Roman mosaic picturing Theseus and the Minotaur. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Art History Mosaics of the 4th century BC are found in the Macedonian palace-city of Aegae, and they enriched the floors of Hellenistic For other uses see Theseus (disambiguation Theseus (Θησεύς was a Legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( Greek:, Mīnṓtauros) was a creature that was part man and part bull. Rhaetia, Switzerland. Raetia (so always in inscriptions classical manuscripts usually use the form Rhaetia) was a province of the Roman Empire, bounded on the west by the country Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation

Classical labyrinth.

Medieval labyrinth.

Walking the famous labyrinth on floor of Chartres Cathedral.

Chakravyuha, a threefold seed pattern with a spiral at the centre, one of the troop formations employed at the battle of Kurukshetra, as recounted in the Mahabharata. The Chakravyuha is an army formation mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Kurukshetra War ( Devangari: कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध forms an essential component of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata

I'itoi, the "Man in the Maze", a popular design in Native American basketry. Iʼitoi or Iʼithi is in the tradition of the O'odham peoples the michievous creator god who resides in a cave just below the peak of Baboquivari Mountain, For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. Basket weaving (also basketry, basket making, or basketmaking) is the process of Weaving unspun Vegetable Fibers into

In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (Greek λαβύρινθος labyrinthos) was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly This article is about the mythological character For other uses see Daedalus (disambiguation. In Greek mythology, Minos ( Ancient Greek:) was a mythical king of Crete son of Zeus and Europa. Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the Knossos (alternative spellings Knossus, Cnossus, Greek Κνωσός kno̞ˈso̞s also known as the Knossos Palace is the largest Its function was to hold the Minotaur, a creature that was half man and half bull and was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus. In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( Greek:, Mīnṓtauros) was a creature that was part man and part bull. Appearances of the Bull (also known as Taurus) in Mythology and worship are widespread in the ancient world Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and For other uses see Theseus (disambiguation Theseus (Θησεύς was a Legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered Daedalus had made the Labyrinth so cunningly that he himself could barely escape it after he built it. ^[1] Theseus was aided by Ariadne, who provided him with a fateful thread, literally the "clew", or "clue", to wind his way back again. Ariadne, in Greek mythology (Latin Arianna French Arianne was daughter of King Minos of Crete and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter

The term labyrinth is often used interchangeably with maze, but modern scholars of the subject use a stricter definition. A maze is a complex Tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route For them, a maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage with choices of path and direction; while a single-path (unicursal) labyrinth has only a single Eulerian path to the center. A puzzle is a Problem or Enigma that challenges Ingenuity. In a basic puzzle one is intended to piece together objects in a logical way in order to In Graph theory, an Eulerian path is a path in a graph which visits each edge exactly once A labyrinth has an unambiguous through-route to the center and back and is not designed to be difficult to navigate.

This unicursal design was widespread in artistic depictions of the Minotaur's Labyrinth, even though both logic and literary descriptions of it make it clear that the Minotaur was trapped in a multicursal maze. Logic is the study of the principles of valid demonstration and Inference. ^[2]

A labyrinth can be represented both symbolically and physically. Symbolically, it is represented in art or designs on pottery, as body art, etched on walls of caves, etc. Art refers to a diverse range of Human activities creations and expressions that are appealing to the Senses or Emotions of a human individual Pottery is the Ceramic ware made by potters It also refers to a group of materials that includes Earthenware, Stoneware Body art is Art made on with or consisting of the Human body The most common forms of body art are Tattoos and Body piercings but other Physical representations are common throughout the world and are generally constructed on the ground so they may be walked along from entry point to center and back again. They have historically been used in both group ritual and for private meditation. Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness

Ancient labyrinths

Pliny's Natural History mentions four ancient labyrinths: the Cretan labyrinth, an Egyptian labyrinth, a Lemnian labyrinth and an Italian labyrinth. Gaius or Caius Plinius Secundus, ( AD 23 – August 25, AD 79 better known as Pliny the Elder, was an ancient Author Naturalis Historia ( Latin for "Natural History" is an Encyclopedia written Circa AD 77 by Pliny the Elder.

