The Minotaure (in Greek old Μινώταυρος / Minốtauros ) is a fabulous monster with body of man and head of bull appearing in the Greek Mythologie. It is called also Astérion , of the name of his grandfather.

Greek mythology

He is born from the union between Pasiphaé, girl of Hélios and marries Minos, king of Cnossos, and a white bull by Poséidon (see Minos). Pasiphaé, cursed by Poséidon because Minos refused to sacrifice the bull to him which was promised to him, seeks to be coupled with the animal. She reaches that point thanks to a show of cow which Dédale makes to him. Ashamed of the offspring, Minos makes lock up the fruit of this union in the Labyrinthe, built by the same engineer.

Every year, seven young people and seven young girls are sent to him, in atonement of the murder of Androgée, wire of Minos, by Égée, king of Athens. One year, Thésée, wire of Égée, embarks among the young people intended for the sacrifice. Thésée kills Minotaure and manages to escape from the labyrinth, helped by ARIANE, girl of Minos.

In Crete, one knows that the Minoens dedicated a worship particular to the bull. Minotaure is perhaps a deformed reflection. Besides one finds this reason for the bull in one of the myths founders of Crete, that of the removal of Europe.

Artistic evocations

The battle between Thésée and Minotaure are a frequent subject in the Antique art, particularly on the Céramique, but also in the statuary with the group of Thésée combatant Minotaure due to Myron. The Western visual arts were also made the echo of it, with Rodin, Minotaure , Picasso, Thésée killing Minotaure , or Rene Iché Minotaure or Thésée killing Minotaure .

The Littérature also seized the subject, making research of Minotaure at the bottom of the labyrinth an initiatory test aiming at destroying the bestial monster which hides of each one of us. Borges, in its New the Residence of Astérion (in Aleph ), revisits the myth by making of Minotaure an innocent being though appearing somewhat monstrous and letting themselves kill by Thésée relegated to the row of supporting character, described in the monolog of Minotaure like a saver come to deliver it.

Friedrich Dürrenmatt also rewrote the myth of Minotaure to him, by making some a Parodie, in the Ballade of Minotaure . Dürrenmatt reversed the characters of the characters, making to Thésée an assassin and describing minotaure like a soft, solitary, sensitive being.

Sources

  • (III, 15,8; III, 3,3-4), (I, 9).

  • (XXXVIII).
  • (VI, 24).

See too

Related article

External bond

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