the minotaur
I have recently found myself preoccupied with the myth of the minotaur. The source of this hyperfixation arose from a Magic the Gathering commander deck I made with custom cards, helmed by Gornog, The Red Reaper. While that was an unserious project, the resulting fixation on the minotaur has more to do with a deep sadness the myth evokes for me. There is something about taking something monstrous, something that is even maybe made monstrous by its circumstances, and locking it away. I think it touches a similar nerve for me that Bisclavret by Marie de France hits. A being is betrayed by its loved ones, rendered monstrous by the actions of circumstances beyond itself, and is trapped.
In researching quotes about the minotaur to try and include as flavor text for my Gornog deck, I came across the short story The House of Asterion by Jorge Luis Borges, in which the minotaur does not realize he is trapped. I became interested in other narratives that share the myth through the minotaur's perspective, a notable one being the concept album This One's for the Dancer & This One's for the Dancer's Bouquet by Moonface, in which half of the songs are titled "Minotaur Forgiving..." and are just that -- the minotaur forgiving different figures of its mythology. One song that hits me in particular is Minotaur Forgiving Knossos, which speaks to a loneliness that I have felt in watching my community move on while I, and others like me, have to take precautions due to long COVID.
I have taught myself to dance alone
I hear your parties and your music in the evening
I hear your laughter and your singing creeping over the walls
So I taught myself to dance alone
It hits a nerve in a trans way. It hits a nerve in a COVID way. I am exploring this further here: the labyrinth beneath your feet and through my work on the UCCS Heller Center Arts Exchange, through a handful of projects.
I recently drew and painted this. I wondered why the minotaur looked familiar. Later, I remembered an animated video I watched in middle school to Radiohead's song 2+2=5. Here is a repost of it. The resemblance will become clear.
I am collecting on this topic on are.na:
Further reading:
Chiron, the wounded healer