I give you the end of a golden string;
Only wind it into a ball:
It will lead you in at Heaven’s gate,
Built in Jerusalem’s wall.
Blake
The labyrinth or maze is one of the most complex of all symbols. It can take many forms, but it is immediately recognizable. There are two forms: the unicursal, in which there is a single pathway, with no deviations or dead ends, and the multicursal, where there are many paths, which may include dead ends. The words labyrinth’ and maze’ can be used interchangeably, though maze may suggest a multicursal design where confusion arises, while labyrinth tends to be used for the more ancient and symbolic forms; constructions of turf and hedge are perhaps more often called mazes, and those of stone, labyrinths.
The labyrinth has a remarkable distribution throughout the world. Labyrinth patterns are known as far back as the Bronze Age in Northern Europe. The first recorded labyrinth in history was built in Egypt, in the reign of King Amenemhet (1842-1797 BC). It was a vast edifice, described by Herodotus as greater than the Pyramids’ and it seems to have been part tomb, part shrine and possibly a place of initiation.
The most famous labyrinth of antiquity was that of Knossos on Crete, supposedly built by Daedalus for King Minos around 1600 BC, and familiar to us from the myth of Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur. From coins found at Knossos the name Cretan’ came to be used for the Classical labyrinth, though Scandinavian labyrinths may predate Cretan civilization. There is evidence at Knossos of the cult of the bull, and of the sacrificial killing with the double axe or labrys: this symbol of Minoan power is thought to be the origin of the word labyrinth’. (The prehistoric Cretan myth has influenced many writers and artists, among them: Mary Renault, Michael Ayrton and the current bestseller by Kate Mosse.) The labyrinth also came to be connected with the city of Troy – the grandson of Minos led a Cretan contingent to the war – though an alternative derivation may refer to a Celtic word for turning’. There are over 250 ancient boulder labyrinths extant in Sweden which have Troy related names.
Roman labyrinths date from around 100 BC until the fall of the Western Empire in the early fifth century. They exist all over the former empire in Europe and North Africa; at Pompeii, a relatively small town, four were discovered. The typical Roman labyrinth is unicursal and composed of four meander patterns arranged in a cross. One enters at a certain point and crosses the whole quarter before passing on to the next quarter. After the final fourth quarter is walked, the centre is reached. This pattern is, of course, the typical Roman town layout. (Two Roman labyrinths may be seen in Cirencester (Corinium).
Several Italian churches of the first millennium are known to have had, or still retain, labyrinths. The most famous of these is the Byzantine church of San Vitale at Ravenna, dating from the early sixth century. The labyrinth is small and laid as part of the mosaic floor of the church. Its pattern is a forerunner of the more complex unicursal labyrinth pattern known as the medieval Christian labyrinth design, of which the Chartres maze is the best-known example.
The labyrinth in the thirteenth century Chartres cathedral, (rebuilt within twenty-five years after the Romanesque cathedral was largely destroyed by fire), is the world’s largest and most famous pavement labyrinth. It is set in the nave, so that the great west rose Judgement window would, if hinged’ down, fit over it. The outside of the maze, enclosed in a lead circle, has little projections, so that the maze resembles a Catherine wheel. At the centre in a slight dip is the outline of a six-petalled flower, echoing the facing window: wheel, rose and maze coincide in one form. (This, together with certain other symmetries and the fact that the cathedral was originally built over a Temple of Venus, has provided overheated writers of the Da Vinci genre with much material for their literary effusions!). Easter labyrinth dances, sometimes with ball-throwing took place in some French cathedrals. At Auxerre the canons danced circa daedalum’ on the pavement labyrinth, accompanied by the sequence Victimae Paschali laudes (EH 519), sung antiphonally by the Dean and presumably, the dancers. Dancing in or on a maze pattern was widespread in many countries including Britain.
From ancient mythology to the Yellow Brick Road, the adventures and perils of the journey have symbolized the vicissitudes of life, and the Chartres unicursal labyrinth has been especially recognized as a kind of pilgrimage, with its twists and turns as the pilgrim in his temporal life comes closer and closer but never reaches the goal’ – Salvation, for salvation cannot be reached without experiencing death. The next series of paths, anticlockwise and outwards represents the separation that is death: three semi- circular anticlockwise movements – the three days between Crucifixion and Resurrection – until the darkness of death is over, at the outermost part of the maze on the path adjacent to the entrance. Beyond this outermost point the path starts to represent eternal life: the pilgrim proceeds knowing that he is closer to salvation than he was in his temporal life.
Walking church labyrinths in the correct pious frame of mind was often seen as a substitute for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land; in the gothic cathedrals of Northern France it was called Le Chemin de Jérusalem, and the faithful followed it on their knees. Walking the labyrinth’ has become popular in recent years, both as a Christian exercise and as a Journey to the Centre’ (A few years ago, I walked a labyrinth in St Paul’s Cathedral.)
Finally, to the Archbishop’s Maze at Grey¹s Court near Henley. In his enthronement sermon, Archbishop Runcie spoke of a maze: The trouble is to get to the centre. It is easy to get lost. I had a dream of a maze. There were some people very close to the centre, but they could not find a way through. They had taken a wrong turning at the very beginning and would have to return to the start if they were to make any further progress. Just outside the maze others were standing. They were further away from the heart of the maze, but they would be there sooner than the party that fretted and fumed inside.’
In response to this sermon the owner of Grey’s Court, Lady Brunner, was inspired to commission the construction of a maze on her estate. The design is based on Christian symbolism, with the Crown of Thorns laid out in bricks in a cruciform design. The seven rings represent the days of the Creation. At the centre the turfed area measures nine times the width of the pathways. This signifies the nine hours of Christ’s agony. At the heart of the maze are two crosses, a simple cross within an elaborate Byzantine cross. They denote Dr Runcie’s hoped for reconciliation between Catholic and Protestant, Roman and Orthodox.
The following prayer was composed by Dr Runcie for the dedication of this maze in 1981. Lord God, we thank thee for all that thou hast fashioned here to remind us of the beauty of your creation, the mystery of time and eternity and the signs you have given us of your love for all mankind. Help us to find our way through the path of life with simplicity, courage and truth. Lift from our hearts all anxiety and fear. So evermore lead us in thy way and keep us in thy peace through Jesus Christ our Lord.