...Jane Harrison, quoting the famous text from Aristophanes, according to which the Woodpecker is said to have reigned before Zeus, presented archaeological evidence from Crete tending to show the existence af on ancient cult of the woodpecker god. ... Jane Harrison, for some reason, did not enjoy the approval of official science either in her own country or on this side of the Atlantic; it is therefore not surprising that her findings have been challenged on the grounds insufficient evidence. ... The problem would therefore seem to deserve a re-examination, particularly with a view to elucidating two questions: 1) What was the role of the woodpecker in ancient Greece, and 2) How does this role compare with with the role of the bird in Italy? - [Author]

Language: English