Mazes and labyrinths – why are there two terms in popular use and just what is the difference between them? Look up the words in a dictionary and no real difference between the two will be found. If lucky, maybe a mention of hedges, Minotaurs, or Hampton Court can be found but most of society has lost the true meaning behind both words and the difference between them. Therefore, before continuing into the history of the maze and labyrinth, a definition must be set to constitute the defining features, why these two terms are used, often interchangeably, and what makes up the real difference between them.
To qualify as a maze, a design must have choices in the pathway.
This category includes most of the modern installations in tourist attractions and entertainment parks, which exist solely to perplex potential visitors. The crossroads offer special challenges to the visitor, who must choose the right path and make a decision. The path may turn out to be wrong. Mazes therefore are built in a certain way. The paths are separated by high walls, fences, hedges, or mirrored glass. The visitor cannot is blind to the center. It may suddenly appear, or he may unexpectedly find himself back at the entrance. St. Augustine is belived to have said; In order to get to know a maze, you must follow it, enter it, get lost in it, and make your way out of it again.
To qualify as a labyrinth, a design should have but one path.
In the labyrinth, there is only one path, and that always leads to the center. The path is drawn on stony ground with chalk or paint, laid out as a mosaic, cut into a lawn, or planted with flowers. The labyrinth’s visitor always has the center in view. As the visitor continues to forward, they walk along the compete path of the labyrinth; they are constantly aware that they are approaching the center and moving away from it again. After many detours, and walking the entire length of the labyrinth, the center in inevitably reached: ‘Solvitur ambulando’ (‘It is solved by walking’)
Of course, as in life, nothing is quite that simple. The dividing line between what constitutes a maze and a labyrinth can sometimes become blurred and difficult to define. By and large, the intent of the design is usually clear enough to allow the simple categorization of any example you may encounter and, on the whole, this discussion will adhere to these definitions.
Early examples of Labyrinthine patterns—carved into rock surfaces or painted on walls or pottery and in some cases dating back to prehistoric times—can be found mainly in Europe but also in North Africa, the Indian sub-continent and Indonesia, the American Southwest and South America. Historians believe that the labyrinth symbol initially spread throughout Europe and then to other continents, where native cultures developed the basic design and shaped it to their own characteristics and beliefs.
This type of classical labyrinth is also referred to as ‘Cretan,” based on the Greek myth of King Minos, Theseus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur. In its more primitive form, it has just three circuits leading to the center, but often there are seven. Today many physical examples of classical labyrinth designs still survive in Scandinavia, especially along the coastline of the North Sea. Their paths were outlined using rocks and boulders. Some date back to the Viking Age, but many were built later.
In England, what are called turf labyrinths were found dug into the soft soil and green fields. You can clearly see how to get to the center then back out. They do not induce disorientations, and they were not meant to. Rather, these unicursal (single-path) structures were traveled in order to preform ancient rituals—a prayer to the gods that those far away will return safe and sound, or that an heir will be born. They can be followed an infinite number of times. Entering and exiting such a labyrinth is like repeating a mantra. The prepetition is the point. These labyrinths are thus not just structures but serve as choreographies for rites and pagan prayers. Indeed, in many documents dealing with Etruscan culture in central Italy, the labyrinth is referred to as ‘truia’, which literally means ‘dance surface’ or ‘dance arena.’
During the Roman Empire, labyrinth patterns were often used in mosaic floors in the villas of affluent citizens or important public buildings. The so-called Roman labyrinths are variations of the basic Cretan layout, but the often take a square or rectangular shape, and there are numerous variations, with more or less circuits.
In medieval times, the classical Cretan or Greek labyrinth was used in a Christian religious context and can be found in the decoration of church walls and floors. These designs often take polygonal shapes, such as octagons, and have eleven concentric circuits leading to the center. In this context, the labyrinth becomes a metaphor for the world of sin and following its path symbolizes man’s ascent from sin to redemption.
During the Renaissance, a very different type of labyrinth evolved.