The cutting of the Gordian Knot is an Ancient Greek legend associated with Alexander the Great in Gordium in Phrygia, regarding a complex knot that tied an oxcart. Reputedly, whoever could untie it would be destined to rule all of Asia. In 333 BC, Alexander was challenged to untie the knot. Instead of untangling it laboriously as everyone expected, he dramatically cut through it with his sword. This is used as a metaphor for inventing an unexpected method to solve a seemingly intractable problem.
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Gordian Knot in the context of Lateral thinking
Lateral thinking is a manner of solving problems using an indirect and creative approach via reasoning that is not immediately obvious. Synonymous to thinking outside the box, it involves ideas that may not be obtainable using only traditional step-by-step logic. The cutting of the Gordian Knot is a classical example.
The term was first used in 1967 by Maltese psychologist Edward de Bono who used the Judgement of Solomon, the Nine Dots Puzzle, and the sewing machine (automating the work rather than adding more workers) as examples, among many others, of lateral thinking.
Gordian Knot in the context of Knot
A knot is an intentional complication in cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including hitches, bends, loop knots, and splices: a hitch fastens a rope to another object; a bend fastens two ends of a rope to each another; a loop knot is any knot creating a loop; and splice denotes any multi-strand knot, including bends and loops. A knot may also refer, in the strictest sense, to a stopper or knob at the end of a rope to keep that end from slipping through a grommet or eye. Knots have excited interest since ancient times for their practical uses, as well as their topological intricacy, studied in the area of mathematics known as knot theory.
Gordian Knot in the context of Alexander the Great in legend
The vast conquests of the Macedonian king Alexander the Great quickly inspired the formation and diffusion of legendary material about his deity, journeys, and tales. These appeared shortly after his death, and some may have already begun forming during his lifetime. Common themes and symbols among legends about Alexander include the Gates of Alexander, the Horns of Alexander, and the Gordian Knot.
In the third century AD, an anonymous author writing in the name of Alexander's court historian Callisthenes (commonly referred to as Pseudo-Callisthenes) authored the Greek Alexander Romance. This work gave rise to a genre of literature chronicling the myths and adventures of Alexander, which evolved through over a hundred versions during premodern times and was translated into nearly every language across European and Islamic civilizations.