The beautiful myth of Icarus and Daedalus

The myth of Icarus and Daedalus is one of the most beautiful in Greek mythology. It tells us, in an allegorical way, about the power of ingenuity, but also about the traps posed by envy and ambition.

The myth of Icarus and Daedalus tells us that the latter was one of the most skilled craftsmen in Greece. His fame crossed borders. In particular, he was a true master of architecture and sculpture. He also did woodwork of remarkable quality. His art was valued by kings and gods.

However, Talos, one of his disciples, who was also his own nephew devised a tool: the saw. This was extremely useful and wonderful, which is why it aroused the admiration of all the men of that time. Talos said that he had built the instrument inspired by the fangs of snakes.

Daedalus was envious of the sudden success of his subordinate until then. The feeling was so strong that he couldn’t help but think about getting rid of it. He couldn’t accept that there was someone more ingenious than him. That’s why, He summoned Talos to the top of the Acropolis. When they were there, he threw him from the top. The myth of Icarus and Daedalus says that Talos died instantly.

«To create art, think like an artist. To connect, be human».

-Seth Godin-

Statue of Daedalus

The exile of Daedalus

The myth of Icarus and Daedalus tells that the artist could not hide his crime. Everything was known and the city court met to impose a punishment. They decided to banish him and that is how Daedalus had to leave Greece. After a lot of walking, he found shelter on the island of Crete, ruled by King Minos.

Read Also: Psychological entropy: how much uncertainty can you tolerate?

The sovereign already knew of the enormous prestige that Daedalus enjoyed and that is why he did not hesitate to welcome him into his kingdom.. He took advantage of his presence to commission important sculpture works. He entrusted him, for example, with the construction of a huge bronze statue, which would become the maximum symbol of the city’s defense.

At that time, a terrible beast roamed Crete: the minotaur. . This being, half man, half bull, had generated fear among the inhabitants of the island, although he also had a host of worshipers. As the myth of Icarus and Daedalus tells it, Minos thought the best solution was to lock up the creature so that it would not cause more havoc. He commissioned Daedalus to fulfill that mission.

The minotaur was a punishment from Poseidon towards Minos, who had offended him. To do this, he made Queen Pasiphae fall in love with a bull, which would later give birth to the hybrid.

The labyrinth of Crete

To get rid of the minotaur, Daedalus devised a complex labyrinth . It was a place made up of a multitude of corridors everywhere. and from which it was practically impossible to escape. Obeying the order of Minos, he built it; Then, using different tricks, he managed to get the minotaur to enter it. The only ones who knew the way out were Daedalus himself and Ariadne, the king’s daughter.

The myth of Icarus and Daedalus says that Theseus, a legendary hero, arrived in Crete with the mission of killing the minotaur. Ariadne, Icarus’s wife, helped him enter the labyrinth and then leave it. King Minos was not pleased, because for him the feat showed that the site was not as secure as Daedalus had claimed. So he decided to punish the architect, locking him in his own labyrinth.

Read Also: Donald Woods Winnicott, biography of the psychoanalyst who innovated in pediatrics

The punishment fell not only on Daedalus, but also on his son, Icarus., who was very young then. The two were condemned to live in that labyrinth; However, the ingenious architect was not willing to resign himself to that fate. He used an intelligence exercise to get out of there.

Icarus Statue

The myth of Icarus and Daedalus

The myth of Icarus and Daedalus says that the latter made some requests to the king “in exchange for bending to his will.” He said that he wanted to do some works to honor Minos and everyone believed him. That’s why they brought him feathers and wax, without asking why. With these elements, Daedalus built wings for himself and his son Icarus.. The only way to escape the maze was to fly.

With great patience, he shaped the wings. When they were ready, and shortly before fleeing, she warned Icarus that he should not fly too low, as his wings could collide with the sea and harden. Nor could he fly very close to the sun, because the wings, being made of wax, could melt. He also told him that he couldn’t stop moving his arms while he was in the air.

Icarus and Daedalus flew out of the labyrinth. For both of us it was a wonderful feeling. So much so that Icarus suddenly wanted to better observe everything around him. That’s why he decided to ascend, forgetting his father’s warning. She got so close to the sun that her wings melted. He fell into the sea and died.

Read Also: Trench madness: the neurosis of the First World War

Daedalus flew to Sicily, where he lived protected until his death, but not before burying his son on a small island that would later be named Icaria.

Symbology of the myth of Icarus and Daedalus

There are many meanings that are extracted from this short but intense myth. The first of them is the well-known fall of Icarus, which represents excessive ambition and its terrible consequences, but also the excessive curiosity of youth and the lack of impulse control.

On the other hand, the two methods shown in the myth to enter and exit the labyrinth represent the two classic ways of proceeding in the sciences of that time: the pure sciences, which use reason to delve into the mysteries to be solved such as the thread of Theseus and Ariadne, or build wings to observe the problem in a holistic way, as philosophy does.

Be that as it may, this is one of the best-known and most meaningful Greek myths. And you, do you know any more?