DÆDALA, the name of a mountain and city of Lycia, where, according to Pliny, Dædalus was buried; and also
of two festivals celebrated in Bœotia. One of these was observed by the Platteans at Alalcomene, in a great oak-forest, where they exposed pieces of boiled flesh, and carefully noticed whither the ravens which came to prey upon them directed their flight. Those trees upon which any of the birds alighted were immediately cut down, and out of them were formed statues, called Dædala, in honour of Dædalus. The other festival was of a more solemn kind. It was celebrated every sixty years throughout all the cities of Bœotia, as a compensation for the intermission of the smaller festivals during that number of years, on account of the exile of the Platteans. Fourteen of the statues called Dædala were distributed by lot among the Platteans, Lebadæans, Coronæans, Orchomenians, Thespians, Thebans, Tanagreæans, and Chæronæans; the smaller towns taking one statue in common. The Bœotians assembled on the banks of the Asopus, where a statue of Juno was adorned and placed in a chariot; the procession being headed by a young woman habited as a bride. This procession was attended to the top of Mount Cithæron by many of the Bœotians, who had places assigned them by lot. Here an altar of square pieces of wood cemented together like stones was erected, and upon it were thrown large quantities of combustible materials. Afterwards a bull was sacrificed to Jupiter, and an ox or heifer to Juno, by every one of the cities of Bœotia, and by the most opulent individuals who attended. The poorer citizens offered sheep; and all these oblations, together with the Dædala, were thrown into the common heap, set on fire, and totally reduced to ashes. The origin of the observance was this: When Juno, after a quarrel with Jupiter, had retired to Eubœa, and refused to return to his bed, the god, anxious for her return, went to consult Cithæron, king of Plattea, in order to find some effectual measure for breaking her obstinacy. Cithæron advised him to dress a statue in woman's apparel, carry it in a chariot, and publicly report that it was Plattea, the daughter of Asopus, whom he was going to marry. Juno, informed of her husband's approaching marriage, repaired in haste to meet the chariot, and was greatly pleased when she discovered the artifice he had employed to effect a reconciliation.