The story goes that the labyrinth was so confusing, even Daedalus himself could barely get out of it once he had constructed it. The minotaur lived in the labyrinth for a long period of time, and every year, seven youths were sent into the labyrinth as food for the minotaur.
Finally, it was Theseus who successfully navigated the maze and killed the minotaur , with the help of a ball of thread to retrace his steps.
However, the word labyrinth could be more general, referring to any maze-like structure and not a specific building. Herodotus mentions a labyrinthine building in Egypt, while Pliny describes a complex underground maze beneath the tomb of King Lars Porsena. There are references to labyrinthine mazes outside of Europe as well, such as in India, Native America and Russia. The path of a labyrinth may have been used to capture evil spirits. Some theorize that they were used for rituals and dances.
The symbol of the labyrinth is somewhat different to its possible architectural design, with many variations existing. The widely accepted symbol of the labyrinth features a circuitous path with a starting point that leads to the center.
Roman designs typically feature four of these Cretan labyrinths, combined into a larger, more complex pattern. While round labyrinths are the best-known versions, square patterns exist as well.
Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Labyrinth walking is an ancient practice used by many different faiths for spiritual centering, contemplation, and prayer. Entering the serpentine path of a labyrinth, you walk slowly while quieting your mind and focusing on a spiritual question or prayer. A labyrinth is not a maze.
It has only one path to the center and back out, which is called unicursal one line. It has no blind alleys or dead ends as mazes have.
The path twists and turns back on itself many times before reaching the center. Once at the center, there is only one way back out. The labyrinth symbolizes a journey to a predetermined destination such as a pilgrimage to a holy site , or the journey through life from birth to spiritual awakening to death.
Labyrinth images are found in many cultures. The term is of ancient Greek origin and the labyrinth in the palace of Knossos in Crete figures in Greek mythology. It is found in Hindu and Hopi images, among many others.
In Christian usage, a labyrinth was constructed in stone in the floor of Chartres Cathedral near Paris, around the year A. The faithful could make a pilgrimage journey to the cathedral and complete it by walking the labyrinth as the final symbol of a journey to the Holy Land. It was also used as an act of repentance for sins. The penitent might walk it on their knees. Labyrinths are found in many Gothic cathedrals throughout Europe.
Today, there is no set ritual for walking a labyrinth, but there are books and lectures to assist you in performing a labyrinth walk. The basic advice is to enter the labyrinth slowly, calming and clearing your mind. This may be done by repeating a prayer or chant.
Open your senses and focus on the process of taking slow and deliberate steps. Bring to mind a prayer or spiritual question to contemplate during the walk to the center.
Reaching the center, pause to reflect, pray, and listen for an answer or for deeper revelation. Sometimes we are at the heart of our life experiences, sometimes we are at a playful turn; sometimes we share our path with others, and other times we don't. No matter what, we are still on the labyrinth path. It holds all our experiences, in life and in work. And to draw upon the wisdom of the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, we need to be aware that what looks like an end point can also be a beginning point.
Indeed, in so many ways, the labyrinth is like life. Many great cathedrals were built on the sites of ancient labyrinths. At Chartres Cathedral in France, the circuit labyrinth on the floor of the cathedral is considered by some as symbolic of the ancient pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
But the labyrinth is also a metaphor for what is sacred in our lives. Through its twists and turns, its ancient spaciousness holds everything we experience -- our minds and emotions, our physical beings and our spirits, our losses and gains, our successes and failures, our joys and sorrows.
When we walk the path inward, we carry our burdens with us. When we meditate or pray in the center, we ask for grace, forgiveness, and understanding. When we walk the path outward, we are lighter, more joyful, and ready again to take on our life's challenges. Because of my Greek family heritage, which is rooted in Crete, I've long been fascinated with the Cretan labyrinth, a classic seven-circuit labyrinth dating back more than 4, years.
Some people believe the Cretan design evolved from the spirals found throughout nature, but it's the ancient myth of Theseus entering the labyrinth at Knossos to fight the Minotaur that captured my imagination.
As a child I wanted to explore the unknown; I wanted to be of service, even as I defied authority to find my way along the twists and turns of the path.
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