Not all of Linear A is bookkeeping. On stone offering tables from Cretan sanctuaries, carved texts repeat the same words in the same order. Scholars call this the libation formula. It is one of the most studied puzzles in the script, and a lesson in what can and cannot be said. You will need the conventional readings of Signs Shared with Linear B.
Key idea
Stone offering tables from sanctuaries repeat a set of words, such as a-sa-sa-ra-me (also ja-sa-sa-ra-me), i-pi-na-ma and si-ru-te. They are recognized because they recur in the same order; their meanings are unknown.
What can be said
| We can say | We cannot say |
|---|---|
| These words recur on many offering objects, often in the same order | What any of them means |
| Some appear in different forms (a-sa-sa-ra-me, ja-sa-sa-ra-me), which suggests grammar | Which grammar, or which language |
| The objects come from sanctuaries, such as peak shrines like Mount Iouktas | Which god, if any, is named |
| The texts are religious in setting | What the words of the ritual said |
Why it works
Why is a recurring formula useful even unread? Repetition shows structure: which words go together, which change form, which stay fixed. That is the same kind of evidence Alice Kober used for Linear B (Alice Kober's Triplets). It can tell us that a-sa-sa-ra-me and ja-sa-sa-ra-me are forms of one word, without telling us what that word means.
Common mistake
Treating a-sa-sa-ra-me as a known goddess's name. Many people have guessed at it; the word is recognized because it recurs, not because it is understood. Check: in any description of the formula, look for evidence (a bilingual, a match in a known language that also explains other words); without it, a meaning is a guess.
Worked example: Same word?
a-sa-sa-ra-me and ja-sa-sa-ra-me appear in the same place in the formula. What is the safest conclusion?
- They share most of their signs and the same position.
- They are probably forms of one word, perhaps grammatical variants.
- Nothing here gives a meaning.
Answer: Probably two forms of one word, meaning unknown.
Worked example: Read by convention
How is the word 𐘚𐘢𐘅𐙁 read, and what does it mean?
- Each sign matches a Linear B sign: i, pi, na, ma.
- Its meaning is unknown.
Answer: Read by convention i-pi-na-ma; meaning unknown.