Greek mythology hides many interesting stories that we can study today, likewise, they have left us important lessons that are worth exploring. We invite you to read this article about the Myth of Icarus, so you can learn everything you need to know about this intriguing character.
Who is Icarus?
Before talking about his myth, we have to talk about the character. In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the architect and artist Daedalus, known for having designed and built the Cretan labyrinth. This labyrinth was hidden under the city of Crete to hold the Minotaur, the bastard son of the wife of King Minos.
In addition, Icarus was also the son of a slave, whose history is not known much. On the other hand, Icarus and his father, Daedalus, were confined on the island of Crete by order of the king. His myth does not begin when Icarus is born, but begins many years before and is believed to be a clear story about the consequences of certain actions.
The story of Icarus is extremely interesting, although brief, it explores different facets of all the characters. Interestingly, he is one of the most well-known characters in all of Greek mythology. This is because the narrative of his story has stayed true to the original, which is not often the case with other myths.
If this article on the myth of Icarus seems interesting to you, then we invite you to read Casandra in our Myths and Legends category.
The myth of Icarus
The beginning of the myth of Icarus begins long before his own birth. That is to say, the beginning of this story does not begin with Daedalus, his father, nor with the construction of the Cretan labyrinth. The story begins with King Minos and the promise he broke.
The origin of the myth relates that Minos, the king of Crete, wanted to have much more power than the previous king, his desire to be respected and revered, led him to ask Poseidon for power. For this, the god of the sea made a white bull of beautiful presence emerge from it, which he had to sacrifice. What actually happened is that Minos was delighted with that bull and decides to keep it, sacrificing a common bull.
Poseidon understands his deception and decides to punish Minos, making his wife, Pasiphae, fall in love with the white bull and father children with him. The queen asked Daedalus for help to build a wooden cow that will help her lie down with the bull.
From that union the Minotaur is born, a terrible beast thirsty for human blood. It was so impossible to control that Minos is forced to demand that Daedalus build a labyrinth to enclose the beast. Daedalus builds a labyrinth under the island of Crete, to keep the beast in check. The labyrinth was extremely complicated and impossible to complete, death was the only way out.
Or at least, that was believed until Theseus managed to complete the labyrinth to kill the beast. Ariadne, the king's daughter, tells Theseus everything she needs to know about the labyrinth, that information she had obtained through Daedalus. Minos. Learning of this, she imprisoned Daedalus and his son on the island of Crete for life.
The beginning of the end
The cruel fate of Icarus was the punishment of his father. Daedalus had decided to secretly flee the island but he knew that he had to be resourceful, since Minos controlled the sea and the land, which made an escape through those places impossible.
Daedalus was a born inventor, a genius, so he decided to create wings that would allow him and his son to fly through the skies and thus escape from confinement. Using feathers from various birds, I intertwined each one of them by placing a little wax on the sides so that Daedalus and his son Icarus would hold on, day and night, making huge wings.
Once they finished the job, Daedalus began what would be his first attempt, flapping his wings and climbing a few meters, in this way, he taught his son to fly. When both already perfectly mastered the flight, they decided to escape. Daedalus's only warning to his son was that he should not fly too close to the sun as the wax would melt, nor too close to the sea as the water could wet the wings.
Myth or Reality?
Flying, they passed the islands of Samos, Delos, Paros, Labintos and Calimna, almost reaching a safe place. Icarus became more and more confident in his abilities that without realizing he began to ascend towards the sun.
The burning star softened the wax that held the feathers together, destroying creation and even when Icarus wanted to flap his arms to stay in the air, his destiny was none other than to fall into the sea and die. His father, Daedalus, was unable to help him and only regrets how his work had cost his son.
Daedalus arrived safely in Sicily, where King Cocalus offered him protection. Some time later, he decides to build a temple to the god Apollo and offers his wings as an offering. Other not so well-known versions of the myth talk about how Daedalus was the creator of the candle, which was an object unknown to man at that time.
You can read more articles like this on our blog, in fact, we recommend reading Echo and Narcissus.
How is the myth of the flight of Icarus interpreted?
Despite being written years ago, many experts agree that the Icarus myth is a contemporary myth. However, teachings can be applied at any time, regardless of the development of society.
Not only are we facing a relatively short story, but we can also observe its complexity. A wide variety of interpretations and meanings can be appreciated, among which we can highlight the following:
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Icarus and Youth.
