The House of Asterion summary

In this article you will find a Summary of the House of Asterion, belonging to Argentine literature. This story was created by the Argentine writer George Louis Borges, who began his laudable career in literature in the avant-garde movement.

A very peculiar writer

But not only was he literate, he was still a philosopher. Precisely this account of ‘The House of Asterion’, is something profoundly significant and philosophical.

This writer was blind at 30, but regardless of those conditions, he continued for the rest of his life, 56 years longer, producing and creating illustrious works of world literature.

The house of Asterion is the story of a legendary monster, which possessed a man’s body, but a bull’s head. It was the product of a strange mixture: a bull with Queen Pasifae; from there comes the spawn that was called Minotaur. That bull was presented to King Minus by Poseidon, but Poseidon refused to sacrifice him in his name. Then Poseidon took revenge by causing his wife, Pasifae, to fall in love with the bull.

At birth, King Minus ordered the inventor of his kingdom, Daedalus, to design a complex labyrinth from which it would be totally impossible to escape, to get him there. There it lasted 27 years and fed on young men who threw it in the form of a sacrifice. A savior appears from the poor deadly victims of those bloody rituals, called Theseus.

Theseus decided to give up his own life, in exchange for the cessation of these heinous murders. But he didn´t die, but on the contrary, he was able to kill the Minotaur by finding him asleep and also because he went down to that dark labyrinth, with the help of a ball of thread, which was provided to him by the daughter of King Minus Ariadne, who was in love with the hero.

Theseus’ astonishing adventure not only saved future victims from the horrible beast, but he was also able to rescue the young men who were alive there.

 By way of another short summary

Asterion, the main character, accused of pride and misanthropy, lives in his infinite home. He continually ponders, for nothing else has to do except receive nine men every nine years to be delivered from evil.

In this way the Asterion awaits his savior, his liberator who may take him to another house less intricate and to an end.

The labyrinth of Asterion was with him for all the days of his life. And that’s all he knows. The account of Asterion concludes when Theseus claims to have killed the Minotaur of Crete – our Asterion.