Narnia General Otmin Statue

The Minotaur

What Is The Minotaur?

The name "Minotaur" comes from the Greek and means "bull of Minos". This is a reference to the original legend.

The story goes that the Minotaur was laying waste to Crete. Minos, the king of Crete, summoned Daedelus and with his help constructed a huge labyrinth (maze) under his palace at Knossos. The labyrinth was designed so that escape would be impossible and the Minotaur - or anyone entering - would simply wander around lost.

Crete had beaten Athens in war and Minos demanded tribute from the Atheneans. So every year Athens sent seven young men and seven maidens to Crete. These unlucky people were locked inside the labyrinth to wander aimlessly until they starved to death or, more likely, were killed by the minotaur.

Theseus, a great hero from Greece, vowed to destroy the minotaur. He took a ball of thread given to him by Minos's daughter Ariadne and entered the labyrinth. By attaching the end of the string to the entrance and allowing it to unwind behind him, Theseus knew that he would be able to explore the labyrinth without getting lost.

Theseus found the Minotaur deep within the labyrinth. Some accounts say that the Minotaur was sleeping when Theseus found it, others that they engaged in battle. Either way, Theseus was victorious and slew the creature. He then located the surviving sacrificial victims and, following the string, retraced his path and led them all safely out of the labyrinth.

Since the days of the ancient Greek legend the minotaur has become an iconic figure appearing in much literature and media. Modern youngsters might know the Minotaur best from its appearance in the 2005 film adaption of C.S.Lewis's Narnia stories, The Chronicles of Narnia.