Labyrinth is a word of pre-Greek (Pelasgian) origin absorbed by Classical Greek and is perhaps related to the Lydian labrys ("double-edged axe", a symbol of royal power, which fits with the theory that the labyrinth was originally the royal Minoan palace on Crete and meant "palace of the double-axe"), with -inthos meaning "place" (as in Corinth). The name Pelasgians (from Ancient Greek grc Πελασγοί Pelasgoí, singular Πελασγός Pelasgós) was used by some ancient Greek Lydian was an Indo-European language spoken in the region of Lydia in western Anatolia (present-day Turkey) Labrys is the term for a doubleheaded Axe, known to the Classical Greeks as pelekys ( or Sagaris, and to the Romans as a bipennis Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. The complex palace of Knossos in Crete is usually implicated, though the actual dancing-ground, depicted in frescoed patterns at Knossos, has not been found. Knossos (alternative spellings Knossus, Cnossus, Greek Κνωσός kno̞ˈso̞s also known as the Knossos Palace is the largest Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the Something was being shown to visitors as a labyrinth at Knossos in the 1st century AD (Philostratos, De vita Apollonii Tyanei iv. 34). ^[3]

Greek mythology did not recall, however, that in Crete there was a Lady who presided over the Labyrinth. A tablet inscribed in Linear B found at Knossos records a gift "to all the gods honey; to the mistress of the labyrinth honey. Linear B is a script that was used for writing Mycenaean, an early form of Greek. " All the gods together receive as much honey as the Mistress of the Labyrinth alone. "She must have been a Great Goddess," Kerenyi observes. ^[4]

The labyrinth is the referent in the familiar Greek patterns of the endlessly running meander, to give the "Greek key" its common modern name. In Art and Architecture, a meander is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line shaped into a repeated motif In the 3rd century BCE, coins from Knossos were still struck with the labyrinth symbol. The 3rd century BC started the first day of 300 BC and ended the last day of 201 BC The predominant labyrinth form during this period is the simple seven-circuit style known as the classical labyrinth.

The term labyrinth came to be applied to any unicursal maze, whether of a particular circular shape (illustration) or rendered as square. At the center, a decisive turn brought one out again. In the Socratic dialogue that Plato produced as Euthydemus, Socrates describes the labyrinthine line of a logical argument:

Then it seemed like falling into a labyrinth: we thought we were at the finish, but our way bent round and we found ourselves as it were back at the beginning, and just as far from that which we were seeking at first. Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece SOCRATES is the European Community action programme in the field of Education. Thus the present-day notion of a labyrinth as a place where one can lose [his] way must be set aside. It is a confusing path, hard to follow without a thread, but, provided [the traverser] is not devoured at the midpoint, it leads surely, despite twists and turns, back to the beginning. ^[5]

Cretan labyrinth at Knossos

Wrapped in legend, but also clearly manifested in the archaeological record is the huge Bronze Age labyrinth at Knossos. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Knossos (alternative spellings Knossus, Cnossus, Greek Κνωσός kno̞ˈso̞s also known as the Knossos Palace is the largest As Hogan notes, the importance of the labyrinth to the identity of Knossos is amplified by the recurrence of the double-axe (or labrys) symbol in various artworks and architectural embellishments at the Knossos palace complex. ^[6] That the Cretan labyrinth had been a dancing-ground and was made for Ariadne rather than for Minos was remembered by Homer in Iliad xviii. Ariadne, in Greek mythology (Latin Arianna French Arianne was daughter of King Minos of Crete and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the The Iliad ( Greek: Ἰλιάς (Ancient Ιλιάδα (Modern is together with the Odyssey, one of two ancient 590–593, where, in the pattern that Hephaestus inscribed on Achilles' shield, one incident pictured was a dancing-ground "like the one that Daedalus designed in the spacious town of Knossos for Ariadne of the lovely locks. Hephaestus (hɨˈfiːstəs or /hɨˈfɛstəs/ Greek Hēphaistos) was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. " Even the labyrinth dance was depicted on the shield, where "youths and marriageable maidens were dancing on it with their hands on one another's wrists. . . circling as smoothly on their accomplished feet as the wheel of a potter. . . and there they ran in lines to meet each other. "

