The legend of the Minotaur comes to Oxford
There are two stories to this exhibition, then, or perhaps even three. The first is the legend of the Minotaur itself, which continues to fascinate and terrify even after all this time. The second is that of Sir Arthur Evans, bungling and brilliant, with his important if controversial excavation of Knossos and his interpretation of its secrets. The third is the one that perhaps I want to engage with least of all: Theseus in the labyrinth pursued by the beast, with all its metaphorical application to my own life as I stumble through my personal maze. Does the Minotaur presage the roaring lion of Compline, who “walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” – and if so, where is my saving piece of string secured, and to what, or to whom?
