Glossary Religion and cult
Horned God
A bronze statue of a young god in a horned cap, found in a twelfth-century BCE sanctuary at Enkomi and now in the Cyprus Museum.
The figure, about 55 cm high, is one of the largest bronzes from prehistoric Cyprus. It was excavated by Porphyrios Dikaios in 1948 in a building since known as the Sanctuary of the Horned God. The horns suggest a link with the bull, a common religious image in Late Bronze Age Cyprus. Its style has been compared with both Aegean and Near Eastern figures, and the god's name is unknown. Terracotta ring-dance figures come from deposits nearby. See the statues of ancient Cyprus.
Related terms
- Ingot God
A bronze statuette of an armed god in a horned helmet, standing on a base shaped like an oxhide copper ingot, from Late Bronze Age Enkomi.
- Cult image
The statue or object that stood for a god in a sanctuary and received worship, as distinct from the offerings brought to it.