Cretomania : modern desires for the Minoan past Since its rediscovery in the early 20th century through spectacular finds such as those by Sir Arthur Evans at Knossos Minoan Crete has captured the imagination not only of archaeologists but also of a wider public. This is shown among other things by its appearance and uses in a variety of modern cultural practices: from the innovative dances of Sergei Diaghilev and Ted Shawn to public and vernacular architecture psychoanalysis literature sculpture fashion designs and even neo pagan movements to mention a few examples. Cretomania is the first volume entirely devoted to such modern responses to (and uses of) the Minoan past. Although not an exhaustive and systematic study of the reception of Minoan Crete it offers a wide range of intriguing examples and represents an original contribution to an under explored aspect of Minoan studies so far: the remarkable effects of Minoan Crete beyond the narrow boundaries of recondite archaeological research Provided by publisher Introduction Nicoletta MOMIGLIANO Part 1. Cretomania and the built environment : conscious unconscious and coincidental allusions in modern architecture and reconstructions Orthochronicity and its (dis)contents : Cretomania and Frank Lloyd Wright Donald PREZIOSI Identity and freedom : some observations on Minoan and contemporary Greek architecture Dimitris PHILIPPIDES Odysseas SGOUROUS The artistic reception of Minoan Crete in the period of Art Déco : the reconstruction of the palace at Knossos and why Arthur Evans was right Fritz BLAKOLMER Part 2. Cretomania in the visual and performing arts and other cultural practices The Minoan woman as the oriental woman : Mariano Fortunys Knossos scarves and Ruth St. Denis Ilaria CALOI From Russia with love : Minoan Crete and the Russian silver age Nicoletta MOMIGLIANO Lord of the dance : Ted Shawns Gnossienne and its Minoan context Christine MORRIS The ocean liner Aramis : a voyage to the land of Minos and Art Deco Anais BOUCHER Cretomania and neo Paganism : the great Mother Goddess and gay male identity in the Minoan brotherhood Bryan BURNS Part 3. Cretomania in literature : dialogues with Rhea Galanaki Minoans and the postmodern critique of national history : two novels by Rhea Galanaki Roderick BEATON Rhea Galanakis The century of the labyrinths : a dialogue between literature and archaeology that starts with Minos Kalokairinos Katerina KOPAKA Growing up next door to Knossos and the other Ariadne Rhea GALANAKI Afterword Afterthoughts Michael FOTIADIS List of participants and abstracts