Category: | Our Mythical Childhood Survey

Ursula Dubosarsky

The foreword of Ursula Dubosarsky’s Black Sails, White Sails tells the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, of how Theseus slays the Minotaur that was menacing his people, the Athenians. Theseus persuades his father, Aegeus, to let him kill the monster, but forgets to let his father know of his success by hoisting the white sails on his ship and dropping his black sails. When Aegeus sights Theseus’ ship approaching, black sails raised, Aegeus assumes the worst, that his son has fa(...)

literary

YEAR: 1997

COUNTRY: Australia

TAGS: Aegeus Archaeology Ariadne History Minos (King) Minotaur Theseus

Charles Front , James Mason

Greek Heroes and Monsters

The book starts off with an introduction to ‘the Greeks’ which explains why people now visit Greece, namely because they are drawn to its holiday places. This leads into a discussion of a key aspect of life in ancient Greece: storytelling. Among the illustrations in this section is an ancient Greek vase-painting showing a storyteller saying words that translate as ‘once upon a time…’ (p. 3). These words become the opening of the first of two stories narrated in the(...)

literary

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Aegeus Ariadne Crete Cyclops / Cyclopes Medusa Minoan Minos Minotaur Odysseus/ Ulysses Penelope Perseus Sirens Theseus

Aleksei Simukov, Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaia

Labyrinth. The Deeds of Theseus [Лабиринт. Подвиги Тесея]

Young Theseus finds his father’s sword and sandals and sets off for Athens. At the parting with Theseus, the Centaur Chiron advises him to use his strength only for good and promises a life full of great deeds. On the way to Athens, Theseus fights the Crommyonian Sow and Procrustes. Having met his father, Theseus decides to free the country from the Minotaur and travels to Crete with the other Athenians sent as tribute. He promises his father that he will put up white sails as a sign (...)

audiovisual

YEAR: 1971

COUNTRY: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

TAGS: Aegeus Ariadne Centaurs Chiron/Cheiron Crete Crommyonian Sow Greek mythology Minos Minos’ Palace Minotaur Minotaur’s Maze Mintotaur’s Labyrinth Mythology Procrustes Theseus

Marcia Dorothy Williams

Mini Greek Myths (Series): Theseus and the Minotaur & Arachne versus Athene

Like other books in the set of retellings of ancient Greek myths taken from Marcia William’s 1991 collection Greek Myths for Young Children, the current volume is divided into two sections. The first contains Williams’ retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur. The second, shorter, section, derails with Arachne’s’ contest at spinning with Athene. In the first section, divided into short chapters, Theseus sails from Athens to Crete as one of the set of young men and women(...)

literary

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Aegeus Arachne Ariadne Athena/ Athene Athens Crete Metamorphosis Minos Minotaur Naxos Theseus

Kate McMullan , Denis Zilber

Myth-O-Mania (Series, Book 5): Stop that Bull, Theseus!

This is the fifth book in the Myth-O-Mania series. In this series, Hades is the narrator who promises to tell the whole truth about the Greek myth; he claims that his brother Zeus, is a myth-o-maniac (that is, a liar) and that he fabricated the myths and wrote his version so that he and his children will appear noble and praiseworthy. In this book, Hades reveals the truth behind the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Hades claims that the Minotaur was actually Zeus’ grandson (Pasiphae (...)

literary

YEAR: 2012

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Aegeus Aethra Ariadne Cupid Daedalus Dionysus Furies Hades Icarus Labyrinth Medea Minos Minotaur Poseidon Procrustes Sciron Sinis Zephyr Zeus

José Daniel Cabrera Peña, Graeme Davis

Myths and Legends (Series): Theseus and the Minotaur

This book, part of the Myths and Legends series, surveys the myths attributed to Theseus: his eraly life and journey to Athens, the myth of the minotaur including the events preceding the creation of the labyrinth and king Minos, the desertion of Ariadne and the death of Aegeus, (the vents of the labyrinth take up 25 pp), Theseus as the king of Athens, Theseus and Pirithous, the Lapiths and Centaurs, Helen and Persephone, the Amazons, Phaedra and Hippolytus Theseus’ death and decedents, re(...)

literary

YEAR: 2007

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Aegeus Ariadne Heracles / Herakles Hercules Hippolytus Labyrinth Minos Minos (King) Minotaur Theseus

Nick Willing

Olympus

In a strange world where gods have been banished and jailed in the Underworld and their gigantic statues lie shattered on the ground in the realm of the living, a young man tries to find his destiny with the help of, or in spite of hindrance, deception and manipulation by, people he meets who try to use him for their own purposes. Against all odds he manages to conquer even the inexorable Time and unexpectedly frees Zeus from captivity in the depths of Hades: Zeus who has the young man’s f(...)

audiovisual

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: Canada United Kingdom

TAGS: Aegeus Anagnorisis Ariadne Chronos Circe Cyclops / Cyclopes Daedalus Dionysus Gaia / Gaea Hades Hero Medea Minos Mythical creatures Nymphs Olympian gods Oracle of Gaia Oracles Pandora Pandora’s Tomb Ring of the Magi Zeus

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Tanglewood Tales for Girls and Boys

