Some of my favorite things in this world are a good story, and labyrinths.
The Minotaur of Greek mythos captures both perfectly. Its truly a messed up story. Of course, show me a Greek myth that isn’t messed up. Zeus is literally the WORST. He lies, cheats, steals, rapes and tortures his way through the ages. In this little soap opera, Zeus seduces Europa in the form of a white bull. Yep, Zeus is totally into bestiality as well. Europa has 3 sons, the most famous of which being Minos, the king of Crete. But to become the king of Crete, Minos cuts a deal with Poseidon, Zeus’s only slightly less horrible brother, to produce a bull from the sea which Minos would then sacrifice in his name. But Minos decides he really likes his new sea-bull and sacrifices a plain old bull instead. Its not a great idea to mess with the gods, so as punishment Poseidon makes Minos’ wife fall in lust with the sea-bull. Enter mad-scientist Dedalus who helps make it possible for the queen and bull to get together (yep, more bestiality).
A little while later we have a bull-baby. Minos isn’t happy but keeps little Asterion (Yep, the Minotaur has a name), has Dedalus build him a labyrinth to put his Minotaur in, then locks up Dedalus in a tower forever. (That’s another story) Oh yeah and lets feed people to our Minotaur – because a half bull half man would totally want to eat people and not salad. (Would that be cannibalism?) I always felt bad for Asterion, born a cursed monster through no fault of his own and just as trapped in the Labyrinth as his victims. Of course then he meets his death, betrayed by his own sister and her famous ball of yarn that she gives to Theseus, because well, she loves him. Theseus doesn’t love her back though and our classic Greek hero just drops her off on an island on his way home to Athens. But we can't feel too bad for her because she ends up marrying the god of wine and good times, Dionysus.
The history that inspires the myth of the Minotaur is just as complex and fascinating as the Labyrinth. Knossos was a huge cultural centre when Athens was merely a village and the Knossos palace ruins with their many frescoes of bulls are thought to be the source of the labyrinth legend. There are theories that the palace was not really a palace but the actual city where everyone lived, so a giant house-city, which would explain its maze-like layout. It reminds me of the underground city of Kaymakli in Turkey, that I had the privilege to visit. It too is an underground labyrinth-city carved out of the soft rock with many winding tunnels, rooms and levels. I was immediately lost, and we were only allowed on the first couple of levels. Having been in an actual underground city / labyrinth its not hard to imagine terrifying monsters lurking down some echoing tunnel.
So part tragedy, part horror story, part history, the story of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth (and a little love of Greek pottery) inspired me to make these Minotaur mittens. I hope you find them A-MAZE-ING!
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