lovelycrowns:

Minoan Snake Goddess/Priestess
The exact purpose of these figurines, found on Crete, is unclear, as we cannot read the writings of the Minoans. We don’t know if this was a goddess, a priestess, or something else entirely. There is a parallel to be drawn between these and the Maenads, who were the female followers of wine god Dionysus. They too carried serpents, in an effort to repel the advances of the Satyrs.