Who flew towards the sun wearing wings and what happened to him?

Question

The wings were fixed with wax and they were not the wings of love but of .........?

Answer 1

The wings were made of bird's feathers and held together by bee's wax. Daedalus told his son not to fly to low, or they would become damp and he would fall into the sea, and not to fly too high, because the heat of the sun would melt them. Icarus did not listen, and he fell into the sea and drown. To this day, the Greek island of Icarias in the Aegean Sea is named after this tragic figure.

But what caused the tragedy? Icarus, because he was filled with hubris (pride), ignored his father's (Daedalus') warnings. One reason for the story is to teach us to not become overly prideful, because it will lead to our downfall.

One of my favorite paintings is "The Fall of Icarus" (1558) by Peter Brueghel. Brueghel was a Northern Renaissance artist, painting at a time where Europe was torn apart due to the Reformation and religious warfare. It's said that this painting is based on a colloquialism "no plow stops for a dying man" and is a commentary not on individual pride but on how individual tragedy is often ignored by those who are not involved.

You can see the painting online at: http://www.mit.edu/~tprester/bruegel2.html

I use this painting in my class and it's like playing "Where's Waldo" You have to look at it for a few moments before you find Icarus and see what is really going on.

Answer 2

Icarus, his father made him some wax wings to fly out of a labyrinth or something. He was warned to stay way from the sun but he flew towards it anyway, his wings melted and he fell into the ocean.

Answer 3

If it was in sunny Southern California on August 23, 1977, then it might have been a young man named Bryan Allen "wearing" the human-powered airplane "Gossamer Condor" built by Paul MacCready. What happened to him is that won the Kremer prize for a lengthy flight over a figure eight course. I believe similar human powered aircraft flew in the proximity of the Icarus legend and also across the English Channel. People jump off cliffs with nothing but paragliders to support themselves with and sailplanes obtain lift to high elevations from upward rising thermals. The larger the propeller, you know, the more efficient the airplane and a small engine or even human power may be all that is necessary for lengthy flights if the propeller has long enough blades and a good start is obtained by going downhill to get airborne.

Answer 4

Icarus flew too close to the sun, so the wax melted and the wings fell apart

Answer 5

Icarus, son of Daedalus. He flew too close to the sun although his father warned him not to. Then the wax on his wings melted and he fell into the ocean. But we shouldn't be surprised, after all he was a guy!

Answer 6

Icarus flew into the sun. He and his Father were imprisoned and to escape, they built themselves wings made of wax and feathers to fly across the ocean. His Father warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun but he did not listen, the wax of his wings melted and the wings broke apart. He fell into the ocean and drowned.

Answer 7

Icarus and Daedalus. Both were flying with the waxed wings. Icarus flew too close to the sun and his wax melted.

Answer 8

Icarus. His father, Daedalus, made them for his son and himself so they could escape the Labyrinth at Crete. Despite his father's warnings, Icarus flew too close to the sun, his wings of wax and feathers melted, and he fell into the sea.

Answer 9

daedalus and icarus escaped from their prison on crete when daedalus made his son icarus artificial wings out of birds' feathers held together with wax (keeping a pair for himself as well).

daedalus warned his son not too fly too high, but icarus was fascinated by the beauty of the sun and soared towards it.

the wax holding his wings together melted in the heat of the higher air and he fell into the sea and drowned (the greeks called that strait the icarian sea from then on).

Answer 10

That was Icarus, the wax melted, the wings fell off, and he tumbled into the sea and drowned.

His father, who designed the wings (and also the famous labyrinth), was Daedalus.