Herodotus' Egyptian labyrinth

Even more generally, labyrinth might be applied to any extremely complicated maze-like structure. Herodotus, in Book II of his Histories, describes as a "labyrinth" a building complex in Egypt, "near the place called the City of Crocodiles," that he considered to surpass the pyramids in its astonishing ambition:

It has twelve covered courts — six in a row facing north, six south — the gates of the one range exactly fronting the gates of the other. Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash The Histories of Herodotus of Halicarnassus is considered the first work of history in Western literature. Crocodilopolis or Krokodilopolis ( Greek:) or Ptolemais Euergetis or Arsinoe (Greek) was an ancient city in the Heptanomis, The Egyptian pyramids are pyramid shaped structures located in Egypt, and were built as a tomb for dead pharaohs Inside, the building is of two storeys and contains three thousand rooms, of which half are underground, and the other half directly above them. I was taken through the rooms in the upper storey, so what I shall say of them is from my own observation, but the underground ones I can speak of only from report, because the Egyptians in charge refused to let me see them, as they contain the tombs of the kings who built the labyrinth, and also the tombs of the sacred crocodiles. The upper rooms, on the contrary, I did actually see, and it is hard to believe that they are the work of men; the baffling and intricate passages from room to room and from court to court were an endless wonder to me, as we passed from a courtyard into rooms, from rooms into galleries, from galleries into more rooms and thence into yet more courtyards. The roof of every chamber, courtyard, and gallery is, like the walls, of stone. The walls are covered with carved figures, and each court is exquisitely built of white marble and surrounded by a colonnade. ^[7]

Pliny's Lemnian labyrinth

Pliny the Elder's Natural History (36. Gaius or Caius Plinius Secundus, ( AD 23 – August 25, AD 79 better known as Pliny the Elder, was an ancient Author 90) lists the legendary Smilis, reputed to be a contemporary of Daedalus, together with the historical mid-sixth-century BCE architects and sculptors Rhoikos and Theodoros as two of the makers of the Lemnian labyrinth, which Andrew Stewart^[8] regards as "evidently a misunderstanding of the Samian temple's location en limnais ['in the marsh']. Smilis was a legendary Ancient Greek sculptor the contemporary of Daedalus, whose name was associated with the archaic Cult figure of Hera at "

Pliny's Italian labyrinth

According to Pliny, the tomb of the great Etruscan general Lars Porsena contained an underground maze. Lars Porsena (sometimes spelled Lars Porsenna) was an Etruscan king known for his war against the city of Rome. Pliny's description of the exposed portion of the tomb is intractable; Pliny, it seems clear, had not observed this structure himself, but is quoting the historian and Roman antiquarian Varro. Marcus Terentius Varro (116 BC &ndash 27 BC also known as Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his younger contemporary Varro Atacinus, was a Roman

Ancient labyrinths outside Europe

At about the same time as the appearance of the Greek labyrinth, a topologically identical pattern appeared in Native American culture, the Tohono O'odham labyrinth which features I'itoi, the "Man in the Maze". Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The Tohono O'odham, also known as the Papago, are a group of aboriginal Americans who reside primarily in the Sonoran Desert of the southwest Iʼitoi or Iʼithi is in the tradition of the O'odham peoples the michievous creator god who resides in a cave just below the peak of Baboquivari Mountain, The Tonoho O'odham pattern has two distinct differences from the Greek: it is radial in design, and the entrance is at the top, where traditional Greek labyrinths have the entrance at the bottom (see below).

