Cretan barb that pierced a star? What did Yeats mean?

MichaelR

Hello,

I really really like Yeats' "Parnell's Funeral". Its worldview resonates strongly. But I would like to understand the big cultural reference there.

"What is this sacrifice? Can someone there
Recall the Cretan barb that pierced a star?

Rich foliage that the starlight glittered through,
A frenzied crowd, and where the branches sprang
A beautiful seated boy; a sacred bow;
A woman, and an arrow on a string;
A pierced boy, image of a star laid low.
That woman, the Great Mother imaging,
Cut out his heart. Some master of design
Stamped boy and tree upon Sicilian coin."

What is the myth that Yeats is referring to? I failed to find it online...

Speedwell

Much info here: https://books.google.ie/books?id=6nyaAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA404&lpg=PA404&dq=cretan+barb+that+pierced+a+star&source=bl&ots=xa_i8FRIJh&sig=VkGRO3t4Z4F0Fw653E6z4EgrJeA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjtzZeCnKvNAhUlC8AKHWiqDqkQ6AEIMDAG#v=onepage&q=cretan%20barb%20that%20pierced%20a%20star&f=false