Curetes, the mythical first inhabitants of Crete

Votive bronze drum from the late 8th century BC, found in the cave of Mount Idi in Crete. The central figure has been identified as Zeus, breaking the spine of a lion while controlling a bull with his left foot. The two winged figures are Curetes, who beat the drums to prevent Cronos, the baby-eating father of Zeus, from hearing his baby cry during its infancy. The decoration of the drum shows many influences from Assyrian art. On display at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, Greece. Credit: wikimedia commons / C messier CC BY 4.0

The Curetes were said to be the first inhabitants of the Greek island of Crete. They were mythical beings, specifically legendary benevolent deities who lived before the Minoan civilization.

There are several myths and versions thereof about the Curetes, or Kouretes (Greek: Κουρήτες, plural). These only help to maintain a veil of mystery over the beings and do not allow us to form a complete and clear picture of them.

However, there are certain myths that have prevailed, which contain descriptions of mythical people who were the first so-called Cretans. The descriptions come from the Greek geographer and historian Strabo (born ca. 63 BC).

According to Strabo, the Curetes were five brothers. There was Heracles, not to be confused with the well-known demigod Heracles, son of Zeus, Paeonian,

Epimides, Iasius and Idas.

According to legend, they were not born, but sprang from the earth after Zeus’ first tears moistened the ground when he was a newborn. This detail symbolizes the fact that they were not only human, but also native to the earth of Crete.

Myth became tradition and the Curetes eventually became known as the first inhabitants of Crete. It is assumed, without a verified etymological explanation, that the name Crete comes from the word Curete (C – u -rete).

Furthermore, the word Κourete is very similar to the well-known word Kouros, which in Ancient Greek means “young man”. Kori, which in Modern Greek means “young woman” or “daughter”, is the feminine equivalent.

Palace of Knossos on Crete. The Couretes were the first inhabitants of Crete. Credit: Lapplaender

The First Cretans and the Guardians of Zeus

The Curetes were said to be the first inhabitants of Crete who created the first civilization on the island. According to the myth, they were responsible for all the discoveries of that time and helped to organize a society.

They also played a crucial role in the birth and upbringing of Zeus, the greatest of the twelve gods of Olympus. Zeus was the son of Cronus and Rhea. When the time came for Rhea to give birth to Zeus, she chose a cave in Crete and asked the local Curetes for help.

Rhea did not want Cronus to know that she was carrying his baby. This was because of an oracle that Cronus had received that said that a child of his would take away his power. Cronus was not allowed to know that Zeus was alive. Otherwise the divine baby would be in danger.

In the cave where they guarded the baby Zeus, the Curetes made their first invention. They made a hanging cradle for the baby. Cronus was ruler of the land, sea and air. The cradle of Zeus, although it stood on the earth, did not touch it, just as it did not touch the sea or air. It was hidden in the bowels of the earth and therefore well protected from Cronus who ate his children, so that they would not take his power from him.

The Curetes and the Olympic Games

All in all, there were several inventions of the Curetes. For example, they were the first to engage in the art of hunting and teach it to humans. In fact, they made the first bow, but they were also believed to have invented the concepts of animal husbandry, domestication of animals, and dancing.

It is said that the traditional dances of Crete that are popular to this day, including pentozali, maleviziotikos and pedichtos, originated from the Pyrrhic dance of the Curetes. The first drum seems to have been made by the Curetes by stretching the skin of an animal. They then gave it to Rhea. In addition, the Curetes are also said to have developed beekeeping and metallurgy.

According to legend, the Curetes were the founders of the Olympic Games. During an excursion in the forests of the Peloponnese, after having rested for a while, the five brothers started racing each other, just for fun. Idas placed a wreath on the head of Paeonian, who was the winner. It was a wreath made of olive branches imported from the north.

After that, every five years, games were held to commemorate this event. These took place every five years, because there were five brothers in total. Eventually, however, these games were stopped due to devastating floods.

Fifty years after the catastrophe, Clymenus, the descendant of Heracles, one of the Curetes, erected an altar in Olympia in honor of the mythical founders of the Olympic Games. In essence, he founded the legendary and world-famous Panhellenic Games as a continuation of sporting events that had already taken place on Crete in the second millennium BC.

Finally, it is believed that the city of Heraklion was named after Heracles of the Curetes.