Crete and mythology is a wonderful marriage of beauty and fantasy. These lovely and often cruel legends tell us how the ancient civilisations explained certain phenomenon that occurred during their existence on this exquisite island. There are many myths and legends about events that happened and why names were given to certain things in Crete. Some of them are quite extraordinary but in ancient times these myths meant a great deal to the people who inhabited the island and they still do so today.
The legend of the god Zeus is one such myth. It is said that he was born in the Diktian Cave and after a battle with his father, Kronos, he took over the skies whilst his brother Poseidon ruled the oceans and of course Hades became king of the underworld.
The myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth is a tale of deception that went wrong and the result was the birth of the Minotaur, a being with a body of a man but the head and tail of a bull. A Labyrinth was built under the Palace in Knossos to imprison the Minotaur but later on it was slain by Theseus to prevent any further sacrifices being made to the Minotaur.
But Theseus forgot to put up a white sail, as he had promised to let his father know he had succeeded in killing the beast. His father was distraught and fell into the sea hence it was called the Aegean Sea. The myth is a wonderful legend that children all over Crete are taught because these stories explain the way things came about in ancient times and why things are how they are today.
There are more recent legends and tales on the island and one such tale is the story of the ’Drossoulites’. These are the ghosts of Chatzimichalis Dalianis and his men who were killed by the Turks during the 1821 revolution. On the 17th May every year these ghosts walk out of the sea to return to the fortress of Fangokastello where they were slain.
The myths, tales and legends of Crete form a vital part of their unique culture and the world would be a much poorer place if we did not have all the mythological beings, Gods and animals that are so important to the tales. Directors have made superb films based on Greek mythology which we have enjoyed for years and will probably delight in for years to come.
Visiting the island of Crete is arriving at the heart of a world of fantasy and wonderland where anything can happen no matter how fanciful it is. This is one of the many reasons that Crete is so much more than just a beautiful place to visit.