The Minotaur was a creature with a head of a bull and a body of a human. This creature was born of Pasiphae, Minos' wife, and a white bull sent by Poseidon who was angry with Minos. Minos was so disgusted and embarrassed by his wife and the Minotaur that he ordered Daedalus to hide them. Daedalus built a maze called the Labyrinith where they were to live and never escape. One of Minotaur's half brothers ordered that seven youths and seven maidens from Athens be let into the maze every ninth year to try and kill the Minotaur. The Minotaur survived by capturing and eating these youngsters because they could not find their way out of the maze.

     One clever young person that entered the Labyrinith was Theseus. Theseus was aided by one of Minos' daughters, Ariadne, who gave Theseus a magical ball of thread, made by Daedalus, to retrace his path once he found and killed the Minotaur. Theseus was successful in his attempt in killing the Minotaur and escaping the Labyrinith.

ACTIVITIES:
Minotaur activity

KEY TEST WORDS:
There was only one Minotaur, the "bull of Minos." His half-man half-bull form has been depicted in several different combinatins by poets and artists; some with the head of a bull and the body of a man, and others with the head of a man and the body of a bull.

Creatures and Monsters

Fables

Footnotes:
None

SOURCES:
Jane Smith
Edith Hamilton's Mythology
Bulfinch's Mythology
"Manual of Mythology" by Alexander S. Murray.