Daedala

American  

[deed-l-uh] / ˈdid l ə /

noun

(sometimes used with a plural verb)

1. either of two festivals held in ancient Boeotia in honor of the reconciliation of Hera with Zeus, one Little Daedala being held every 6 years, the other Great Daedala, every 59 years.

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Etymology

Origin of Daedala

< Greek Daídala (neuter plural), noun use of daídalos daedal

Example Sentences

This mountain, too, was the scene of the mystic rites of Dionysus, and the festival of the Daedala in honour of Hera.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 4 "Cincinnatus" to "Cleruchy" by Various

Every few years the people of Plataea, in Boeotia, held a festival called the Little Daedala, at which they felled an oak-tree in an ancient oak forest.

From The Golden Bough by Frazer, James George, Sir

In the Daedala, as the festival was called at Plataea, an effigy was made from an oak-tree, dressed in bridal attire, and carried in a cart with a woman who acted as bridesmaid.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 3 "Helmont, Jean" to "Hernosand" by Various

Indeed it is shrewdly conjectured that Daedalus derived his name from wooden statues called Daedala; and that amongst the ancient Greeks, Daedalus meant nothing more than one skilled in making Daedala.

From How to See the British Museum in Four Visits by Jerrold, W. Blanchard

The sacred marriage, therefore, though connected with vegetation at the Daedala, was not necessarily a vegetation-charm in its origin; consequently, it does not prove that Hera was an earth-goddess or tree-spirit.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 3 "Helmont, Jean" to "Hernosand" by Various