Diktynna & Dittany of Crete...
The Cretan Minoan goddess Diktynna variously spelt as Diktyna, Dictynna or Dictina was also known as Britomartis. She was a mountain goddess and was known for her hunting and love of nature.
Diktynna (Britomartis)
She is said to have been born at Kaino amid the Samaria Gorge and White Mountains in western Crete. She was the daughter of Zeus and Karme. Diktynna is believed to have invented nets for hunting named dictya.
King Minos, who ruled Crete and lived in the Minoan Palace of Knossos, fell in love with Dyktynna and pursued her for a full nine months chasing her along the length of Crete. But Dyktynna wanted to remain a virgin and would not give in to Minos' attentions. He chased her to the edge of a cliff and being trapped, she threw herself off.
Palace of Knossos Fresco
Fishermen saved her in their nets and a sailor, Andromedes, sailed with her from Crete to Aegina. After landing there he made advances towards her and she fled from his vessel into a grove, and disappeared in the sanctuary of Artemis where she became known as Aphaea. Because of her dedication and desire to protect her chastity, Artemis awarded her with immortality.
The herb Dittany of Crete is known, amongst other names, as Diktamo but is also referred to as Diktynna by many locals living in western Crete around the area of Chania, the former state of Kydonia.
In eastern Crete the locals tend to give the name of Eronda, meaning love to Diktamo.
Today there are many reminders of the goddess Diktynna here in Crete, there are rivers, mountains, gorges and bays all named after her and of course the wonderful herb Diktamo.
Diktamos Gorge
If you get chance to visit Crete try to take a visit to the Rodopou peninsula in the district of Chania, western Crete. Here you'll find the remains of the Ancient City of Diktyna and Diktynna Temple dating back to the 2nd Century A.D. that was built on top of a far earlier temple of the seventh century B.C. The temple was a major centre of Diktynna worship in the Ancient Greek period and continued to be so during the Roman Era. A marble statue of Diktynna, and a statue of the Roman emperor Hadrian excavated from the site in 1913, now stand in the archaeological museum in Chania.
The rugged area around the temple is the former Ancient city of Diktyna and is the supposed site where the goddess flung herself from the cliffs into the sea to escape the attentions of King Minos.
The famous Samaria Gorge, Europe's largest gorge and one of Crete's major tourist attractions, and birthplace of the goddess Diktynna, has the river Dictynna flowing through it and was named after the goddess.
Samaria Gorge
The river, just like the goddess herself, changes names throughout the Samaria Gorge and turns into Aphaea when it disappears underground and then springs up again to become the Britomartis. Aphaea was the name given to the goddess Britomartis when she disappeared and fled to Aegina, and Britomartis was the forename of Diktynna.
River Dictynna
It is believed that within the Samaria Gorge the site of the ancient city of Kaino was located with an oracle and temple to Apollo which attracted pilgrims from as far away as Libya. This was built on an earlier Minoan temple to Dictynna.
You'll also find Dittany of Crete growing wild at Samaria Gorge on the steep craggy rock surfaces.
Another gorge on Crete, the Diktamos Gorge, most likely gets its name from the goddess too.
Some say that Mount Dikti where Dittany grows in eastern Crete is also named after the goddess Diktynna.