![]() The oldest known manuscripts with labyrinths date from the 9th century. These numbers result from the rhythmical structure of the path of the labyrinth, which also necessitated the radial division into four quadrants. It is built on a 12-circle concentric pattern delineating 11 lanes. The Medieval design of the labyrinth was mainly used as a manuscript illustration. ![]() Against most authors, I believe that the Medieval labyrinth evolved from the Roman labyrinth, not from the Cretan labyrinth. The Roman labyrinth is in four quadrants corresponding to four identical labyrinths visited in sequence. That design has been found on the floor of a christian church in Algiers dating from about 324. The Roman civilization has developed a particular labyrinth design, used mainly in floor mosaics. There exists a rectangular version of that design, also much diffused, but it has no relation to the Medieval labyrinth. That design was much diffused and is still in use to-day. The eight-turn spiral pattern results from the meandering extensions of the four arms of the initial cross. It is built on an eight-turn spiral pattern delineating seven lanes. However, the design is much older than the Cretan period. That model was named Cretan because it had first been found on Cretan coins. The oldest known examples of the graphical motif of the labyrinth were engraved on the natural stone, according to a design which was simpler than that of the medieval labyrinth, but nevertheless already well defined. ![]() History: The Three Classic Designsĭuring the history of the European classical labyrinth, one can distinguish three periods, which have produced three different design types: the Cretan labyrinth, the Roman labyrinth and the Medieval labyrinth. This revival also concerns other models of the classical labyrinth, in particular the Cretan labyrinth. A common practice is to meditate while walking the labyrinth reproduced on the floor or ground. The Revival of the Classical Labyrinthįor the last ten or twenty years, there has been a renewal of interest in the classical labyrinth, especially the Chartres labyrinth: it is considered both as a fascinating cultural object and as a powerful spiritual tool. It was incorporated in the floor pavement around 1200, during the construction of the cathedral. The best-known is the one on the floor of the Chartres cathedral, in France. The classical labyrinth has only one path, with no loops or dead-ends. Kinesthetic sensations will be aroused by even the simple visual traveling, and will bring the rhythm of the labyrinth to be felt. A labyrinth is made to be traveled.Įven a small-scale model can be traveled, either visually or with the finger or a pointed instrument. But the essence of the labyrinth is in its path, not in its design. The Classical Graphic Motif of the LabyrinthĪt first sight, a labyrinth is a relatively decorative assembly of lines, a relatively symmetrical and complex geometric design.
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