Back داكتلس (أسطورة) Arabic Дактил (митология) Bulgarian Daktyloi Breton Dàctils Catalan Daktylové Czech Idäische Daktylen German Ιδαίοι Δάκτυλοι Greek Daktiloj Esperanto Dáctilo (mitología) Spanish Dactyles French
 | This article possibly contains original research. (December 2021) |
In Greek mythology, the Dactyls or Daktyloi (/ˈdæktɪlz/; from Ancient Greek: Δάκτυλοι Dáktuloi "fingers") were the archaic mythical race of male beings associated with the Great Mother, whether as Cybele or Rhea. Their numbers vary, but often they were ten spirit-men so like the three Korybantes[1] or the Cabeiri that they were often interchangeable.[2] The Dactyls were both ancient smiths and healing magicians. In some myths, they are in Hephaestus' employ, and they taught metalworking, mathematics, and the alphabet to humans.
When Ankhiale knew her time of delivery was come, she went to the Idaean Cave on Mount Ida or, alternatively, Psychro Cave on the Lasithi Plateau. As she squatted in labor she dug her fingers into the earth (Gaia), which brought forth these daktyloi Idaioi (Δάκτυλοι Ἰδαῖοι "Idaean fingers"),[3] thus often ten in number, or sometimes multiplied into a race of ten tens. Three is just as often given as their number. They are sometimes instead numbered as thirty-three.
When Greeks offered a most solemn oath, often they would press their hands against the earth as they uttered it.
- ^ Pausanias 5.7.6: "When Zeus was born, Rhea entrusted the guardianship of her son to the Dactyls of Ida, who are the same as those called Curetes."
- ^ Kerenyi, The Gods of the Greeks 1951:83-85;
- ^ Argonautica, i.1122: "The many Daktyloi Idaioi of Crete. They were born in the Diktaion cave by the Nymph Ankhiale as she clutched the earth of Oaxos [in Krete] with both her hands."