A prehistoric petroglyph on a riverbank in Goa shows the same pattern and has been dated to circa 2500 BCE. Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. Other examples have been found among cave art in northern India and on a dolmen shrine in the Nilgiri Mountains, but are difficult to date accurately. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Early labyrinths in India all follow the Classical pattern; some have been described as plans of forts or cities [1]. Labyrinths appear in Indian manuscripts and Tantric texts from the 17th century onward. Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and They are often called "Chakravyuha" in reference to an impregnable battle formation described in the ancient Mahabharata epic. The Chakravyuha is an army formation mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

Labyrinth as pattern

In antiquity, the less complicated labyrinth pattern familiar from medieval examples was already developed. In Roman floor mosaics, the simple classical labyrinth is framed in the meander border pattern, squared off as the medium requires, but still recognisable. Often an image of a bull-man, a minotaur, appears in the centre of these mosaic labyrinths. In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( Greek:, Mīnṓtauros) was a creature that was part man and part bull. Roman meander patterns gradually developed in complexity towards the fourfold shape that is now familiarly known as the medieval form. The labyrinth retains its connection with death and a triumphant return: at Hadrumentum in North Africa (now Sousse), a Roman family tomb has a fourfold labyrinth mosaic floor with a dying minotaur in the center and a mosaic inscription: HICINCLUSUS. Hadrume(ntum (sometimes called Adrametum or Adrametus) was a Phoenician colony that pre-dated Carthage and stood on the site of modern-day North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Sousse ( Arabic سوسة Sousa) is a city of Tunisia. Located 140 km south of Tunis, the city has 173 047 inhabitants (2004 VITAMPERDIT "Enclosed here, he loses life" (Kerenyi, fig. 31).

Earliest recovered labyrinth, incised on a clay tablet from Pylos. This article is about the Greek geographical feature and town	Minotaur in Labyrinth—a Roman mosaic at Conímbriga, Portugal. Conímbriga is one of the largest Roman settlements in Portugal, and is classified as a National Monument.	Wall maze in Lucca Cathedral, Italy (probably medieval). Lucca is a city in Tuscany, northern central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plain near (but not on the Ligurian Sea	Seven-ring classical labyrinth of unknown age in Rocky Valley near Tintagel, Cornwall, UK. Tintagel (tɪnˈtædʒəl with the stress on the second syllable Cornish: Dintagell) is a village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall
A Scandinavian "Trojaburg" ("Troy Town") seven-ring classical labyrinth outlined with stones. Many Turf mazes in England were named Troy Town, Troy-town or variations on that theme (such as Troy, The City of Troy, Troy's	Public hedge maze in "English Garden" at Schönbusch Park, Aschaffenburg, Germany. Aschaffenburg (aˈʃafənbʊɐ̯k dialect) is a large town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.	Small turf maze near Dalby, North Yorkshire, UK. North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in	Turf maze at Wing in Rutland, UK. Rutland is a county of mainland England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire, and southeast by
Minotaur at center of labyrinth, on ancient gem.	9/11 memorial labyrinth, Boston College, USA. For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA.	Paving labyrinth, turf, annual begonias. Begonia is a Genus in the Flowering plant family Begoniaceae. Boulogne-sur-Mer. Boulogne-sur-Mer ( Bonen in Dutch is a City in Northern France.

