The Minotaur is a mystical creature in the Greek Mythology. The story is set in a period around 13 century B.C. The word Minotaur literally means ‘the bull of Minos’.
According to the Greek mythology, it was a monster that had the lower body of a human being and the head of a bull. It was believed to have been living in the Cretan labyrinth and consumed the flesh from human sacrifices until it was killed by Theseus.
It was the descendant of Pasiphae, a queen in the Minoan culture based in Crete and a white bull that the god Poseidon had sent to her husband, King Minos. The king had been given dominance of the oceans around Crete by the sea-god Poseidon. In return, he promised to sacrifice a bull in a show of gratitude knowing very well he did not have one. The sea-god then allowed one to appear, an incredible snow-white one. Instead, Minos kept it as a gift for himself instead of sacrificing it as promised. When Minos declined to sacrifice the beast, Poseidon ordered the love god Eros, to strike Pasiphae with a love for the white bull. She instructed Daedalus, the royal architect to build a hollow wooden cow, which she would enter to admire the great bull. From within it she conceived by the bull, which was later captured as one of the seven labors of Hercules and taken to Greece. After she delivered the Minotaur, the king ordered inventor and architect Daedalus to build a labyrinth so complex that breaking away from it with no help would be out of question.
The monster was detained in this labyrinth and fed on human sacrifices that the king forced Athens to send to him as tribute.
The mythology suggests that it was the Greek hero Theseus that killed this beast. He wanted to stop the senseless human sacrifices offered by the king, offering himself as one of the victims. On reaching Crete, the king’s daughter fell in love with him and offered him a ball of thread, which would help him to escape from the intricate maze. He tied the thread at the entrance and unwound it as he traveled in the maze in search of the monster. When he found the beast, he beat it to death and led the sacrificial lads and lasses out of the labyrinth by following the thread back to the entrance.
The Nature of the Minotaur
It was believed that the Minotaur was extraordinarily strong and hard piercingly sharp horns. It was a ferocious fighter always hungry for human flesh. On the flip side, it was a not very bright and it was always hungry and angry. Moreover, it was a bit top-heavy.
Possible origins of the Myth
The Minotaur may have also found roots in the ancient Egyptian culture where they represented their god using an image similar to that of the mystical creature called. In the Egyptian religion, it was called Apis, a sacred bull that was regarded as the incarnation of their god Osiris or of Ptah. This sacred bull was sometimes represented as half man, half bull.
Hence, there might be a connection between Apis and the minotaur considering that the Greek territory under Alexander the great once covered Egypt.
The myth may have also originated from Minoan culture, a Bronze Age civilization that preceded that of the Greeks, in the island of Crete. In the archeological discoveries by the British archeologist Sir Arthur Evans, there were paintings of bull-leaping on the walls of the palace at Knossos. Bull-leaping was a major sport in the Minoan culture. This may have given birth to the later Greek myth of the Minotaur.
Scientific Truths about the Minotaur
The Greek culture and its numerous mythical creatures has continually fascinated our modern culture and continues to raise curiosity. The Minotaur myth has been the subject of many Hollywood movies and TV productions. As a result, people are starting to wonder whether there is some truth in this myth. There is no sufficient evidence to back up the claims behind this story. However, there is some little evidence that can be construed as facts that support the story.
In the modern culture, the Minotaur story is set at Knossos. However, the earlier accounts of the story placed the location of the labyrinth close to one of the major Minoan palaces of Phaistos, in the South Eastern Coast of Crete. The labyrinth still exists and can be visited. It still consists miles of below ground tunnels some of which were blown up during the Nazi domination of Greece and later when remaining explosives went off. These points to the fact that there is some truth in the myth of the Minotaur as the existence of complex and numerous underground tunnels near the site suggest. On the other hand, it is possible that this so-called labyrinth is just an ancient quarry.
The excavation of Palace of Knossos, which is thought to have been occupied by the mythological ruler, King Minos, may serve as a pointer to the presence of some truth in the story. Minos is at the center stage of the myth, meaning that evidence of his existence may offer some proof to some truth in the myth.
The story may have also been true but over-exaggerated over hundreds of years to become a hybrid story. In the Minoan culture, kings lived in two story houses that were larger than those of the common men. The story suggests that it occurred in the rule of king Minos, who had one of the largest, four-story palace. Therefore, it is possible that people may have referred to this house as a labyrinth. Moreover, bull-leaping was a major sport in this culture as previously mention. Hence, it is possible that the people saw a prince bull-leaping in the ‘labyrinth‘ and told the story over generations and might have been exaggerated to suggest a mystical creature.
By criteria of elimination, it is a known scientific fact that bulls cannot breed with human beings. Maybe, the story of half a man, half a bull is just a metaphor for a certain person with incredible strength. The sharp horns may suggest his arrogance, stubbornness or rudeness. Therefore, the myth of the Minotaur may be in reference to a certain prince who was very strong, mean and unreasonable. Since bull-jumping was a major activity in the time, it is possible that such as prince was a major participant in this activity. It is also a well-known fact that the Ancient Greeks enjoyed gladiator contests that would often end in death. Therefore, it is possible that the human sacrifices suggested in the story where gladiators offered to fight in the palace arena to fight till death. If the gladiator surrendered, it was a dishonorable act and was considered a coward. Such a prince may have developed the habit of killing such gladiators.
Therefore, it is possible that the story is true, only that it was metaphorical and it is being incorrectly taken literally. It is no secret that the ancient Greek culture produced some of the most brilliant scholars and philosophers. Therefore, the story may have some deep philosophies surrounding it that need clever deciphering.