My own opinion about these events is as follows. If it is true that the Phoenicians carried off the sacred women from Egypt and sold them as slaves—one to Libya and the other to Greece, which was then called Pelasgia—then it is likely that the woman brought to Greece was sold to the Thesprotians. These people lived in the region near Dodona. This explanation seems reasonable when the details of the story are carefully considered A Shared Story Between Egypt Greece and Libya.
Life in Servitude and the First Shrine
While living in servitude in her new land, this woman may have tried to preserve the religious traditions she had known in Egypt. If she had once served in the temple of Jupiter at Thebes, it would have been natural for her thoughts to return to that god. Under a large oak tree, she built a simple shrine in honor of Jupiter. The oak later became sacred, and this place developed into the oracle of Dodona.
This act shows how religious beliefs can survive even under difficult conditions. Far from her homeland, the woman kept her faith alive and passed it on to others.
The Birth of an Oracle
Over time, the woman learned the Greek language. Once she could speak clearly and be understood by the local people, she began to deliver messages and interpretations believed to come from the god. In this way, the oracle was established. She also told the people that her sister had been sold into Libya by the same Phoenicians, which helped explain the existence of a similar oracle there Guided Turkey Tours .
This connection strengthened the belief that both oracles shared a common origin.
Why the Women Were Called “Doves”
The people of Dodona referred to the women as “doves” for symbolic reasons. At first, because the women were foreigners, their speech sounded strange and unfamiliar. To the local people, this foreign language resembled the sounds made by birds. For this reason, they described the women as doves that seemed to make bird-like noises.
Later, when the woman learned to speak Greek clearly, it was said that the dove spoke with a human voice. This change in the story reflects a simple truth: the woman had finally learned to communicate in a language others could understand. It is unreasonable to believe that an actual bird could speak like a human being.
The Meaning of the “Black Dove”
The description of the dove as black also had a clear meaning. The Dodonaeans used this image to indicate that the woman was Egyptian, as Egyptians were darker in complexion than the local population. The image of the black dove was a poetic way to describe her foreign origin.
Shared Traditions Between Egypt and Greece
The practices of the oracles at Thebes and Dodona were very similar, which supports the idea of a shared origin. In addition to oracles, the Greeks also learned other forms of divination from the Egyptians. One such method involved interpreting signs from sacrificial animals.
A Reasoned Conclusion
When examined carefully, this explanation removes the need for miraculous tales and replaces them with human experience, memory, and cultural exchange. It shows how myths can grow from real events and how religious traditions traveled from Egypt to Greece through people, language, and belief.