Medieval labyrinths and "turf mazes"

The full flowering of the medieval labyrinth design came about during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries with the grand pavement labyrinths of the gothic cathedrals, most notably Chartres, Reims and Amiens in northern France and the Duomo di Siena in Tuscany. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral Notre-Dame de Reims ( Our Lady of Rheims) is the Cathedral of Reims, where the kings of France were once crowned The Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens (French Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens) or simply Amiens Cathedral, is the tallest complete Cathedral in This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Medieval Cathedral of Siena ( Italian: Duomo di Siena) dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church and Tuscany (Toscana is a region in Italy. It has an area of 22990 km² and a population of about 3 These labyrinths were supposed to have originated in a symbolical allusion to the Holy City, and certain prayers and devotions doubtlessly accompanied the perambulation of their intricate mazes^[9]. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the It is this version of the design that is thought to be the inspiration for the many secular turf mazes in the UK, such as survive at Wing, Rutland, Hilton, Cambridgeshire, Alkborough (North Lincolnshire), and at Saffron Walden in Essex. Historically a turf maze is a Labyrinth made by cutting a convoluted path into a level area of short Grass, turf or Lawn. Wing is a small Village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. Hilton is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, about 11 miles (18 km northwest of Cambridge. Alkborough is a village of about 455 people in North Lincolnshire, England, located near the northern end of the cliff range of hills overlooking North Lincolnshire is a Unitary authority area in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. Saffron Walden is a medium-sized market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common

Over the same period, some 500 or more non-ecclesiastical labyrinths were constructed in Scandinavia. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well These labyrinths, generally in coastal areas, are marked out with stones most often in the simple classical form. They often have names which translate as "Troy Town". Many Turf mazes in England were named Troy Town, Troy-town or variations on that theme (such as Troy, The City of Troy, Troy's They are thought to have been constructed by early fishing communities, to trap malevolent trolls/winds in the labyrinth's coils in order to ensure a safe fishing expedition. A troll is a fearsome member of a race of creatures from Norse mythology. There are also stone labyrinths on the Isles of Scilly, although none of them are known to date back as far as the Scandinavian ones.

There are remarkable examples of the labyrinth shape from a whole range of ancient and disparate cultures. The symbol has appeared in all its forms and media (petroglyphs, classic-form, medieval-form, pavement, turf and basketry) at some time, throughout most parts of the world, from Java, Native North and South America, Australia, India and Nepal. Petroglyphs are Images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising pecking carving and abrading Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia.

Modern labyrinths

Labyrinth at St. Lambertus, Mingolsheim, Germany. Bad Schönborn is a town in Northern Karlsruhe County in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Labyrinth on floor of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. Grace Cathedral is an Episcopal Cathedral located on Nob Hill in San Francisco California.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the labyrinth symbol, which has inspired a revival in labyrinth building, notably at Willen Park, Milton Keynes; Grace Cathedral, San Francisco; Tapton Park, Chesterfield; and the Labyrinth in Shed 16 in the Old Port of Montreal. Milton Keynes ( ˌmɪltənˈkiːnz often abbreviated to MK, is a large town Grace Cathedral is an Episcopal Cathedral located on Nob Hill in San Francisco California. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Chesterfield is a historic Market town and local government district in Derbyshire, a County in England. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec

Countless computer games depict mazes and labyrinths. A personal computer Game (also known as a computer game or simply PC game) is a Video game played on a Personal computer, rather

On bobsled, luge, and skeleton tracks, a labyrinth is where there are three to four curves in succession without a straight line in between any of the turns. Bobsleigh, bobsled or bobsledge is a Winter sport invented by Englishmen in the late 1860s in which teams make timed runs down narrow twisting banked A luge is a small one- or two-person Sled on which one sleds supine (face up and feet-first Skeleton is a Winter sport in which competitors aim to drive a one-person Sled in a prone head-first position down an ice track in the fastest time

Modern takes on Greek labyrinth

In modern imagery, the labyrinth is often confused with the maze, in which one may become lost. A maze is a complex Tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route

The myth of the labyrinth has in recent times found incarnation in a stage play by Ilinka Crvenkovska which explores notions of a man's ability to control his own fate. Theseus in an act of suicide is killed by the Minotaur, who is himself killed by the horrified townspeople. For other uses see Theseus (disambiguation Theseus (Θησεύς was a Legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( Greek:, Mīnṓtauros) was a creature that was part man and part bull.

The Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges was entranced with the idea of the labyrinth, and used it extensively in his short stories. His use of it has inspired other authors' works (e. g. Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, Mark Z. Umberto Eco (born 5 January 1932 is an Italian Medievalist, semiotician, Philosopher, literary critic and Novelist, best The Name of the Rose, a novel by Umberto Eco, is a Historical whodunnit — a Murder mystery set in an Italian Monastery Danielewski's House of Leaves). House of Leaves is the debut Novel by the American author Mark Z Additionally, Roger Zelazny's fantasy series, The Chronicles of Amber, features a labyrinth, called "the Pattern", which grants those who walk it the power to move between parallel worlds. Roger Joseph Zelazny ( May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American writer of Fantasy and Science fiction The Chronicles of Amber is a popular Fantasy series by Roger Zelazny. The avant-garde multi-screen film, In the Labyrinth, presents a search for meaning in a symbolic modern labyrinth. In the Labyrinth was a groundbreaking multi-screen presentation at Expo 67.

The labyrinth is also an important subject in contemporary fine arts. Fine art is any Art form developed primarily for Aesthetics rather than Utility. Remarkable 20th-century examples include Piet Mondrian's Dam and Ocean (1915), Joan Miro's Labirynth (1923), Pablo Picasso's Minotauromachia (1935), M. C. Escher's Relativity (1953), Friedensreich Hundertwasser's Labyrinth (1957), Jean Dubuffet's Logological Cabinet (1970), Richard Long's Connemara sculpture (1971), Joe Tilson's Earth Maze (1975), Richard Fleischner's Chain Link Maze (1978), István Orosz's Atlantis Anamorphosis (2000), and Dmitry Rakov's Labyrinth (2003). The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Pieter Cornelis (Piet Mondriaan, after 1912 Mondrian, (pronounced Dutch pit 'mɔndrian later pit 'mɔndɹiɔn ( March 7, 1872 &ndash February Joan Miró i Ferrà ( April 20, 1893 &ndash December 25, 1983) was an ethnic Catalan (of Spanish nationality Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso (October 25 1881 &ndash April 8 1973 Maurits Cornelis Escher (17 June 1898 – 27 March 1972 usually referred to as M Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser, born Friedrich Stowasser, (December 15 1928 &ndash February 19 2000 was an Austrian painter, Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet ( July 31, 1901 - May 12, 1985) was one of the most famous French painters and sculptors Richard Long (born June 2, 1945) is an English sculptor, Photographer and painter, one of the best known British Land Connemara (in Irish: Conamara) which derives from Conmhaicne Mara (meaning descendants of Con Mhac of the sea is a district in the west of István Orosz (b October 24 1951 Kecskemét) Hungarian painter, printmaker Graphic designer and animated film director is known for

Cultural meanings

Prehistoric labyrinths are believed to have served as traps for malevolent spirits or as defined paths for ritual dances. Stone Age Paleolithic See also Paleolithic, Recent African Origin, Early Homo sapiens, Early human migrations "Paleolithic" In medieval times, the labyrinth symbolized a hard path to God with a clearly defined center (God) and one entrance (birth).

Labyrinths can be thought of as symbolic forms of pilgrimage; people can walk the path, ascending toward salvation or enlightenment. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance Many people could not afford to travel to holy sites and lands, so labyrinths and prayer substituted for such travel. Travel is the change in location of people on a trip through the means of Transport from one location to another Later, the religious significance of labyrinths faded, and they served primarily for entertainment, though recently their spiritual aspect has seen a resurgence.

Many newly made labyrinths exist today, in churches and parks. A park is a protected area of Land and Water, usually in its natural or semi-natural (landscaped state and set aside for some purpose often to do with human Labyrinths are used by modern mystics to help achieve a contemplative state. Walking among the turnings, one loses track of direction and of the outside world, and thus quiets his mind. The result is a relaxed mental attitude, free of internal dialog. This is a form of meditation. Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness Many people believe that meditation has health benefits as well as spiritual benefits. Health is a state of complete physical mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity The Labyrinth Society provides a locator for modern labyrinths in North America.

