О семантике изображения Европы на быке
On the Semantics of Depicting Europa Riding a Bull

Summary/Abstract: The paper follows up the discussion on the interpretation of ancient works decorated with the image of a female figure sitting on a bull, who is identified as Europa, a Maenad or Nike depending on the overall context of the scene. A part of these finds with a similar scene are part of grave goods (predominantly Southern Italic vases), which has given grounds to some scholars to associate the images of Europa on a bull with burial beliefs and with notions about the World Beyond. Numerous examples are cited of ceramic vases with similar images, found as grave offerings or as parts of trisnae in tumular graves along the Northern Black Sea coast. In conclusion, the author emphasises that the image of Europa preserved for a rather long time some features of the ancient Great Goddess of the Aegean basin. That circumstance, as well as her inclusion in the Dionysian circle, has probably resulted in the perception of her journey as a symbol of the journey to the World Beyond.

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