Greece 1938. Maybe the ancient Minoans on Crete had it right. Why not display your skill and bravery by jumping over the bull instead of fighting him

The ancient people on the island of Crete were from the same strand of ancients as those in Greece. Thus it is understandable the Greeks in modern times look to the practices of Minoans as part of their own heritage. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

The image on this stamp is taken from an old fresco in a Minoan era palace on Crete. That combined with 1930s poor country printing makes it less than clear what is happening. An acrobat has grabbed an angry bull by the horns who then by reflex jerks his head up violently. Using that force as leverage, the acrobat summersaults over the bull. The bull is not hurt by this.

Todays stamp is issue A69, a five Lepta stamp issued by Greece on November 1st, 1937. It was a 13 stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents whether mint or used.

We talk a lot here of trading posts with an international flavor to them. Using postage stamps as a jumping off point usually puts us in the colonial or post colonial era. Here we get to go back to the Minoan culture on Crete as it existed circa 2000 BC. The trading going on was with the different peoples throughout the eastern Mediterranean Sea including Egypt and the Levant. The trading and mixing influenced both sides and left the Minoans well off. Elaborate palaces have been uncovered by archeologists over the last 200 years.

The name Minoan comes from a mythic King Minos on Crete. He was a concoction of nineteenth century British archeologists. As presented by the archeologists, the Minoans raised vegetables and ate lots of seafood. This healthy diet resulted in much longer life spans and thus contributed to the elaborate bronze age art the island is known for.

It is believed that Minoan culture came to a sudden end after an eruption of the Thera volcano around 1450 BC. There were also a string of earthquakes. By the beginning of the iron age around 1200BC, there was nothing left of the old culture on Crete. The language of the Minoans has not yet been able to be translated, so we do not know what kind of government they had. The high number of stone palaces is thought to mean the society had a hierarchy.

The Minoans were believed the first to practice bull fighting. There’s of course was much less violent than the now more famous Spanish style. It was practiced on Crete by both males and females. There was a second way where the the performer dives over the horns and then bounces off the bulls back. It is thought that the sport wasn’t dangerous for bull or jumper but that probably depends how the jumper lands and how quickly the bull comes for him. In modern times, bull jumping is still sometimes performed in France except they now use cows.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast the Minoan bull leaper. Showing strength, bravery, and graceful movement, it must have been a crowd pleaser. It also showed respect for the bull, who was often revered in ancient cultures for his raw power. Come again on Monday when there will be another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.