The Curious History of Mazes: 4,000 Years of Fascinating Twists and Turns: With Over 100 Intriguing Puzzles to Solve

276 Pages·2018·62.71 MB·English

by  Julie E Bounford

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: ORIGINS AND DEFINITIONS
The earliest recorded labyrinths: legends, patterns, purposes, and symbols CHAPTER 2: THE
CLASSICAL MAZE
Labyrinths in the ancient world
CHAPTER 3: THE SPIRITUAL MAZE
Labyrinths as sacred rituals, symbols, and sites
CHAPTER 4: THE MEDIEVAL MAZE
Labyrinths in cathedrals, churches, castles, and chateaux CHAPTER 5: THE RUSTIC MAZE
Turf and stone mazes: sites of rustic revels
CHAPTER 6: THE ROMANTIC MAZE
Hedge mazes and garden creations
CHAPTER 7: THE MODERN MAZE
The modern revival
CHAPTER 8: THE MAZE EXPERIENCE
Tools for personal development, solving puzzles, and having fun CHAPTER 9: MAZES IN MODERN
POPULAR CULTURE
Potent and versatile cultural devices
CHAPTER 10: MAZES TODAY: A GAZETTEER
Locating historical, replica, and interesting mazes SOLUTIONS
WORKS CITED AND NOTES
INTRODUCTION
“All Mathematics would suggest
A steady straight line as the best,
But left and right alternately
Is consonant with History.”
—from The Labyrinth by W.H. Auden
T
he curious history of mazes does not run in a “steady straight” line, but,
instead, begins with the labyrinth: a simple motif that is no doubt familiar to us
all. With its true origins still shrouded in mystery, the chronicle of the labyrinth,
and more recently of the maze, spans the past four thousand years, taking many
twists and turns. This book introduces archetypes that have emerged over the
centuries, serving different symbolic, ritualistic, and practical purposes
worldwide. As such, the labyrinth is embedded in our psyche as a powerful
symbol of the human experience, and in this book we examine form, function,
fulfillment, and fun. There are many intriguing aspects to this marvelous history.
Not least that the very word maze, which is so often used interchangeably with
labyrinth, is not as old as its companion—although both have multiple
derivations.
The Roman poet Virgil, in 29–19 BCE, brings them together in The Aeneid
and describes the labyrinth as having, “a path woven with blind walks.” It is a
“bewildering work of craft with a thousand ways where the tokens of the course
were confused by the indiscoverable and irretraceable maze.” A seminal work of
Western literature, this poem is imbued with labyrinthine leitmotif in its
narrative structure, imagery, and ideas. It brings together themes such as
ambiguity, confusion, uncertain choices, and the search for a clear path. Much
later, in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (1387–1400 CE) we find examples
of early English usage that also combine these themes. People are in a state of
“masednesse.” That is, they are puzzled or bewildered: “Ye mase, ye masen
goode sire, quod she, This thank have I for I have made to you.” (The
Merchant’s Tale).
With this curious history I do not aim to “mase,” but I do invite you to
explore the evolution of labyrinths and mazes through time and across
continents. There are some surprises along the way as we reinterpret historical
artifacts such as Arthur Bernard Deacon’s 1926 labyrinthine illustration of a
turtle sand drawing from the island of Malekula in the New Hebrides. You are
also invited to solve many puzzles included throughout the following pages, in
which some famous mazes are reproduced, so there is no need to travel to
Chartres in France or Hampton Court Palace in England. They are here in this
book, drawn by illustrator Trevor Bounford, for you to contemplate, trace, and
solve at your leisure, time and time again if you like, along with other well-
known examples. I also present a collection of new puzzle mazes created
exclusively for this book. The levels of difficulty vary and suit a wide range of
abilities. You are invited to tackle one and all, and in doing so you may wish to
consider the advice of English maze master, Greg Bright, who writes in his
groundbreaking 1973 Maze Book:
I suggest the best way to follow the paths is with the aid of a match-stick. The reader will probably
get the most out of a maze by treating his journey as if he were walking it, refraining from jumping
back to the start and from one point to another, and from trying with his eyes to work the route back
from the end. A method that prevents accidentally crossing lines is to place tracing paper over the
maze and mark in your journey. An experiment one can try is to make a small hole in the center of a
large sheet of paper, place the paper over the maze and follow the route using this restricted view.
