The King of Crete demanded that, to atone for the death of his son, the city of Athens send him seven young men and seven young women every seventh year. When they arrived in Crete, they were sent into the Labyrinth, at the centre of which lived the Minotaur, a monstrous creature with the body of a man but the head of a bull. If the Minotaur didn\u2019t kill the young Athenians, they were condemned to wander the tortuous maze, losing first their way and eventually their lives.<\/p>\n
This human tribute had been paid twice when Theseus, a prince of Athens, took his place among the 14 youths. In most retellings of the myth, it is taken for granted that the hero will defeat the Minotaur in combat. But the physical fight is not the point of this story \u2013 it\u2019s how Theseus overcame the mental challenge of navigating the Labyrinth. As well as his sword, he took with him a ball of thread, a\u00a0clew<\/em>, to line his path. No matter how deep into the maze he had to go, the thread would bring him out safely.<\/p>\n Theseus\u2019s clew is the root of the modern English word clue, and clues are the best way to solve a mystery. They are signposts showing that a puzzle, no matter how convoluted it seems, has a straightforward solution. Real life is messier than myth or fiction, but we still tend to believe that our problems can be reduced to something manageable, if we only gather enough clues.<\/p>\nReference:<\/h4>\n
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