Alexandre RobertThe minotaur is a mythical being half man half bull. It is often said to be cruel and bloodthirsty. Yet, it is not so different from us. Like us, he has his passions, his fears and his dreams.
The minotaur, an ancient and fascinating myth
The minotaur, an ancient and fascinating myth, is a fabulous monster that has long haunted the imagination. Born from the union of a bull and a woman, he is described as a half-man half-beast, with a bull’s body and a man’s head.
The minotaur lives in an underground labyrinth, where he is locked up by his creator, King Minos of Crete. Every time Minos sacrifices a bull in honor of Poseidon, god of the seas, he sends a young man or woman into the labyrinth to be devoured by the minotaur. When the hero Theseus arrives on the island of Crete, he volunteers to confront the minotaur and puts an end to the massacre.
The myth of the Minotaur has captivated the imaginations of many artists and writers over the centuries. It is often associated with madness and bestiality, and is frequently used as a symbol of darkness and threat to humanity. The Minotaur is a central character in many works of fiction, including British writer Neil Gaiman’s novel, American Gods, in which he is portrayed as a powerful ancient god.
Discover the history of the minotaur
Theseus fighting the Minotaur, statue in the Jardin des Tuileries, Paris.
The minotaur is a mythical creature, half man, half bull. The history of the minotaur goes back to Greek antiquity.
According to Greek mythology, the minotaur was the son of King Minos and Queen Pasiphae. Minos was the king of Crete, an island located in the Mediterranean Sea. Pasiphae was the daughter of the Sun.
The minotaur was a terrifying creature, with the head of a bull and the body of a man. He lived in a labyrinth, a labyrinth built by the great architect Daedalus. The minotaur was surrounded on all sides by walls and doors. No one could enter the labyrinth without being trapped.
The minotaur was fed on human flesh. Every year, the Athenians sent seven young men and seven young women to Crete to be sacrificed to the minotaur.
One day, Prince Theseus, son of King Aegeus of Athens, volunteered to be one of the sacrificed. He was in love with the princess Ariadne, daughter of Minos. Ariadne gave him a golden thread to guide him through the labyrinth. Theseus killed the Minotaur and found the way out of the labyrinth.
He freed the other prisoners and brought back Ariadne with him in Athens.
The minotaur in Greek mythology
In Greek mythology, the minotaur was a monster half-man half-bull. He lived in a labyrinth built by Daedalus on the island of Crete. The minotaur was fed on human flesh and could only be killed by the one who had fathered it.
The minotaur is a central character in several Greek myths. It is generally associated with the figure of King Minos of Crete, who fathered the minotaur by joining with a bull. According to the myth, Minos would have killed the bull after he had given birth to the minotaur, and Daedalus would have built the labyrinth to hide him.
The minotaur is also associated with the figure of Theseus, a hero of Attica. Theseus came to Crete to kill the Minotaur and free the Athenians, who were obliged to send him seven girls and seven boys every year in sacrifice. Theseus managed to kill the Minotaur with the help of Ariadne, the daughter of Minos.
The minotaur is a symbol of bestiality and violence. It is also associated with the figure of the king, who is often considered a monster by the people he oppresses.
The minotaur, a mythical and mysterious being
The minotaur is a mythical and mysterious being, which has long intrigued men. It is a monster half man, half bull, who lives in a labyrinth.
The myth of the minotaur was born in ancient Greece, on the island of Crete. According to legend, King Minos was a cruel and tyrannical king. He had a son, Androgée, whom he loved very much. One day, Minos asked Poseidon, the god of the sea, to send him a white bull as a sacrifice. Poseidon agreed, but when Minos saw the bull, he found it so beautiful that he decided to keep it and sacrifice another animal in its place. Poseidon, in anger, made the bull turn into a ferocious monster.
Androgée, the son of Minos, often played with the bull. One day, the bull escaped and attacked Androgée. The boy was killed. Minos, mad with rage, asked Daedalus, a great architect, to build a labyrinth in which he locked the Minotaur. No one could escape the labyrinth.
The minotaur was a terrifying creature, but he was also very intelligent. He often attacked the prisoners that Minos threw into the labyrinth, and killed them.
The minotaur and the Palace of Knossos!
Knossos is the heart of the Minoan civilization and, according to tradition, the seat of the legendary king Minos as well as the birthplace of exciting stories such as the myths of the labyrinth with its minotaur, and of Daedalus and Icarus. It was built on the hill of Kefala, in the middle of olive trees, vineyards and cypresses, 5 km to the southeast of Heraklion.
To visit the incredible Palace of Knossos, a remnant of the Minoan civilization and the legend of the Minotaur, you can get your tickets in advance here :