One of the most recognizable characteristics of Icarus is that he is a character who stands out for being impulsive, a trait that is also widely attributed to young people. Carlos Garcia Gual, highlighted that Icarus was a symbol of punished youthful recklessness and that, in turn, it represented a certain rebelliousness of young people towards their parents.
On the other hand, it is said that Icarus was curious and that despite his father's warnings, he was unable to control that curiosity, leading to misfortune. Icarus' fate is terrible, yes, but the one who ended up suffering the consequences of it was his father, who had to live with the idea that his son had died for his creation.
The myth teaches us that many of our actions bring terrible consequences, not only for ourselves, but also for the people around us. That is why our decisions must always be conscious.
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Icarus and knowledge.
The myth of Icarus talks about knowledge. Father and son were locked in the labyrinth, realizing that there is only one way out, Daedalus decides to use his knowledge to create a new escape route.
When Theseus manages to get out of the labyrinth, he does so using the instructions that Ariadne had given him. However, she did not come to that knowledge alone, she needed Daedalus to show her how to overcome the labyrinth. Not being able to use the same technique, this character applied his teachings as an architect and artist to create wings that would allow him to fly out of the place.
It is then that the myth of Icarus teaches us that there are two ways out, one requires philosophical reflection while the other requires scientific knowledge. From two different points of view, both try to reach the same conclusion: science. It seeks to enter the mysteries of the world (like Theseus in the labyrinth) and philosophy adopts a high point of view (like Daedalus and Icarus trying to fly).
The Icarus Complex
One of the most curious facts that exist about the myth of Icarus is how the name of this character became a word to describe a reckless person. Furthermore, he suffers the consequences of his actions and is in danger of being lost.
Although it is no longer used as much, this same terminology was what started what we know today as the Icarus Complex. First described by Henry A. Murray, the Icarus complex dates from the XNUMXs in the XNUMXth century.
In psychology, all people who show too much ambition are called the Icarus complex. It can bring them to the point of self-destruction, making this tendency in the personality extremely harmful.
On the other hand, these people lack self-regulation in dangerous situations, are impulsive, narcissistic and cannot develop interpersonal relationships beyond the surface. People who prove to have the Icarus complex are people who commonly fall into addictions, either due to the consumption of psychoactive substances or in the search for extreme sensations.
Myth or complex?
Zuckerman he described this complex as one of the dimensions of the personality, where the being is a seeker of sensations. He explains that, although we all have this personality trait, people who are defined under this complex have low cerebral cortical activation. This leads to a need for strong sensations, often these sensations are dangerous.
There is a big difference between what would be a normal personality trait and an Icarus complex trait. While we all want to feel emotions like love or happiness, these people's personalities can cloud their own judgment. All of which determines that the sanction is more important than physical or mental well-being.
Other characteristic features
When we describe a person under this complex, we notice that it highlights that they are people who cannot develop a daily routine. Each task for them must be an adventure that allows them to risk everything. In the social sphere, it is indicated that they are extroverted people, who tend to be creative, seductive, intrepid, curious and energetic.
As for the personal sphere, they usually fail in romantic relationships, they do not like routine, therefore, they are prone to committing infidelities. Emotionally, it is difficult for them to relate to their peers.
There are many famous people who fall within this dimension of personality, the most recognized, however, is Norma Jean Mortenson or better known as Marilyn Monroe. This woman created this character to be outgoing, seductive, and shallow in her interpersonal relationships. While in reality she was Norma, she was seeking to escape the traditional expectations that she had been taught.
When Marilyn fell into a routine, she was looking for promiscuity to be able to fill that emptiness of emotions that she had. The search for new addictive sensations led her to the consumption of psychoactive substances, which ultimately put her life at risk, ending with her death from an overdose.
If you want to read more articles like this, we invite you to explore the different categories on our blog. In fact, we recommend you read Pegaso.
The reality of mythology
In the modern society we live in, mythology is just a memory of a past time, fanciful stories about a reality that perhaps never existed. However, it is good to remember that these stories had an end, it was not about entertaining the masses, but rather they sought to explain and teach important lessons to the people of that time.
Beyond the details that today we cannot believe, due to logical thinking, Greek mythology is a cultural representation of a past time. For the same reason, it should be appreciated in that way. Additionally, we must remember that the myths and legends sought to leave applicable learning. That is, a knowledge that would work for all generations regardless of their development.
Every myth, every legend, every story, has a removable meaning. One so important that we as a current culture must discover and continue teaching it through the new generations.
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