Editing Persephone (section)

===In the Near East and Minoan Crete===
[[Walter Burkert]] believed that elements of the Persephone myth had origins in the Minoan religion. This belief system had unique characteristics, particularly the appearance of the goddess from above in the dance. Dance floors have been discovered in addition to "vaulted tombs", and it seems that the dance was ecstatic. Homer memorializes the dance floor which [[Daedalus]] built for [[Ariadne]] in the remote past.<ref name="Burkert34">{{harvnb|Burkert|1985|pp=34–40}}</ref> A gold ring from a tomb in Isopata depicts four women dancing among flowers, the goddess floating above them.<ref name="Burkert40">{{harvnb|Burkert|1985|p=40}}</ref> An image plate from the first palace of Phaistos seems to depict the ascent of Persephone: a figure grows from the ground, with a dancing girl on each side and stylized flowers all around.<ref name="Burkert42" /> The depiction of the goddess is similar to later images of "Anodos of Pherephata". On the Dresden vase, Persephone is growing out of the ground, and she is surrounded by the animal-tailed agricultural gods [[Seilenos|Silenoi]].<ref name="Hermesthe">"Hermes and the Anodos of Pherephata": {{harvnb|Nilsson |1967|loc= p. 509 taf. 39,1}}</ref>

Despoina and "Hagne" were probably euphemistic surnames of Persephone, therefore Karl Kerenyi theorizes that the cult of Persephone was the continuation of the worship of a Minoan Great goddess.<ref>{{harvnb|Kerenyi|1976|pp= 89, 90}}</ref><ref>[[Hesychius of Alexandria|Hesychius]], listing of {{lang|grc|ἀδνόν}}, a Cretan-Greek form for {{lang|grc|ἁγνόν}}, "pure"</ref> It is possible that some religious practices, especially the [[Mystery religions|mysteries]], were transferred from a Cretan priesthood to Eleusis, where Demeter brought the [[poppy]] from Crete.<ref name="Kerenyi24"/> Besides these similarities, Burkert explains that up to now it is not known to what extent one can and must differentiate between Minoan and [[Mycenea]]n religion.{{efn|"To what extent one can and must differentiate between Minoan and Mycenaean religion is a question which has not yet found a conclusive answer" .<ref>{{harvnb|Burkert|1985|p=21}}</ref>}} In the [[Anthesteria]] Dionysos is the "divine child".