What is
a Labyrinth?

During the 2002 Philadelphia WELCA meeting, members had the opportunity to go to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church founded in 1823. There, in a room off the Sanctuary, was a canvas reproduction of the same Labyrinth which has been part of the floor of the Cathedral of Chartes since 1220 A.D.

A definition of a Labyrinth seems appropriate, for despite its appearance, it is different from a Maze. Whereas a Maze has many false starts and passages, a Labyrinth has a defined entrance, center and exit.

The first known Labyrinth was imprinted on a Cretan coin about 3500 B.C. Labyrinths appeared in Christian Churches about the 4th century. “Walking the Labyrinth” became a method of penance. For instance in the Middle Ages, a journey to the holy city of Jerusalem was a major goal for Christians. However, due to the Crusades, it was too costly and too dangerous to go. The Pope then designated 7 churches as Pilgrimage sites, and entering the center of the labyrinth at Chartres became symbolic of entering the Holy City.

Today the Labyrinth is being revived as a method of meditation and Christian contemplation.

An interesting Link about Labyrinths: The Un-Museum, a History of Mazes
.