Dragons Teeth

In ancient Greek mythology a hero named Jason yoked two fire breathing bulls and plowed a field. Into the furrows he sowed dragons' teeth from which sprang armed men.

The men then turned on Jason.

See TechnicalDebt, where this term was suggested as an alternative.

I just found another reference, but it's slightly different:

Cadmus- A Phœnician hero, son of King Agenor. His father sent him to seek his sister Europa, whom Zeus in the guise of a bull had carried over the sea on his back. Unable to find her and afraid to return, he ws directed by an oracle to build a city and call it Thebes. The oracle at Delphi told him that a snow-white cow would lead him to location that was good for a walled city. But, after he got there, his men started disappearing one by one as they were sent to get water. He found out that they were being slayed by a huge dragon guarding the spring. Cadmus slayed the dragon, but he didn't have any men left to help him build his city. So he sacrificed the white cow to gods and pleaded for their help. Athena answered by telling him that he should pull out all the dragons' teeth and sow them into the ground. Although this sounded weird, he did as he was told. And from the ground came up 50 warriors, but they all ran at Cadmus with their swords. Athena called to him and told him to "Throw a rock among them!" He did and they then fought furiously among themselves, leaving him only five men. Together they built the city called Thebes.

Sorry, should have looked up the reference before citing it... I'd always used this phrase in terms of creating future trouble for yourself by your current action. I stand corrected. Now, what about this other bit with the rock?... --SteveFreeman

I think that this story could be interpreted as storing up future trouble for yourself. You're planting dragon's teeth (the cruft), and it comes back to get you.

I'm not entirely sure where the rock comes into the metaphor.

I believe it would help if you have placed your life on the line for something and come out of it alive.

Maybe the pattern should be called something like ChickensComingHomeToRoost?.

--RogerLipscombe

CategoryStory