/lit/ - Literature

>>16451675
>*What does the
Sorry for the typo.

>>16451675
It’s about surrendering to the BBC. Even the ancients knew this

>>16451675
it means the ancients were trying to find ways to explain dinosaur bones that they found and they made up stories that seemed to fit
>>16451764
fuck off mutt

>>16451675
>implying all myths need to be deep stories that give insights into the psyche
many of them are, many are not. The line between history and myth/legends gets blurry after ~600 years of no written language, and the ancients did not have the benefit of being able to read leftover books from their ancients (as linear A and B were not even known by them). The Minotaur could easily be folktales based on true events, mixing them together anachronistically and with magical elements added, same way in the Nibelungs Cycle you see historical figures and events (Attila, Ermanaric, Theodoric, the destruction of the burgundian kingdom, etc) conflated and condensed in a "History" from the gothic perspective of what was happening during the ethnogenesis of the germanized cultures of medieval Europe (that were the ones that kept it).

>>16451675

>>16451675
SEX SEX SEX

>>16451675
The minotaur is the pure animalistic evil that is in men, and is frightening because it remains human even still

>>16451675
Gets killed by Athenian Chad

anachronistic thinking to try to apply a "deeper meaning" to every part of the mythos. some of them are just re-adapted folk-tales as >>16451931 notes

The minotaur is an allegory of beastial nature in us, and the Labyrinth is our life, Theseus is the overcoming the hurdles of life and our irrational soul.

>>16451931
Stories with no "deeper meaning" aren't passed down through millennia.

>>16451970
It's in the same vein as the night journey of the soul in the afterlife in Egypt, where you'll face off with all kinds of monsters. All of which are manifestations of the sins of your life and inner conflicts of your soul. Which you have to purify in the nigh journey to climb the ladder of the sun.

>>16451675
They've found children's bones at Knossos (the palace which the labyrinth is believed to be based off).

The myth involves the Athenians having to send 14 youths to be sacrificed to the minotaur, so i assume some people have suggested it reflects some kind of bronze age child sacrifice.

I've actually never read that argument in the literature though, so maybe not. Also the religious sites on Crete seem to originate in dark age Greek cult post the bron,e age collapse, and not be a hang over of bronze age religion, which suggests maybe not.

The myth reflecting historical child sacrifice is a cool idea though.

>>16452016
Meant to add the children's bones have nicks in them from implements, suggesting the flesh was stripped from them, presumably ritually(?)

fucking hell though mates, I would've shat my pants

>>16451764
Based Med BVLLS were their own bulls, Muttboi; they didn’t need help from outside.
>tfw I thought BBC stood for Big Bull Cock, meaning just a muscly guy with a big dick, usually fucking some MILF due to all the cheating themed videos
>would search bbc on pornsites and just wonder why it’s all nigs
I’ve wanked to stuff I don’t want to think about...

>>16451675
he was predicting the roman empire

>>16451675
it's esoteric man, you wouldn't get it

>>16452348
the labyrinth is a minimum security prison for losers

>>16451675
the Minotaur is Kafka

>>16451675
It's just a cool story about monsters, brah. Don't overthink it.

>>16452578
bullshit

>>16451675
racist propaganda

>>16451675
Queen = White women
Bull = Niggers
Minotaur = Mulattos
Theseus = White men

>>16451982
and how do you know you aren't just reading into them what isn't there? classicists admit this can be issue, no clue why you don't.

>>16451675
greek myths aren't really that deep.

It’s just a story abt a monster. Some drunk neolithic hellenic was just making shit up

>>16452635
>capeshit profile pic

>>16453207
Basado

>myth

>>16451675
Something about being forced to pay tribute to the Minoans when they were the hegemonic power and being descended from them.

It actually happened though. There's even architectural evidence (>>16452016). It's because what happened was so terrible and unworldly that people never stopped talking about it.

i think its about how you as a human should and could defeat you bestial nature in the labirynth of your mind. the woman fucking the an animal is just a clever jab at woman and how they cause most problems

In order to understand the Minotaur, you need to understand the Minoans.
As is well known, caves played a religious role from the Paleolithic. The labyrinth takes over and enlarges this role, and thus entering a cave or labyrinth was equivalent to the descent to hades, or, a ritual death of the initiatory type.
The Minoans held sacred bullfights, as depicted in paintings at Knossos. Both sexes participate in it, and the acrobats would jump and pass over the bull. Passing over the running bull is a great initiatory ordeal. Likely, the legend of Theseus’ companions of seven youths and maidens being offered to the Minotaur reflects a memory of this sort of ritual.
Unfortunately, we don’t know anything about the mythology of the divine bull or his roll in the cult. But, since the Horns of Consecration existed (large stylized carvings of bulls horns with an alter between them), passing between the horns of the bull has a specialized religious function.
Assumedly, passing between the bulls horns during the bull fights was a highly symbolic act.

The myth of the Minotaur is the slow transformation of a ritual practice into a myth over the course of millennia.

There is a deeper meaning to it, but it’s been lost to the ages. It’s not a universal myth from prehistory that gives insight into man’s slow self awakening. Rather it’s a more recent occurrence dealing with initiation rites in a culture that grants bulls a sacred place.
I suggest studying Minoan culture if you’re genuinely interested in it. And the role of cattle in religion to get a vague idea of what the bull could have originally symbolized

>>16451933
Mithras cult appeared much later

>>16453234
That's the ancient "neoplatonic" exegesis. >>16451970
Also Plato mentioning it in the Phaedo.

>>16451675
>Ego/Higher Consciousness
Holy shit kill yourself

>>16453358
This, it's just a story made up to justify why Myceneans had to pay regular tributes to Minoans ("it's for the bull bro not cause we're a tributary state")

>>16454724
and they chose the bull because that was their iconic animal, and everyone had including Egyptians

>>16454727
>and everyone had including Egyptians
had labyrinths*

>>16454731
Like the >>16454640 anon already said, labyrinths are kind of gate to beyond. There are still native religions around the world that draw labyrinths on the ground, and ritualistically traverse through them in their rituals. In christian Europe people drew labyrinths on doors and windows to confuse demons and evil spirits that might try to enter their house.

>>16451675
Read House of Leaves for some insight.