Mysteries of ancient labyrinths around the world

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

The labyrinth is both a puzzle and a symbol. Intricate paths leading either to an exit or to a dead end appeared thousands of years ago, both in the form of images and as structures. In our selection - 10 labyrinths that keep secrets to this day.

Did you know that there are two types of labyrinths? The most ancient ones belong to the so-called unicursal labyrinths, that is, having a single entrance and only one path leading from this entrance to the center; there are no dead ends in such labyrinths. Another type of labyrinth is multicourse (in English there is a separate word for it, "maze"). One of our heroes today belongs to the latter type. Guess which one!

Labyrinths on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. The world's largest cluster of Neolithic labyrinths is located on the Solovetsky Islands - 35 labyrinths, which are called "Babylon" in the local dialect.

The most famous are the labyrinths of the Big Zayatsky Island. All 14 labyrinths - round or oval, with a diameter of 6 to 25 m - are concentrated in a small area of 0.5 square kilometers on the western side of the island. The rows of spirals that make up the labyrinths resemble snakes with their heads in the center of the structure. On the eastern side of the island there are also many different piles of stones and boulders, but none of them is a labyrinth.

There are two main versions about the purpose of labyrinths. The first connects them with ancient rituals, the second suggests that the labyrinths served as a kind of complex trap for fishing - at the time of their creation, the sea level was much higher.

Labyrinth as a link between Greece and India. In August 2015, archaeologists said that a labyrinth found in India, about 2 thousand years old, is identical to the labyrinth depicted on ancient Greek clay tablets dating back to 1200 BC. (i.e. 800 years younger than Indian). The Greek labyrinths found during the excavations of Pylos were considered to be the most ancient depictions of labyrinths in clay.

The Indian labyrinth is located in the city of Jedimedu (Tamil Nadu state) and is a square, each side of which is 17 m. The length of the labyrinth paths varies from 0.8 to 1.1 m. The labyrinth was discovered during excavations on the ancient trade route that connected the cities Azhagankulam (Tamil Nadu state) and Palakkad (Kerala state). Terracotta lamps and semi-precious stones found near the labyrinth testify to the former wealth of the region. The Jedimedu Labyrinth is the second largest in India. The largest archaeologists discovered in the same state of Tamil Nadu in 2014. In India, by the way, it is still customary to depict labyrinths in your own home - they have magical powers, protecting the home from evil spirits.

Labyrinth in the cathedral of Chartres … For 2,5 thousand years, Chartres was one of the most sacred places in the territory of modern France. At first it was revered by the Druids, later on the same site the Christians erected a cathedral. Celtic priests believed that a special energy emanated from this land, and revered the underground waters of this territory, believing in their healing powers.

One of the main attractions of the city of Chartres is a miracle of Gothic architecture, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Chartres, the construction of which began in 1194 and lasted 25 years. In 1205, a labyrinth was created inside the cathedral from ancient stones. The total length of the labyrinth is 294 m, and the diameter is 13 m. Monks and pilgrims still pass along this path.

There are still no exact data (and even more or less confident assumptions) about the purpose of building the maze. There are suggestions that the labyrinth became a kind of grave for the Freemasons who built it, but so far this version has no evidence.

"The Man in the Labyrinth". The Indians of the Southwest of North America believed that some tribes (Papago and Pima) originated from the deity I’itoi. Traditional for the Papago and Pima peoples, the motive “man in the labyrinth” depicts the deity I’itoi at the entrance to the labyrinth, which symbolizes the cycle of life and the choice we make. This maze, widespread among the Indians, consists, as a rule, of 7 circles. The circle itself represents death, and eternal life is at the center of the labyrinth. Each "path" starts from the periphery and leads to the center, but each turn turns the path away from the center.

Interestingly, some of these labyrinths contain a deliberate error called a "door" - it is believed that with the help of this door the spirit can escape from the labyrinth.

"Hollywood Stone". In 1908, ermine hunters in County Wicklow, Ireland, discovered a huge boulder, 1.2 m high and 0.9 m wide, depicting a labyrinth. A small section of the labyrinth, 70 cm in diameter, is missing on the stone.

It is assumed that the creation of the labyrinth dates back to the Middle Ages. Perhaps the "Hollywood Rock" was the signal for the pilgrims' stop on their way to Glendalough: the stone was found just off the ancient pilgrim road leading to the monastery in Glendalough. According to some assumptions, the labyrinth could symbolize the tortuousness, unpredictability and difficulty of the pilgrim's path.

Jericho Labyrinth - one of the most mysterious Christian symbols. In many medieval manuscripts, the city of Jericho is depicted as a labyrinth or as an object in the center of a labyrinth. The city of Jericho was strongly associated with the concept of a labyrinth in both the Roman Catholic tradition and the Jewish tradition.

The earliest labyrinth "Jericho" was found in the monastery of Abrucia (Italy) and dates back to 822. It is distinguished not only by its age, but also by its square shape - most of the similar labyrinths appear in the form of a circle. All interpretations of the meanings of the Jericho labyrinth are associated with rich biblical symbolism.

Blo-Jungfrun - a deserted island in the Kalmarsund Strait, in the Kalmar Len region (Sweden). For centuries, the island has enjoyed a reputation as a mystical place where supernatural phenomena occur. Until now, tourists visiting the island are strictly advised not to turn off the path and not to stroll at nightfall. The island is decorated with bare rocks, dense forests, caves and the famous stone labyrinth.

Labyrinths are common in the Scandinavian Islands, but this one is the largest in Sweden. Perhaps its creation is associated with fishing in Blo-Jungfrun (as, for example, one of the versions about the purpose of labyrinths on the Solovetsky Islands).

The mystery of Casa Grande. If the secrets of most labyrinths are connected with the purpose of their creation, then the labyrinth in Casa Grande leaves many questions about the time of its appearance. One of the strangest and most controversial labyrinths was discovered during excavations of the ruins of the ancient city of Casa Grande in Arizona. On the northern wall of one of the buildings, there is a very complex labyrinth. For many years it was considered the only labyrinth in North America and South America. Nevertheless, the design of this labyrinth bears a striking resemblance to the Cretan labyrinth, which is more than 2 thousand years old. It is likely that the Casa Grande labyrinth was pre-Columbian.

Danish find. More recently, in 2017, Danish archaeologists have discovered a series of stone clusters dating back to the Stone Age, which were once a labyrinth. The area of the ancient labyrinth at Cape Stevns is 18 thousand square meters. To date, only a small area has been excavated, so it is difficult to judge about any specific purpose of the structure. Usually such palisades served for the defense of the territory. But in this case, the "poles" of the labyrinth are located far enough from each other, at a distance of 2 meters, so that it would be easy for the enemy to get there. Perhaps the labyrinth was used for ancient rituals.

Minotaur Labyrinthperhaps the most famous labyrinth in the world. According to the myth, King Minos, ruling the island of Crete, ordered the architect Daedalus to build a labyrinth - a palace with tangled paths of corridors and rooms leading to the terrible Minotaur. Many believe that the same labyrinth, sung in ancient Greek mythology, was the Palace of Knossos, a monument of Minos culture, which is already 4 thousand years old. However, this version is disputed by some scholars, believing that the palace was built much later than the events described in myths. There is an opinion that the complex of caves in the mountains near Knossos served as a real labyrinth - after all, they are also a series of spacious "halls" connected by narrow "corridors".