Clue

In mythology, Theseus built the labyrinth to trap the Minotaur. He built it so cleverly that he was afraid he would be lost in the maze. But Ariadne, a princess who had fallen in love with him, gave him a ball of string and told him to unwind it as he walked into the labyrinth and then follow it back out.  

That simple gift allowed Theseus to enter, slay the Minotaur, and find his way out.  

This hero myth became so well known that Ariadne's ball of yarn—called a "clew" in Old English—became synonymous with anything that helped to solve a problem. Over time, the spelling of the word changed to "clue."

 
A poem from Writing the Day | A Ronka Poetry Practice Since 2014

The convent labyrinth is covered with snow,
but some person and two small deer
have been walking Daedalus' circle without walls.
I follow the unseen path and pray
for a clue to lead me out.