“The MINOTAUR, half man half beast, half god, half mortal, wrapped in the mysteries of the occult and ancient myths: I have been fascinated by this subject for many years, and began to research on the many depictions of the Minotaur in art and mythology. I learned that the legend of the bull / man is even older than that of the more famous Minotaur of Crete, and actually goes back to the legend of Einkadu in the epic of Gilgamesh of Ur, dating from ca. 2100 BCE. Here also we find a man depicted with bullhorns. Who is half-man half-beast. The struggle between primal desire and civilization goes back to the earliest of myths.
Ancient Greek mythology and, later, the mysteries of the underworld cults of Dionysus, all speak of a half bull, half man known as the Minotaur – an untamed creature who devoured the hapless humans who were brought to his Labyrinth. In the original myth princess Ariadne, the half sister of the Minotaur and daughter of king Minos, falls in love with Theseus and helps him destroy the Minotaur who is imprisoned in the labyrinth. King Minos of Crete demands the yearly sacrifice of seven maidens and seven youths to be fed to the Minotaur from all the vanquished neighbouring kingdoms. Theseus is sent over as part of the tribute from Athens. Ariadne tells Theseus how to defeat the Minotaur, and find his way out of the maze. Thanks to her help Theseus is victorious.
Ariadne escapes the wrath of her father king Minos, and flees with Theseus,but is bandoned on the island of Naxos by the hero who leaves for Athens as she sleeps. When Ariadne awakes, she is devastated by the betrayal and curses him. Which leads to the death of his father the king of Athens.
Alternative versions of the myth tell what happened to Ariadne after she was abandoned on the island of Naxos. These versions say she was wooed by the god Dionysus and finally finds happiness when she marries him and has many children. These same children and their decedents became the kings of the islands Lemnos and Chios.
In this photo series I went to Zimbabwe to shoot a variation of the story that could have taken place among the magnificent walls of greater Zimbabwe. I added African elements to the portrayal of the different versions of the myth,and its universal story.”
