Micénico ka-ra-wi-ja ‘vieja(s)’ y la religión micénica

Abstract This paper aims to offer a new interpretation of the Mycenaean word ka-ra-wi-ja *γρᾱ́ϝια ‘old woman’, which appears in some Mycenaean texts of the series Fq from Thebes and Fu from Mycenae. Their content points to the context of distribution of food probably related to the celebration of a ritual. Thus far, it has been interpreted as a male or female anthroponym, a theonym or a nickname, but these hypotheses seem unlikely. It has also been suggested that this may be the designation of a professional group without providing a more concrete explanation. It is reasonable, however, that it is an appellation referring to one or more older women participating in a ritual