#Totally overtook ur point sorry but it’s any excuse to talk abt the Minotaur

[gunkbaby]

Right hang on i’m sorry but i need to be annoying about this -

The Minotaur is a monster because he is an unnatural being. The union between the Cretan Bull and Queen Pasiphae was unnatural, meaning that the Minotaur had no natural source of nourishment - thus why he could only consume human flesh. I’ve seen some iterations of the myth claim that he initially could consume other foods, but over time either developed a taste specifically for human flesh, or that this was eventually the only thing he could consume - it varies. Most of the iterations I’ve seen seem to agree that he was able to nurse from Pasiphae, and also that she seemed to care for him as a son and not a monster. She gave him a name - Asterion/Asterius - after King Minos’ stepfather, meaning ‘starry’ or ‘little star’ (meaning varies, either way it relates to stars).

The reason for his conception in the first place was because King Minos asked Poseidon for a bull as a sign of the God’s favour, so that he could then sacrifice the bull to Poseidon. However, when he saw the bull, was so taken by its majesty that he kept the bull for himself, sacrificing one of his own - lesser - animals instead. As punishment, Poseidon (via Aphrodite) made Minos’ wife - Pasiphae - lust over the bull, and eventually make love to it, resulting in the Minotaur. (Minotaur = Minos + Taurus ; aka, Bull of Minos).

The Minotaur didn’t eat children either - we can argue it but from what I’ve seen the sacrifices to him were ‘youths’ or virgins. So maybe children in technicality, but they were chosen by random lots. Total nitpick but I have to say it.

A billion other things i could say about the Minotaur and how depressing his life was - but his birth was solely to punish Minos, the imprisonment within the labyrinth (potentially as an infant) for the rest of his life, then used by Minos as a means revenge for the death of his son, and then he’s killed by Theseus. I think in the modern day, one can also interpret the Minotaur as an allegory for ableism (probs why I feel so connected to him), and I’ve seen queer interpretations of the story too, though I don’t feel as strongly abt that Interpretation.

Also in the context of Tokyo ghoul; a being that has no choice but to consume human flesh is an obvious parallel. Personally I think that concept is ripe for headcanon or my personal lore building - mythology in the Tokyo ghoul universe is immensely fascinating to me. There’s more in there but I can’t think of it off the top of my head.

anyway. That’s enough of me being annoying. I need to write more about him bc he’s like my newest comfort character

Been very into the Minotaur lately - a lot to say about him. Very much feeling an affinity with him. Very much understanding his plight. Very much projecting Shuu Tsukiyama onto him.