Terra sebv s acta mvsei sabesiensi s

Reception of the Icarus Myth in the Mass Art of the Late 

20

th

-21

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 Century

 

 

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the Bolshoi Theater in 1971 (to music by Sergei Slonimsky and libretto by 

Yuri Slonimsky). Here we see two approaches to the image of Icarus that 

are defined by both the creative and socio-cultural contexts of the times. 

Serge Lifar’s memoires were published under the name Memoirs of Icarus

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and in them he compares the classical character to himself, escaping from a 

primitive and impoverished state during his traineeship to universal 

recognition and glory as a renowned dancer and choreographer. Not 

accidentally, V. Gajewski underlines in his historical comment to the 

memoirs of the famous dancer and choreographer that in the ballet, 

“Icarus is stylised as a classical self-portrait of Lifar himself: he rushed from 

poverty [during his] traineeship to the heights of excellence and from 

miserable obscurity to worldwide fame.”

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Slonimsky’s ballet was created within the traditions of Soviet ballet-

dramas. Icarus opposes the governor, who rejects the idea of flying above 

the land to get close to the sun, as well as the person who is obsessed with 

such an idea. And when Icarus rises into the sky, Archon, who considers 

the flight too much like that of the gods, strikes the boy with an arrow and 

interrupts his flight for the edification of others.

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As we see, in terms of classical reception there is movement from the 

symbol to the sign but not to the image in both these cases. The symbolic 

content of Icarus is originally designated as a person soaring to the sky, but 

further interpretation of this character not only expands and deepens the 

“ancient” content, but reduces it, reflecting features already noted by the 

professionals, in a direction from symbolic expression to sign, to an 

undeveloped form of the representation of reality.

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 And the last 

interpretation in contemporary art: Icarus becomes the sign of a fall.

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 The 

ambiguity of this character in the popular consciousness led to the fact that 

Icarus was not named among the ten most popular mythical characters in a 

questionnaire conducted by the author.

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The question arises as to whether there is any material that would 

allow mass culture, particularly rock poetry, to interpret the symbolic figure 

of Icarus as an image embodying the classical content of ancient heritage? 

The only good written source for the myth of Daedalus and Icarus is 

Ovid’s  Metamorphosis,

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 which narrates that Daedalus, the creator of the 

                                                 

14

 Lifar 1989, p. 261. 

15

 Lifar 1994, p. 456. 

16

 Icarus 1985, p. 118-119. 

17

 Rubtsov 1991, p. 39. 

18

 Sliwinski 2011, р. 213. 

19

 Yegorova, Chiglintsev 1999, p. 145. 

20

 Fowler 2013, p. 397. 

www.cclbsebes.ro/muzeul-municipal-ioan-raica.html   /   www.cimec.ro

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E. A. Chiglintsev 

 

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famous Labyrinth of Crete, became trapped in his own creation and that to 

escape he created for himself and his son Icarus wings made of feathers 

held together with wax. The flight was fraught with danger because if their 

altitude were too low the wings would become damp with sea water, but at 

the same time, were they to fly too high the sun could melt the wax and the 

wings would fall apart. Daedalus warned his son of this. However, the joy 

of flight caused Icarus to forget about the warning: he flew too high and his 

wings melted, causing him to crash into the sea (Ovid, Met. VIII. 203-225). 

Thus, according to Ovid, Icarus becomes one more symbol, a symbol of a 

fatal and tragic disobedience. 

Since the motivation for Icarus’ behaviour is not mentioned in the 

myth, the lyrics of rock songs justifiably present a romantic interpretation: 

that he wanted to fly high like the birds. In the beginning of the song Icarus 

(1983) by a group called Alpha (Sergey Sarychev) the plot of the myth is 

described almost completely: 

“Once, in ancient times was Icarus / Doing other work, he really wanted / 

To be unusual and to fly in the sky like a bird / He made two wings like an 

eagle’s / Having tied the wings to his hands, the young Icarus / Glanced up 

at the birds, jumped down and crashed.” 

Exploring the lyrics further, it becomes quite clear that the authors 

have a very definite purpose in offering this particular interpretation of the 

myth of Icarus. Antiquity (“ancient times”) is opposed to the modern 

practice of flight: nowadays, they sing, all people fly “on a rocket or a 

broom,” and if there are any obstacles they are not stopped by them. 

Mankind has managed to overcome its limits and the world will remember 

“those who have conquered / The abyss of height, and made our lives full 

of inspiration.” A refrain runs through the whole composition in the form 

of an incantation: “Man always strives for the skies / Man always strives for 

the skies / Man always strives for the skies.”

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From this somewhat sloppy reproduction of the mythical story, an 

existential parable addressed to our contemporaries is built. The verse 

places emphasis on the “young Icarus” who did not want to be like 

everyone else, presenting a very direct message to the listener. 

Rhetorical questions, asked with the intention of triggering a specific 

association in the perceptions of each listener, are posed by Alexander 

Yelin, lyricist of group “Aria” in their song Icarus (1986): “Who saw Icarus, 

/ There, in the blue distance? / ... / Who gave him the wings? / Who 

waited for him on the rock?” 

The straightforward answer to one of the questions can be found in 

the myth itself: most narratives, starting from the time of antiquity, describe 

                                                 

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 http://www.rockruss.ru/006_gruppyalfa.html, accessed 18 December 2013. 

www.cclbsebes.ro/muzeul-municipal-ioan-raica.html   /   www.cimec.ro

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