Why the name?

Daedalus has been historically hailed as one of the most skilled artists and craftsmen in the Ancient Greek world. Said to be the son of the gods Athena and Hephaestus, as well as the son of the mortals Alcippe (daughter to Cecrops, the mythical founder of Athens) and King Erechtheus of Athens, Daedalus’ fame transcended the centuries, with his myths appearing in works by famous authors such as Ovid, Homer, and Pausanius, and appearing in the founding myths of Athens, Crete, and Sicily. His legend also persisted into the later medieval ages, and the legends about Daedalus and his adventures are well known still today.

The earliest reference to Daedalus is found in the writings of Homer, where he is credited with the creation of the well-known labyrinth of Crete and in which resided the ferocious Minotaur. Said to be a great craftsman, Ovid, in his Metamorphoses, suggests that Daedalus so cleverly constructed the labyrinth that he himself could barely escape once the structure was built. Daedalus was commissioned to build the labyrinth to house the beast, but every nine years, seven Athenian boys and seven girls were delivered to Crete, cast into the labyrinth and then mercilessly stalked, killed, and eaten by the Minotaur. One year, the hero Theseus was selected as one of the Athenian youths to be sent to their death. but before being cast into the labyrinth, he met and fell in love with the king’s daughter, Ariadne, winning her heart and causing her to agree to help him escape the labyrinth. Again, with the help of Daedalus, who offered Ariadne magical thread with which to lead Theseus through the labyrinth and back out again, Theseus was able to slay the Minotaur and safely make it out of the impossible maze.

The stories of Daedalus’ exploits continue in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. After King Minos commissioned the labyrinth, he locked Daedalus and his son, Icarus, away in a tower on Crete, in an attempt to prevent Daedalus from spreading his knowledge of the maze to others who might use that knowledge to escape danger if chosen for the labyrinth. Therefore, neither he nor his son were permitted to leave the isle of Crete and accordingly both were kept under tight watch; to the extent that all sea vessels leaving the island were searched before they were allowed to leave port. While imprisoned however, Daedalus began fashioning a pair of wings he could use to escape the tower. He managed to construct a pair of working wings and taught himself to fly with them, and therefore crafted a second set for his son Icarus. Icarus was sternly warned not to fly too close to the sun, lest the wax in the wings melt. He was also warned not to fly too low as the sea foam would wet the feathers and make them too heavy. Setting out, the two flew far from Crete, over Samos, Delos, and Lebynthos, but after a while Icarus got lost in the sensation of flight and flew too close to the sun which caused the wax to melt and he plummeted to his death in the sea. And while Daedalus escaped unharmed, he lamented for many years over the loss of his son, who, if had only followed the guidance given, would have landed safely with his father on the far shore.

It is said that because of this Athena bestowed upon Daedalus a pair of actual wings.