 | Labyrinth: Encyclopedia II - Labyrinth - Labyrinth as pattern
Labyrinth - Labyrinth as pattern
In Antiquity the more 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. Roman meander patterns gradually developed in complexity towards the four-fold 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, a Roman family tomb has a fourfold labyrinth mosaic floor, with a dying Minotaur in the center and a mosaic inscription: HICINCLUSUS.VITAMPERDIT "Enclosed here, he loses life" (Kerenyi, fig.31).
Minotaur in the Labyrinth, a Roman mosaic at Conímbriga, Portugal
Wall maze in Lucca Cathedral, Italy (probably medieval)
Finger labyrinth of unknown age in Rocky Valley near Tintagel, Cornwall, UK
A Scandinavian "Trojaburg" ("Troy town") labyrinth outlined with stones
A small "turf maze" near Dalby, North Yorkshire
The turf maze at Wing in Rutland
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 and Amiens in Northern France and Siena in Tuscany. 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.
Over the same period some 500 or more non-ecclesiastical labyrinths were constructed in Scandinavia. 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". 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. There are also stone labyrinths on the Isles of Scilly, although none of them is 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.
Other related archives3rd century BC, Alkborough, Amiens, Apollonii Tyanei, Ariadne, Australia, Bolesław Prus, Caerdroia, Chartres, Chesterfield, City of Crocodiles, Conímbriga, Corinth, Crete, Daedalus, Essex, Eulerian path, Euthydemus, France, Great Goddess, Greek mythology, Hephaestus, Herodotus, Hilton, Cambridgeshire, Histories, Homer, House of Leaves, Iliad, India, Internet, Ireland, Isles of Scilly, Java, Jorge Luis Borges, Julian's Bower, Knossos, Labyrinth (film), Lara Croft, Linear B, Lucca, Medieval, Milton Keynes, Minos, Minotaur, Montreal, Nepal, North, North Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, Pelasgian, Pharaoh, Plato, Renaissance, Rutland, Saffron Walden, San Francisco, Scandinavia, Siena, Socrates, South America, Syria, The Histories of Herodotus, The Name of the Rose, Theseus, Tintagel, Troy Town, Turf maze, Tuscany, Wing, Rutland, bull, cathedrals, computer games, hero, humanistic, hypertext, internet, labrys, maze, meander, medieval, petroglyphs, puzzle, trolls, turf mazes
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Labyrinth as pattern", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
