Daedalus & Icarus
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
This is a paraphrased story from Greek Mythology, but should help you bluff your way through an aspect of it.
Daedalus was a genius inventor and top class architect. He was the ancient world's version of Leonardo da Vinci and was responsible for designing the famous labyrinth on Crete within which the minotaur was trapped. However King Minos wasn't exactly reknowned for compassion and following the constuction of the labyrinth he trapped Daedalus and his son Icarus in the labyrinth.
Daedalus was aware of a way out of the labyrinth, a window that led to a cliff face. It was a treacherous way down to the sea and a treacherous subsequent crossing to Greece would be required. He did not care to attempt such and risk getting caught by Minos' guards, and being unable to swim put him at a disadvantage too. Instead he came up with an ingenious notion of collecting feathers from the many birds that alighted by his window and turning them into wings for himself and Icarus.
After weeks of collecting feathers and attaching them to wings with wax from the candles found scattered around the labyrinth, Daedalus had created a pair of wings each for himself and Icarus. A little time was spent practising flexing the wings, getting used to the weight before they both launched themselves over the cliff face. As the tale goes, they soared away from the cliff and made good progress towards the Greek mainland.
However, as they grew more comfortable with the wings, Icarus, as young men do, wanted to test the limits of the wings. First he flew low towards the waves, letting the spray lap over them before pulling up again to a safer level after a warning from his father. Not to be deterred he flew much higher to see what he could see from a greater height. This time he ignored the warnings of his father and as he flew closer to the sun, the wax melted, the feathers came away from the wings and he plummetted into the sea. Daedalus continued to the mainland but was never quite the same again.
Daedalus was a genius inventor and top class architect. He was the ancient world's version of Leonardo da Vinci and was responsible for designing the famous labyrinth on Crete within which the minotaur was trapped. However King Minos wasn't exactly reknowned for compassion and following the constuction of the labyrinth he trapped Daedalus and his son Icarus in the labyrinth.
Daedalus was aware of a way out of the labyrinth, a window that led to a cliff face. It was a treacherous way down to the sea and a treacherous subsequent crossing to Greece would be required. He did not care to attempt such and risk getting caught by Minos' guards, and being unable to swim put him at a disadvantage too. Instead he came up with an ingenious notion of collecting feathers from the many birds that alighted by his window and turning them into wings for himself and Icarus.
After weeks of collecting feathers and attaching them to wings with wax from the candles found scattered around the labyrinth, Daedalus had created a pair of wings each for himself and Icarus. A little time was spent practising flexing the wings, getting used to the weight before they both launched themselves over the cliff face. As the tale goes, they soared away from the cliff and made good progress towards the Greek mainland.
However, as they grew more comfortable with the wings, Icarus, as young men do, wanted to test the limits of the wings. First he flew low towards the waves, letting the spray lap over them before pulling up again to a safer level after a warning from his father. Not to be deterred he flew much higher to see what he could see from a greater height. This time he ignored the warnings of his father and as he flew closer to the sun, the wax melted, the feathers came away from the wings and he plummetted into the sea. Daedalus continued to the mainland but was never quite the same again.