This method makes exploring the maze closer to actually walking it.
Mazes are for those who want to tune in to their innate sense of curiosity.
Meditate, learn, and reconnect with your sense of fun.
Explore the Curious History of Mazes
Start to build your knowledge of an extraordinary global phenomenon. This
curious history draws upon a wealth of historical and classical literature;
accounts written by explorers, archaeologists, historians; and the output of
modern and contemporary world-renowned experts and enthusiasts including
(and especially) Jeff and Kimberly Saward, Michael Ayrton, Greg Bright, Janet
Bord, Hermann Kern, Robert Ferré, the Reverend Dr. Lauren Artress, Sig
Lonegren, Jill Purce, Adrian Fisher, Randoll Coate, Geoffrey Ashe, Jim
Buchanan, Giovanni Mariotti, and Francesca Tatarella.
The Sawards, cofounders of Labyrinthos (an online Labyrinth Resource
Center, photo library, and archive), justifiably claim that labyrinth literature has
long been riddled with error, exaggeration, and romantic speculation. This book
introduces a complex history, citing thoughts and theories while echoing some of
the prevailing mysteries.
Give Yourself the Time and Space that You Deserve
Allow time to explore the beauty and benefits of labyrinths and mazes as
instruments of self-discovery, transformation, and fulfillment. Taken as a
powerful metaphor for life’s journey, labyrinths and mazes can be used today as
tools for meditation and learning at any level, even when completed as a
recreational pastime.
Take a Journey
Journey not to escape but rather move toward a deeper understanding of the
challenges that you face, be they small or large. This is not about running away.
Labyrinths and mazes emulate life, and as with life, the road is never straight. At
your own pace, use each twist and turn to pause and reflect on where you are and
where you may be heading. Sometimes it is necessary to choose a different path,
and the ultimate destination may, or may not be, the same as when you started.
Perhaps your intentions are true, but you need to reconsider how to approach
them.
Reconnect with Your Authentic Self
Gain a greater sense of self-awareness as you move toward the goal. Use the
side-to-side motion of the labyrinth to ease yourself, back and forth, into a
realignment of your perspective. Seek fresh insight into a particular challenge,
make a decision or choice, let go of an issue or person, heal emotional wounds,
make a decision or choice, let go of an issue or person, heal emotional wounds,
or set new goals. To tackle all these and more, you need to reconnect with your
authentic self and be true to your core values.
Have Fun
A brainteaser or simple mental stimulus may be all that you are looking for to
relax. Getting lost or disorientated and then finding your way can be great fun. It
does not always have to be a journey to self-awareness, although it is surprising
what you learn about yourself along the way. Use this book as an introduction to
the wonderful world and history of labyrinths and mazes, and as a tool for
discovery and play.
The book begins in chapter one by focusing on the origins and definitions of
mazes and labyrinths. We will see that throughout their legends and long history
mazes and labyrinths refuse to conform to any rudimentary definition. Chapter
two focuses on the classical maze and examines Roman and Greek artifacts. In
chapter three we consider the spiritual perspectives in which labyrinths have
been given a metaphysical or sacred status in different cultures that takes us
beyond the natural world. In chapter four we see the expansion of the Christian
interpretation, and in chapter five we learn about folklore and communal
traditions of the rustic maze.
In chapter six we see how mazes have become a status symbol on the one
hand, and a popularized pastime on the other. And in chapter seven we witness
the explosion of interest in a modern revival, which takes the design and
construction of mazes to levels never previously imagined. The essence of what
it is like to encounter labyrinths and mazes is examined in chapter eight before
we close our curious history in chapter nine by noting a selection of interesting
and curious examples from one or two modern cultural cannons.
A gazetteer in chapter ten provides information on where to find a selection
of labyrinths and mazes around the world today. Illustrations of some existing
mazes are included in the book, and as you might like to visit and explore these
yourself, I have resisted showing their solutions. However, solutions to the
puzzles specially created for this book–and to three selected historical mazes–
can be found following the gazetteer.
CHAPTER 1:
ORIGINS AND DEFINITIONS
The earliest recorded labyrinths: legends, patterns, purposes, and symbols
“Thou mayst not wander in that labyrinth:
There Minotaurs and ugly treasons lurk.”
