Double axe
In symbology, the Labrys or halbryce is a doubleheaded axe which is associated with female and matristic power. The symbol is found in the art of many cultures. It has been found in Paleolithic cave paintings, as well as Minoan, Cretan, Greek, Scythian, Norse, African, and Greek art, and on the Hagia Triada sarcophagus in Istanbul.
The symbol is most closely associated with the Minoan civilization, which reached its peak in the 2nd millennium B.C.E. In Minoan art it is the symbol of the Mother Goddess. Some Minoan labrys have been found which are taller than a man and which might have been used during sacrifices. The sacrifices would likely have been of bulls.
The word is Minoan and comes from the same root as the Latin labus, meaning lips.
There is a hypothesis that labrys is the etymon behind "labyrinth", since in the Minoan palace of Knossos, which some identify with the labyrinth of Greek mythology, the labrys is a frequent decoration.
In Greek mythology, Demeter used a Labrys as a scepter. The shrine to Mother Earth at Delphi displays the Labrys, and the double-headed axe gave the name to the order of priests there, the Labrydae, the men of the axe. The Labrys is also shown as a weapon of the Amazons, a legendary race of female warriors from Scythia or Asia Minor with whom the ancient Greeks warred.
During the Medieval ages, it was placed on charms to attract women. Today it is used as a symbol of female empowerment, often specifically signifying lesbianism.
Originating at the same time was the plain graffito, the fish symbol for Christ.
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