Uncover the Minotaur’s Ancient Secrets and Conquer his Maze
Let’s dive into the captivating tale of the Minotaur– a creature of legend! Get ready to unlock the secrets of the labyrinth (a fancy word for maze) and discover the fascinating story of the half-man/half-bull beast. After learning about the myths, mystery, and adventure surrounding the Minotaur, see if you can color in and solve our maze, or make your own!
The Origin of the Minotaur
As time passed, Minos grew increasingly ambitious and prideful. He kept the bull as a symbol of his power and authority and did not give it back to Poseidon as he promised.
As you probably know, the gods don’t like arrogant humans (you can see another example of this in the story of Arachne and Athena). A furious Poseidon decided it to punish Minos for his betrayal and cursed his wife, Queen Pasiphae.
Poseidon made Pasiphae fall madly in love with the bull! And she even had a baby with the animal, a monstrous creature called the Minotaur.
The Minotaur was a fearsome beast, half-man and half-bull. The creature possessed incredible strength and only ate human flesh. The people of Crete lived in constant fear of the beast and something had to be done to protect them.
The Minotaur’s tale begins with King Minos, ruler of Crete. Minos was no ordinary man, he was the son of Zeus and a mortal woman named Europa, which made him a demi-god (half human/half god).
One day, Minos prayed to the god Poseidon and asked him to send a majestic white bull from the depths of the ocean as a sign of Poseidon’s goodwill towards Minos. (If you want to learn more about Zeus and Poseidon, check out our Staff of the Gods craft.) Poseidon was impressed by King Minos’ devotion and granted his request for a magnificent bull.
The bull was truly a sight to behold. Its coat glistened in the sunlight and its strength was unparalleled. Minos thought the gift was a sign from the gods that he was meant to be the supreme ruler of Crete. He decided he should sacrifice the bull back to Poseidon to further the god’s support.
The Labyrinth
To contain the Minotaur, a clever servant of the king named Daedalus created a prison for the creature. It was the giant maze. It was so complex that once someone was inside, they could never find their way out. Even though the beast was trapped in the labyrinth, it still needed to be fed.
King Minos sent to Athens and demanded that city send young boys and girls to him once a year to feed the Minotaur. As you can imagine, the people of Athens were pretty upset about this and wanted to find away to kill the Minotaur and save their children.
Theseus Kills the Minotaur
One day Theseus, a young hero, volunteered to go to Crete as a sacrifice to the beast. He planned to defeat the Minotaur and put an end to the terror that plagued both Athens and Crete. With the support of King Aegeus of Athens, he set sail for Crete.
When they arrived in Crete, the sacrifices were brought before King Minos and his royal court for inspection. Princess Ariadne, Minos’ daughter, was captivated by Theseus’ good looks and bravery.
That night she secretly approached his cell and offered to help him kill her half-brother, the Minotaur. Theseus told her he was strong enough to kill the beast, but he had no way of getting out of the labyrinth once the creature was dead.
Ariadne gave him a ball of string and instructed him to tie the string to the door of the labyrinth. She explained that he should unwind the string as he went through the maze and once the Minotaur was killed he could follow the string back to the entrance. She would wait for him at the door of the maze and let him out.
Armed with his sword and guided by Ariadne’s clever advice, Theseus ventured into the labyrinth the next morning. His heart pounding with courage and determination, he made his way through the twisting corridors. Finally, he came face to face with the Minotaur.
The hero and beast battled each other and finally, Theseus was victorious. He quickly followed the string back to the maze entrance and escaped with the princess!
The Minotaur is a story of adventure, bravery, and clever thinking. It shows us not to be arrogant like King Minos, it teaches us to be brave and self-less like Theseus and it challenges us to be clever like Ariadne.
Now, it is your turn to be the hero. Solve the Minotaur’s puzzle and then create your maze and challenge your friends and family.
