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BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Our ancient ancestors made labyrinthine designs in earth, stone and architecture, or with objects. Excavations have resulted in uncovering these designs in such varied places as Crete, Eastern Europe, the British Isles and the American Southwest. In medieval Europe some ancient cathedrals included labyrinthine patterns worked out in stone on the floors. They were illuminated with overhead stained glass and used to represent a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There is some evidence that liturgical functions took place in the center. |
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THE MEANING OF THE LABYRINTH The tendency of all people to imitate nature’s designs is universal. Whether one examines a seashell, the human ear, animal systems (circulatory, respiratory, excretory) as well as a simple thumb print, the pattern is universal. What is more natural than for the human builder or artist to imitate the work of the Creator? The design is never a simple circle but a geometric figure created with transverse and curved lines interwoven in an intricate pattern. The labyrinth, however, is not a maze since it leads one into the center and out again in a single smooth path without traps |
| THE EXPERIENCE: One who walks a labyrinth simulates a journey. At the entrance one engages in a quest that goes through convoluted paths to the center hoping for enlightenment and insight. For some it seems like a dangerous undertaking. Going to the center can be like a death experience as one sheds needs and distractions, troubles and tensions. Reaching the center can bring a sense of new life and renewed purpose. Walking out can bring a sense of relief. |
Learn how the labyrinth was created >>
Labyrinth flowers gallery:
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