See also

• Maze
• Prayer Labyrinth
• Caerdroia
• Troy Town
• Turf maze
• Mizmaze
• Celtic maze
• Julian's Bower
• Pharaoh (1895 novel by Bolesław Prus, incorporating an Egyptian Labyrinth inspired by that described in Book II of The Histories of Herodotus)
• Labyrinths (1962 collection of short stories by Jorge Luis Borges)
• Labyrinth (1986 film)
• Labyrinth (2005 novel by Kate Mosse)
• Pan's Labyrinth (2006 film)
• Maryam's Maze (novel by Mansoura Ez-eldin)
• Labyrinth Arts (community arts group)
• Labyrinth (inner ear)
• Labyrinthitis (balance disorder caused by inflammation of inner ear)
• Parterre

Notes

References

• Penelope Reed Doob, The Idea of the Labyrinth: from Classical Antiquity through the Middle Ages, ISBN 0-8014-8000-0.
• Herodotus, The Histories, Newly translated and with an introduction by Aubrey de Sélincourt, Harmondsworth, England, Penguin Books, 1965. Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash The Histories of Herodotus of Halicarnassus is considered the first work of history in Western literature. Aubrey de Sélincourt (7 June 1894 – December 1962 was an English writer Classical scholar and translator Harmondsworth is a place in the London Borough of Hillingdon nearby to London Heathrow Airport. Penguin Books is a British Publisher founded in 1935 by Allen Lane.
• Karl Kereny, Dionysos: Archetypal Image of Indestructible Life, Princeton University Press, 1976. One of the founders of modern studies in Greek mythology, Károly (Carl Karl Kerényi ( January 19, 1897 &ndash April 14 1973
• Helmut Jaskolski, The Labyrinth: Symbol of Fear, Rebirth and Liberation, Shambala (1997).
• Adrian Fisher & Georg Gerster, The Art of the Maze, Weidenfeld & Nicolson (1990). ISBN 0-297-83027-9
• Jeff Saward, Magical Paths, Mitchell Beazley (2002). ISBN 1-84000-573-4
• W.H. Matthews, Mazes and Labyrinths: Their History and Development, Longmans, Green & Co. (1922). Includes bibliography. Dover Publications reprint (1970). ISBN 0-486-22614-X.
• Andrew Stewart, One Hundred Greek Sculptors: Their Careers and Extant Works.
• Henning Eichberg, 2005: "Racing in the labyrinth? About some inner contradictions of running." In: Athletics, Society & Identity. Imeros, Journal for Culture and Technology, 5:1) Athen: Foundation of the Hellenic World, 169-192.
• Edward Hays, The Lenten Labyrinth: Daily Reflections for the Journey of Lent, Forest of Peace Publishing (1994).

External links

• Jeff Saward's Labyrinthos site
• The International Labyrinth Society
• Modern patterns, articles & stories
• Maze classification Extensive classification of labyrinths and algorithms to solve them.
• IRRGARTENWELT.DE Lars O. Heintel's collection of handdrawn labyrinths and mazes
• Labyrinth History and Information
• Mystery Labyrinth Remarks, descriptions, animations, pictures, links . . .
• Philippe Fassier (French) Maze Designer's Website
• The Geometry of History, Tessa Morrison, School of Fine Arts
• Thomas M. Waldmann, "Die Kretische Labyrinth-Höhle" 2007 A labyrinthine Cretan cave system near Gortyn (in German)
• Jo Edkins's Maze Page
• SpiralZoom.com, an educational website about the science of pattern formation, spirals in nature, and spirals in the mythic imagination & labyrinths. This article is about the ancient city in Crete another place with the same name is Gortyna Arcadia.
• Multiplayer Maze Game Flash-based free maze game
• [2] A maze with four levels and a surprise at the end.