Asterion, The Minotaur (2014)

Giclee Print, 60cm by 81cm

 

The labyrinth is not a maze in which one gets lost. It is the longest journey towards the centre. No walls could cage the bull of Minos, the prince to the throne at Knossos, the son of Poseidon. His divine nature unleashed a storm of violence and destruction, and the prince was feared for his capacity for slaughter. He was named after his mortal father, Asterion - Of the Stars.

 

His half-brother by the same nightmarish god, the prince of Athens set himself the challenge of killing the bull-prince. He slaughtered his way to the palace, seduced and kidnapped the sisters of the monster, then went into the labyrinth to find his brother.

 

Tethered only by a thread, the journey within did nothing to quell the sea-storm of rage in Theseus' heart. He found the minotaur, the monster wearing his nature in horn and hair, looking calmly at beautiful, blond, blue-eyed Theseus.

 

Theseus bragged of bedding Asterion's sisters.

 

The bull did not charge.

 

Theseus threatened to kill the king and queen.

 

The bull did not charge.

 

Theseus screamed, then kicked, then wept. The bull-prince had learned to contain the god of storms, but the prince of Athens could never quell his rage. The beautiful prince's blade came down, sprayed his blond hair with red.

 

Still, the bull did not charge.

 

There was no battle. Asterion did not raise his fist, hoof or horn against the golden boy. The blade against his throat, he looked into the eyes of his brother and said nothing.

 

The thread of Ariadne to lead him from the labyrinth was soaked with bull blood. The hero emerged, made good on his promise to slaughter the monarchs, then kidnapped his sisters, leaving one to die on an island and seizing the other as his claim to both thrones.

 

Athens and the bull's kingdom were his. Theseus. The hero.