Mysteries of vernacular: Clue - Jessica Oreck
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Clue or clew? Before the word clue became associated with mystery novels, it meant a ball of string or thread, a definition dating back to Greek mythology. Jessica Oreck unravels this mystery of the vernacular.
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The Minotaur was a bull-headed monster born to Queen Pasiphae of Krete after she had coupled with a bull. The creature resided in the twisting maze of the labyrinth, where he was offered a regular sacrifice of youths and maids to satisfy his cannibalistic hunger. He was eventually destroyed by the hero Theseus.
Ariadne was the immortal wife of the wine-god Dionysos. There were several versions of her story. In one, Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Krete, assisted Theseus in his quest to slay the Minotaur and then fled with him aboard his ship.
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