—from Henry IV Part One by William Shakespeare, 1597
I
f this is a curious history of mazes, why are we starting with labyrinths?
Some may argue it is because there is little or no distinction between them. Are
we not talking about the same thing? Certainly, in recent years the terms have
become almost synonymous. Others, however, may insist that we at least
acknowledge their fundamental differences. They will declare that a maze is a
puzzle, and a labyrinth is not. When you thread a labyrinth, which is unicursal,
the one path may twist, turn, and double back, but that path will generally not be
concealed and will normally lead to a center. When you explore a maze, which is
multicursal and often enclosed by a boundary, the numerous paths, some with
obscured dead ends, will lead to confusion, as you have to choose which way to
turn in your quest to reach the center or the exit.
While this may seem obvious, and while the many examples you will
While this may seem obvious, and while the many examples you will
encounter in this book share similar essential characteristics, I aim to
demonstrate that through their curious and long history, mazes and labyrinths
refuse to conform to any rudimentary definition. Over time and distance, they
have served many and varied symbolic and practical functions, several of which
I share. English expert and maze maestro, Adrian Fisher, declares that the
location of a maze often reveals a great deal about its origin and purpose. For
example, a decorative maze, cut in a rock or a church pillar, or laid out in
mosaic, should be followed by the eye or traced with the finger. A maze laid out
on common land, such as a public park or on the coast, is accessible to the whole
community. A formal pavement or knot garden maze at a stately home or palace
is better appreciated when observed from the property’s upper windows.
I do not claim to have written a definitive account of mazes and their history
in this overview, for that is all it can be, and others such as Jeff Saward, the
world’s authority, have already done so. I do, however, set out the distinctive
characteristics of selected archetypes within their historical context, so that you
may learn a little about them and judge for yourself what they mean to you. Your
own experience of encountering these will depend upon a number of things,
including your motive and mood at the time. Do you want to be informed? Do
you want to have fun? Do you want to meditate? As we know, the purpose of
meditation is not to switch off or empty the mind, but rather to focus. Moving
around a labyrinth can help you do that. Whatever you are seeking to do,
engaging with labyrinths and mazes will stimulate concentration and ultimately
lead to a solution of some kind—this is their greatest shared characteristic!
Let us consider the earliest labyrinths. The labyrinth design occurs world
wide during prehistoric times with subtle variations, when travel between the
continents would have been virtually nonexistent, which simply adds to the
mystery of its origins. It suggests that humans as a race have always been
intrigued by the pattern, which emerged as an expression of a preoccupation
with spirals, circuitous routes, and their associated rituals. Knowledge of the
original purpose of these rituals in specific cultures has not always traveled as
effectively over time as the design itself, and from today’s perspective, we can
only surmise the true meaning in some cases. Labyrinths do, of course, occur in
nature and must surely have inspired humans to create labyrinthine symbols. The
Greek word for the Nautilus shell, for example, is laburinthoi. There is a
significant body of literature on the history and meaning of labyrinths and,
unsurprisingly, the research goes on while the modern revival in all things
labyrinthine continues unabated—no conclusions are finite.
The earliest recorded labyrinths created by humans are found in petroglyphs,
ancient rock carvings, as well as enigmatic labyrinthine Neolithic and early
Bronze Age monuments in stone and rock. For example, cup and ring carvings
that appear labyrinthine in form are found in the north of England and in
Scotland. Elementary labyrinths like these markings are also found in other parts
of Europe (see Fig. 1 for an example found in Switzerland) and throughout
Scandinavia. Dating these precisely is challenging, and identifying the very first
carved labyrinth is tricky, if not impossible.
Fig. 1: Cup and ring markings, Switzerland. Photo: Christoph Gassamann.
Jeff Saward points to one particular contender, incised on an inner chamber
wall of the Neolithic tomb known as Tomba del Labirinto at Luzzanas in
Sardinia (Fig. 2). First “discovered” in 1965 by Italian archaeologist Ercole
Contu, the location of this labyrinth was subsequently “rediscovered” by
American Professor David Singmaster in 1997. Hermann Kern in his
comprehensive publication, Through the Labyrinth, dated this artifact in line
with the construction of the tomb, tracing it back to 2500–2000 BCE. As Saward
observes, however, the case for Kern’s conclusion is not strong. Questions were
raised about the possibility of an iron knife blade being used to carve the