Gnossiennes

 

Erik Satie

The actual meaning  of the word "Gnossienne," however, is under dispute. On the one hand, some believe the term to be related to "gnosis" -- a reference of some sort to the Gnostic aspects of the Rosicrucian movement, with which Satie was affiliated to some degree. On the other hand, the term may refer to the maidens of the castle of Knossos, the ancient city in Crete. According to legend, it was the home of the mythical Minotuar, who roamed the halls of the labyrinth, and which, just at the time of Satie's earliest compositions, had been discovered and was being excavated.(quotation from here)