Minotaur with Hare

The following is excepted from the website of the University of British Columbia (UBC) Botanical Garden.

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The “Minotaur with Hare” by UK artist Sophie Ryder is on display at UBC Botanical Garden for 18 months as part of the Vancouver Sculpture Biennale: Open Spaces 2005/2006. Weighing 800kg and measuring 2.7m (7') tall, the minotaur will overlook a soon-to-be-constructed traditional turf maze, representing the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.

The story of the Minotaur as told by the classical authors is one of heroism and tragedy. The wife of King Minos of Crete, Pasiphae, was cursed by the god Poseidon with zoophilia, causing her to mate with a bull. Of this union came forth the ghastly Minotaur. The legendary craftsman Daedalus built a labyrinth to house the Minotaur and King Minos exacted a periodic tribute of seven virgins and seven young men from nearby Athens to be given to the Minotaur.

Theseus, son of the King of Athens, resolved to end this practice by offering himself as part of the tribute. Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, fell in love with Theseus and gave him a magic sword to kill the Minotaur and a thread to help him find his way out of the labyrinth. The deed done, Theseus and Ariadne fled Crete together, although Theseus shortly after callously abandoned Ariadne on the island of Naxos.

There was a final tragic act to this tale. Theseus’ father had asked him to change his black sails for white if he remained alive so his safe return could be witnessed from afar. Distracted by the hullabaloo in Crete, Theseus forgot his promise. Thinking his son dead, his father threw himself to his death over the cliffs of Cape Sounion.

In this artwork by Sophie Ryder, the story of the Minotaur is given a non-classical twist as the Minotaur is shown holding a hare, a symbol of swiftness and vulnerability, to contrast with the menacing bulk of the Minotaur itself.

The Goddess Ostara

The beautiful artwork above and the following excerpt are from the website of artist Mickie Mueller.

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The Goddess Ostara’s (Eostre’s) celebration day can vary from the spring equinox (circa March 21) to the first full moon after the equinox. She is the Anglo-Saxon/Germanic Goddess of new beginnings, fertility, hope and renewal. Her symbols include the hare, colored eggs, and spring flowers. In older times celebrants wore brand new clothing to celebrate her festival.

Does this all sound familiar? It should. The symbolism and even the name of Ostaras/Eostre’s festival were adopted by the Christian celebration of Easter which also celebrates renewal and rebirth. One should note, that the holiday of Easter moves every year. It always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.

Ostara is an interesting Goddess because she is considered a Maiden Goddess but instead of a new crescent, uses full moon energy. This makes sense if we consider that she is the Goddess who fires up all the growth in the spring. Physics teaches us that an object at rest, tends to stay at rest, it takes more energy to begin momentum than continue it. Consider the seed sleeping beneath the earth or the bud tightly wrapped on a tree branch. It’s like when the alarm goes off while you are snug under your blankets; the hardest part is just getting up and moving, and it takes a lot of energy to get started. That may explain a Maiden with full moon energy.

This dynamic Lady of spring has also had the female hormone Estrogen named after her. Bursting full of the power of femininity as well as regeneration, she takes the relay of life firmly in hand as the Crone has passed it to her from the underworld. As we note the sprouts, buds and blossoms bursting forth from the deep dark earth, take a moment to thank Ostara.


Image: “Goddess Ostara” by Mickie Mueller (11x14 acrylic and Berol Prismacolor pencils on Illustration board).