Tanglewood Tales is the sequel to Hawthorne’s first volume of Greek myths for children, A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys. In the Introduction to this book, a precocious young storyteller Eustace Bright returns to Tanglewood Manor to visit Nathaniel Hawthorne, and they discuss the success of their recent publication, which, according to the fiction, Eustace composed and Hawthorne edited. Now Eustace presents his friend with a second collection of six stories. Although this volume does not f(...)

literary

YEAR: 1853

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Aeëtes Aegeus Aethra Antaeus Ariadne Cadmus Ceres Chiron/Cheiron Circe Crete Delphi Demeter Europa Golden Fleece Hades Hera Heracles / Herakles Hercules Hermes Jason Labyrinth Medea Minos Odysseus/ Ulysses Pelias Persephone Proserpine Telephassa Theseus

Robert Byrd

The Hero and the Minotaur: The Fantastic Adventures of Theseus

In this lavishly illustrated story of the ‘adventures of Theseus and his friends’ (endpapers), Robert Byrd explains the origins of Theseus’s birth and childhood, watched over by the sea-god Poseidon. His exploits as a child include standing up to Heracles, who enters the city of Troezen clad in the skin of a lion and lifting the boulder to find the golden sandals and sword of his father, King Aegeus (pp. 5-6). Excited by adventure, and the dream of meeting his father, Theseus s(...)

literary

YEAR: 2005

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Aegeus Aethra Ariadne Cercyon Daedalus Dionysus Icarus Minos Minotaur Poseidon Sciron Sinis Talus Theseus

Liz Porter

The Muddle-Headed Minotaur

A humorous, rhyming picture book with black and white cartoon illustrations, set in Greek village, is an entertaining introduction to Greek mythology for children. The story tells of “A muddle headed-minotaur who lived somewhere in Crete,/ decided to leave home…in search of something sweet” (Porter, 2003, p.1). Having spent too long in his dark lair, the Minotaur has become confused, but manages to find his way out of his cold, dark labyrinth. While everyone is at the loc(...)

literary

YEAR: 2003

COUNTRY: Australia

TAGS: Aegan Sea Aegeus Ariadne Black and White Sails Dionysus Heroism Minos (King) Minotaur Naxos Theseus

Sarah Coghill

The Twelve Labors of Hercules

Sarah Coghill relates the twelve tasks of Hercules in a simple, unembellished format. She takes the twelve labors and, in twelve chapters, details the challenges which Hercules faces in accomplishing his tasks. Without stinting on detail, Coghill methodically works through the tasks, providing information on relevant details of Hercules adventures as she goes.(...)

literary

YEAR: 2011

TAGS: Abderos Aegeus Amazons Athena/ Athene Atlas Cerberus Classical myth Demeter Diomedes Eryx Eurystheus Geryon Greece Hades Hera Heracles / Herakles Heracles’ life Hercules Heroism Hippolyta Hydra Iolaus Ladon Minos Molorchus Mythology Pasiphae Persephone Pholus Poseidon Prometheus Zeus

Geraldine McCaughrean

Theseus

The book unfolds the adventurous life of the Athenian hero Theseus from his birth to his old age. We learn of his different exploits and acts of bravery (slaying giants, fighting the Minotaur), as well as his mistakes and flawed relationship with others (the Amazon queen Hippolyta, his son). Through the story of Theseus expedition to Crete, to fight the Minotaur, two more characters are introduced, Daedalus and Icarus. Their story, especially their fatal flight is interwoven with Theseus’ (...)

literary

YEAR: 2003

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Aegeus Aethra Ariadne Athena/ Athene Athens Crete Crommyonian Sow Dionysus Heracles / Herakles Hercules Hermes Hippolyta Hippolytus Icarus Labyrinth Medea Medes Minos Minotaur Periphetes Phaedra Poseidon Sciron Sinis Theseus Zeus

Anna Manolatos, Frank Sikalas

Theseus and the Minotaur: Birth of a Hero

In this picture book version of the Theseus Myth, Theseus is a young man born of Princess Aethra and King Aegeus but also the son of Poseidon. He has incredible strength (being a demi-god) and is able to lift large boulders with one arm. When he turns 16, Theseus must remove his father’s sword and sandals from under a large rock, which have been hidden there until he is old enough to meet his father, King of Athens. Once he has obtained them, Theseus sails to his father’s kingdom. Up(...)

literary

YEAR: 2017

COUNTRY: Australia

TAGS: Aegeus Aethra Ariadne Minos Minotaur Poseidon Theseus

Natalia Kapatsoulia , Filippos Mandilaras

Theseus [Ο Θησέας]

The book aims to educate young learners about Theseus, presenting in a compact and entertaining manner episodes from Theseus’ life. The textual and visual narrative starts with Theseus’ parents, Aegeus and Aethra, and ends with the hero’s long rule as a wise king of Athens. The plot unfolds like a fairy tale, as is appropriate for a story about the four kings mentioned: Aegeus, Theseus, Pittheus, and Minos. There is constant action and we move on swiftly from one event to (...)

literary

YEAR: 2012

COUNTRY: Greece

TAGS: Aegeus Aethra Ariadne Athens Crete Marathon Midas Periphetes Procrustes Sciron Sinis Sounion Troezen