LYCIAN RELIGION

It is known that Lycians believed in God, but with a matriarchal structure... it is not feasible to claim the prominence of a certain deity. On the basis of documents it is purported that Lycians came from Crete and they arrived in Anatolia during the Aegean migrations. However, this does not seem feasible, considering the similarities existing in Egyptian and Hitite documentations. While the question is Anatolian influence and transition to Crete, migration from Crete to Lycia should be treated sceptically. Some aut hors place Lycians in the Carian region but there is no proof of such a claim. It is wrong to deduce that the origin of Lycians were immigrants from Crete. There have been migrations from Anatolia to Crete and from Crete, islands and other locations to Anatolia. Most of the arrivals from Crete formed some colonies in the Lycian region. But this was normal under the conditions at that time. On the other hand, the similarities existing between the Lycians and the Luwians of 3000 B.C. facilitate considering the former as an Anatolian tribe, not overlooking the Hellenic influence. It is an undisputable fact that the people who settled in Fethiye and its environs, irrespective of whether they came fromCaria and Asia or from Xanthos, played a prominent role in historical events from mid 2000 B.C. onwards.