Labyrinths are NOT mazes:

• Mazes can have multiple entrances and exits

• Mazes can have several paths from which to chose

• Mazes usually do not have centers

• Mazes can have intersecting paths

• Mazes can have dead-ends or cul-de-sacs

• Mazes can have many changes in direction

• Mazes are constructed to challenge the mind

Labyrinths are similar to spirals:

• Spirals usually have only one entrance and exit
• Spirals have only one path in and back out
• Spirals have a center area
• Spirals do not have intersecting paths
• Spirals do not have dead-ends or cul-de-sacs
• Spirals do not have changes in direction
• Spirals do not challenge the mind
  
  

Labyrinths are singular paths that meander inward to a center area:

• Labyrinths have only one entrance and exit

• Labyrinths have only one path to follow

• Labyrinths have a center area

• Labyrinths do not have intersecting paths

• Labyrinths do not have dead-ends or cul-de-sacs

• Labyrinths do have changes in direction

• Labyrinths are not constructed to challenge the mind
  
  

Labyrinths help quiet the mind:

• through the consciousness of "walking" and noticing the repetition of our steps

• through the balancing of the right and left brain functions from the path's ever changing direction

• through the focusing of the mind and the blocking out of outer and inner disturbances

• through the discharge of excess psychic energy through the body's movement and grounding

• through the creation of a "sacred place" where the psyche can meet the soul

ORIGIN OF LABYRINTHS

The absolute origin is really unknown but the first indications of the use of labyrinths and mazes date back as long as 4,500 years ago.  They have come and gone in many shapes and sizes with the earliest applications found on Cretan coins and pottery.   They have been found in many cultures at many different times in man's history such as in Egypt, India, France, England, Ireland, Algeria, Scandinavia, Iceland, Peru and Arizona (native Americans).

The following will give you some historical dates in the use of labyrinths:

• 2500-2000 BC: Rock carving at Luzzanas in Sardinia

• 1800 BC: First labyrinth structure to walk through at Fayum in Egypt

• 1300 BC: Ceramic vessel at Tell Rifa'at in Syria

• 1200 BC: Clay table at Pylos in Greece

• 484 BC: First use of word "labyrinth" by Herodotus

Early Christian Connections:   

• "In early Christian theology, the path into the labyrinth was regarded as the path of ignorance leading to Hell, with Christ the Savior showing the way out. In some societies, labyrinth designs have been drawn on houses as a form of magic intended to confuse evil spirits and prevent them from entering the home.  Graves and burial mounds of labyrinthine design are believed not only to protect the dead but also to prevent their spirits from returning to trouble the living."
  THE SACRED EARTH
  Brian Leigh Molyneaux, p. 39
  Little, Brown & Company, London, England, 1995

Other modern writers have expressed the following thoughts:

• The early Church adapted the 7-circuit labyrinth design as a symbol of the Christian faith, that is, a single path to salvation .  

• The winding pathways symbolize the difficult path to salvation, with its many twists and turns caused by sin.
  

• The labyrinth symbolizes the three-fold paths of life, death, and rebirth.
  

Since we cannot see a straight path to our destination, the labyrinth was also viewed as a metaphor for our lives.  That is, we learn to surrender to the path (Christ), allowing our subconscious minds to emerge, trusting that the path will lead us to the center and back out again.


Some Early Christian Uses

There are two early Christian churches where they have found the labyrinth symbol.  

• One is at the 4th century basilica at Reparatus, Algeria:

• The other is on a wall at the St. Lucca Cathedral in Italy which dates back to the ninth century:

The Pilgrimage Labyrinths

Spiritual pilgrimages have been the part of many different religions throughout history. For instance the Hindu's pledge to bathe in the Ganges, the Muslims to pray in Mecca and the early Christian to visit Jerusalem.

During medieval times labyrinths were built in seven European Christian cathedrals as alternative pilgrimages since a trip to Jerusalem was very dangerous and costly in those times (this is the time of the Crusades).  The labyrinth was included in these cathedrals as the final stage of the pilgrimage and represented entry into the New Jerusalem.  

The most well-known of these "pilgrimage" labyrinths was the one built inside the cathredral at Chartres, France.  The cathedral was built in the early thirteenth century A.D. and the labyrinth was constructed using individually carved inlaid marble.  The labyrinth measures 42 feet in diameter and, even though the distance directly from the entrance to the center is only 18 feet, the total length of the path is close to a quarter of a mile long.  According to Lauren Artress, myth has it that the design of the Chartres labyrinth was actually part of King Solomon's temple and was carried to France by the Templars in the middle ages.  

For a candlelit photo of the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth, go to:
http://www.labyrinthproject.com/chartres2.html

At one time, the labyrinth at Chartres was part of the Easter rites where the dean of the cathedral would dance into the center, together with the congregation, in a symbolic act of Christ’s death and resurrection.  Mankind lost this tradition centuries ago along with the use of the Cathedral labyrinths as spiritual and meditative tools. This loss could be contributed to the effects of the Christian reformation in the sixteenth century and the development of man's infatuation with rationalization in the seventeenth century.

For those interested in studying this subject further, I have provided several outstanding links on my Labyrinth Links page.  

An interesting association:  

John Ridder (PAXworks) wrote in a message posted on The Labyrinth Society 's forum: "The chartres style labyrinth contains 14 labyrs (turning points). That's counting the 'matched' 1/2 turns in the entry quadrant as four. The Stations of the Cross have 14 stations..."

The "Stations of the Cross" are usually found inside Catholic churches and are pictorial representations of the trial, cruxificion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I have often observed when walking a Chartres style labyrinth, that some people seem to stop at the labyrs to meditate or pray before proceeding.  This is the same way people "walk" the Stations of the Cross...stop at a station, meditate or pray, and then move to the next.  Are the 14 labyrs coincidence or intentional?

Information on this page has been gathered from many sources on the internet including some of the websites shown on the Labyrinth Links page and from Rev. Lauren Artriss' book: Walking a Sacred Path. My intention on this page is to synthesize some of this information for the reader and create a desire to investigate this spiritual tool further.