Minotaur creature concept art

myminifactory

In ancient Greek mythology, the Minotaur emerged as a fearsome creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man, described by Roman poet Ovid as "part man and part bull". He resided at the heart of the Labyrinth, an elaborate maze designed by renowned architect Daedalus and his skilled son Icarus, commissioned by King Minos of Crete. The Minotaur ultimately met its demise at the hands of the brave Athenian hero Theseus. After ascending to power on the island of Crete, Minos engaged in a fierce rivalry with his brothers for control of the throne. Minos implored Poseidon, the powerful sea god, to send him a majestic snow-white bull as a symbol of divine support (the Cretan Bull). However, he was instructed to sacrifice the bull to demonstrate honor towards the deity. Yet, swayed by the bull's breathtaking beauty, Minos decided to keep it instead, assuming Poseidon would not be offended. To exact punishment on Minos, Poseidon caused Pasiphaë, Minos' wife, to fall deeply in love with the majestic white bull. Pasiphaë enlisted the expertise of skilled craftsman Daedalus to create a hollow wooden cow, which she climbed inside to mate with the snow-white bull. The resulting offspring was the monstrous Minotaur. Pasiphaë nurtured him, but as he grew and became increasingly ferocious, driven by his unnatural heritage as the offspring of a woman and a beast, he devoured men for sustenance. Seeking guidance from the oracle at Delphi, Minos ordered Daedalus to construct an enormous labyrinth to confine the Minotaur. The Labyrinth's location was strategically positioned near Minos' palace in Knossos.