New study proposes a surprising reinterpretation of one of Greece’s most enduring myths: as a physical creature, it never existed.
“As soon as she gave birth to Asterius, he was called Minotaur: he had the face of a bull, but everything else was human.”
The quote, recalled by , is from an excerpt from Apollodorus, a writer from the second century AD.
According to myth, Minos – king of Crete – claimed the throne when Asterius died; He asked Poseidon (god of the seas) to send him a bull, which would be sacrificed in his honor. Poseidon sent but Minos did not kill him. He was fascinated and let him live. Poseidon didn’t like it and, to get revenge, he forced Minos’ wife, Pasiphae, to fall in love with the bull. And then a monster was born.
But now there’s a new one that suggests that The myth of the Minotaur was born from drug rituals in ancient Crete.
In other words, the Minotaur may never have existed as a physical creature, but rather as a vision shared by participants in ancient Minoan rituals.
Researcher Anna Eselevich argues that the legend of the bull man may have originated in hallucinatory experiences caused by psychoactive substances and the disorienting architecture of the place – this part about the famous maze – where the Minotaur was closed, eventually hidden by Minos, and to stay away from people.
The investigation mixes archaeological, chemical and mythological evidence to reconstruct how ritual practices in Minoan Crete may have inspired history.
The labyrinthine structure of Knossos — with winding corridors, hidden chambers and little natural light — may have induced a feeling of confusion and sensory deprivation during the ceremonies.
According to Eselevich, this environment could amplify the effects of mind-altering substances, leading participants to experience vivid hallucinations or “encounters” with hybrid beings, continues the .
Chemical analyzes of Minoan pottery revealed traces of opium, wine and plant compounds. This discovery suggests the use of psychoactive mixtures in sacred contexts (similar practices are well documented in ancient Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures.
The bull had deep symbolic meaning in Minoan religion. Researchers suggest that, during the rituals, it may have been perceived a real bullinside the palace; this under the effect of hallucinogens and the flickering light of torches. And they will have understood that it was a terrifying, half-human creature.
In other words, the result will have been a collective vision which later evolved into the myth of the Minotaur.
The study also explores the possible connection to serfdom in Bronze Age Crete. Captives or slaves may have been locked in the palace’s dark chambers as part of initiation rituals, echoing later narratives about young Athenians sacrificed to the Minotaur.
The study concludes that the legend of the Minotaur does not represent a literal monster, but rather a cultural memory of visions, of collective experiences.
