The people of the island of Crete were terrifi ed of the Minotaur it loved nothing more than to feast on human fl esh. On the island of Crete there lived a Minotaur, a ferocious creature that was half man and half bull. © Karen Moncrieffe and Brilliant Publications 2012This page may be photocopied for use by the purchasing institution only. He would build a pair of wings! It would take some time, days, weeks even, but he would build a pair of wings for his son and himself – If only he and his son could just ﬂ y away … and then he had an idea which was both brilliant and ambitious. Daedalus stared up at the sky and the seagulls that circled overhead. They could not leave by ship all vessels were controlled by King Minos. But who would want to live like that – hiding away hoping they would not be captured? They needed to ﬁ nd a way to leave the island, but how? They could not swim, the nearest land was too far away, and they would never make it. They could possibly survive for months or years without being seen. The trees and bushes surrounding the beach would provide an ideal sanctuary for the time being. After all, Daedalus had built the labyrinth and knew his way around! Once out of the labyrinth Deadulus and Icarus carefully made their way to the shore of the island and pondered on what to do next. Instead, unknown to the king, they escaped. The King expected that the inventor and his son would be found by the Minotaur and eaten. Now he had the perfect punishment for his enemies! Deciding he had no further use for Daedalus, the King threw him into the labyrinth along with his son Icarus. Anyone who was sent to the labyrinth would be trapped and eventually they would be found by the Minotaur who would eat them alive. Once the Minotaur was in the labyrinth the creature was unable to escape. Daedalus did as King Minos requested and then, following the King’s instructions, he enticed the Minotaur into the labyrinth by leaving a huge pile of fresh meat in its centre. He enlisted the help of Daedalus, a talented architect, inventor and craftsman, and asked him to build a labyrinth – a maze of passages that would be so complex that it would be virtually impossible for anyone (or anything) to ever ﬁ nd a way out. To die at the hands of the Minotaur would be one of the most terrible deaths imaginable, and King Minos believed that his enemies deserved to meet such a fate. Instead, he constructed a plan to imprison the Minotaur. They begged their ruler, King Minos, to order that the creature be killed, but the King decided against this. The people of the island of Crete were terri ﬁ ed of the Minotaur it loved nothing more than to feast on human ﬂ esh. Daedalus and Icarus On the island of Crete there lived a Minotaur, a ferocious creature that was half man and half bull. Understanding Myths and Legends 17 © Karen Moncrieffe and Brilliant Publications 2012 This page may be photocopied for use by the purchasing institution only.

The myth daedalus and icarus story