In Greek mythology, Daedalus was the craftsman who built wings from feathers and wax for himself and his son.
Daedalus was famous as an inventor, sculptor, and architect. King Minos of Crete commissioned him to construct the Labyrinth, the complex structure that held the Minotaur. Later, Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus because Daedalus had helped Ariadne and Theseus escape the Labyrinth in some versions of the tradition.
To flee Crete, Daedalus made two sets of artificial wings by fastening feathers together with wax. He warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun or too close to the sea. Icarus flew upward, the heat softened the wax, and he fell into the sea and drowned.
The story is often remembered as a warning against overconfidence, but Daedalus himself survives and reaches safety. Daedalus and Icarus are sometimes confused: Daedalus designed the wings, while Icarus was the son who ignored the warning.