult and its Mediterranean relations |journal=Journal of Hellenic Studies |at=§&nbsp;XXI, page&nbsp;108 ff |url=https://archive.org/details/mycenaeantreean01evangoog |via=Internet Archive (archive.org) }}</ref>}}