Daedo was a mythical Greek inventor, architect and sculptor. In Greek mythology, Daedo is said to have built, among other things, the paradigmatic labyrinth of King Minos of Crete. The name Daedo means “deftly forged”.
Daedo is a mythical character, but behind his name there are a lot of characters. In Daedo, several Greek writers have personified the development of the arts of sculpture and architecture, especially among Athenians and Cretans.
- It is said that he lived at the beginning of the heroic period.
- In the time of Minos and Theseus.
- But Homer does not mention it.
- Except in a dubious passage.
The ancient writers represent Daedo as an Athenian, of the royal race of the Erechtheidae; others called him Cretan for the long period he lived in Crete.
According to Diodorus, Daedal was the son of Metion, who was the son of Eupalamus, and the latter, the son of Erichthonius. Other authors suggest that Dédalus was, in fact, the son of Eupalamus or Palamaon. Her mother’s name was Alcippe, or Iphino, or Phrasimedes.
Daedo devoted himself to sculpture and made great advances in art. He had two children: Oscaro and Ypige. In his story, his nephew Talos (or Perdix) became very important.
Daedo was so proud of his accomplishments that he could not bear the thought of having a rival. The architect’s sister had left her son to Daedlo to teach him mechanical arts.
The young man’s name was Perdix, although he is also known as Talos or Callus. Perdix was an art scholar and showed astonishing evidence of ingenuity.
According to Greek mythology, Perdix, walking by the sea, picked up the thorn of a fish; inspired by the shape of the thorn, took a piece of iron, forged it imitating his drawings and invented the saw.
On another occasion, Perdix joined two pieces of iron by attaching them to one end with a rivet and sharpening the other ends, to invent the compass.
Daedo was so jealous of his nephew’s accomplishments that he took the opportunity to push Perdix, who had fallen from the Acropolis. The goddess Athena turned Perdix into a partridge, allowing him to land safely.
At the same time, he left a scar that looked like a partridge on Daeddle’s right shoulder. He was convicted of this crime and left Athens after a time in prison.
Upon his arrival in Crete, Daedo was received at the court of King Minos and his wife, Pasifhae. Unfortunately, in a short time he became embroiled in another terrible situation.
It turns out that Minos had chosen to keep a magnificent white bull that the god Poseidon had given him, rather than offering it as a sacrifice to the god of the sea, so Poseidon incited Pasifae to physically desire the bull.
Pasifhae asked Daedo to raise a wooden cow in which she could hide and mate with the bull, so she became pregnant and gave birth to the Minotaur, a creature with a human body and a bull’s head.
Minos also went to Daedo and asked him to build a labyrinth, stop the Minotaur and not let him escape. This is the famous Minotaur maze.
To carry out the order of King Minos, Daedo built one of the greatest architectural works. The maze had endless corridors and complicated curves, challenging anyone who entered it, to the point that it was impossible to find a way out.
Every seven years, the Athenians had to send seven young men and seven girls to be sacrificed to the Minotaur, this sacrifice aimed to maintain peace between the two sides, because of the unjust murder of Androgeos, a son of Minos.
Because? Expedition? Of the young Athenians, Theseus volunteered and immediately fell in love with Ariane, daughter of King Minos. The princess didn’t want to see her beloved die and that’s why she asked the craftsman for help.
Daedo gave Theseus a wire ball, which he was able to escape by tying a wire at the entrance of the Maze and following this thread again to return, which helped the hero find his way back after killing the beast.
King Minos was furious at Daedwood’s betrayal of building the wooden cow and as punishment, King Minos arrested Daedlo and his son Icarus in the endless labyrinth.
Daedo knew how to get out of the labyrinth; however, they were unable to flee the island as all sea routes were constantly monitored. Therefore, Daedo built two pairs of wings with wooden sticks, which served as a support so that the actual enthred feathers could escape from there.
He gave Icarus specific instructions on how to fly. Daedo told Icarus not to fly too low, because the water could wet the feathers, but not too high because the sun could melt the wax.
They managed to escape and went to Sicily, but Icarus abandoned his father’s advice and flew higher and higher. The sun melted the wax and destroyed its wings, and threw it into the sea where it drowned.
Icarus fell into the sea near Samos and her body was taken to a nearby island, this island was called Icaria, and the sea around her was called the Icarian Sea, in her honor.
Numerous anecdotal details have forged his reputation as an innovator in many arts. In plunio’s natural history he is credited with inventing carpentry.
In Greek mythology, he is said to have designed masts and sails for navy minos ships. Pausanias, in turn, attributed to Daedwood the construction of many archaic figures of wooden worship throughout Greece.
They also say that he carved statues in such detail that, for his realism, they seemed alive. These statues would have escaped without the chain that had tied them to the wall.
Thus, Daedo gave his name to any anonymous Greek craftsman. In addition, he has been awarded many Greek machines that represent an exquisite skill.
Daedlo and Icarus are depicted in countless Greek vases, precious stones and Pompeyan murals. A famous Roman relief shows Daedlo modeling the wings with which they escaped Crete.
He was also honored by later artists, such as Pieter Brueghel, who painted the fall of Icarus, Anthony van Dyck and Charles Le Brun. In addition, Daedo is depicted in Brill’s painting and Antonio Canova’s sculptural ensemble.
Writers such as James Joyce and W. H. Auden were inspired by the legends of Daedo and helped keep their name and legend alive even in the 21st century.
Daeddus’s story encourages other artists to carefully consider the long-term consequences of their own inventions. Daeddus acts as a dialectical resource for creations, trying to prevent these inventions from doing more harm than good.
As in the history of Icarus’ wings, Daedo is represented helping to create something that will have negative consequences later on.
This is the case with the creation of Minotaur’s almost impenetrable monstrous maze, whose construction made killing the beast a legendary effort of difficulty.