I am in the process of booking a two-week tour in Crete on a Goddess Pilgrimage led by Carol P. Christ. Carol has met Marija Gimbutas, the world’s foremost authority on Old Europe.
I based a lot of my vision of the people I am writing about on Marija’s archeological work and interpretation. Marija coined the phrase “Old Europe” to refer to a time from 7000 BCE to 1700 BCE_— approximately the time of the first farming societies in Europe and usually referred to as the stoneage. This is the time in Europe when the Neolithic peoples erected the megaliths and is the time period in which my book is set. Marija was unique in that she combined folklore with her archeological excavations when interpreting her findings. She characterized this culture as peaceful, matrilineal, goddess centered and agrarian, and she made a start at translating the pictographs of the region.
Although my book is set in the Carnac/southeastern Ireland/southwestern England region, this culture occupied all of modern day Europe. In Crete, these “Old Europeans” were permitted to keep their culture for a longer period of time than the rest of Europe, and there are many well preserved archeological sites existing there. It is here that I hope to be able to stand inside the walls of a dwelling ruin and get the sense for the space and living habits of these ancient people. I also hope to learn the myth and folklore of the region and modern day practices as they reflect the origins of the place. This will help me form a clearer picture of the society thus enabling me to bring the society back to life in my book.
The tour includes a visit to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Sacred Myrtle Tree, Tholos Tomb at Kamilari, Museum of Cretan Ethnology in Vori, Archeological Museum of Archanes, Skoteino Cave, archaeological site of Mochlos Island, ritual of the Labyrinth and many other caves, sacred sites, archaeological sites and museums.
The tour will be the last leg of my exploration for my book as it takes place from September 29th to October 13. Which leads into the practical issue of time in Europe before needing a visa.
I was under the impression that I could only stay in Europe for 3 months without a visa, but my sister-in-law put me on to the schengen. Greece is part of the schengen and so is France, but Ireland and England are not. Therefore I can spend time in the non-schengen countries before entering France. I just need to ensure I will be leaving Greece within 90 days of entering France.
Today I will try to book the rest of my stay in Ireland.
Ruth Welburn 