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The Labyrinth Symbolism
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(spī'r-grăf') n. An instrument for registering the depth and rapidity of respiratory movements. spirographic spi'ro·graph'ic adj. spirographically spi'ro·graph'i·cal·ly adv. spiro.
Taking an approach both reflective and playful, Helmut Jaskolski traces our fascination with this ambiguous ancient motif and shows, through stories ranging from myths and medieval tales to the labyrinthine fiction of Umberto Eco, that the labyrinth is a living symbol for our time.
In its classical form, this sacred diagram consists of a single circular path with no possibility of going astray (as in the church type of labyrinth, exemplified by the labyrinth of Chartres Cathedral in France). In contrast, the modern labyrinth (more properly called a maze) is a system of misleading paths with a multitude of choices, some of which turn out to be dead ends—a metaphor for a difficult, confusing situation that may end in either good or ill fortune.
Helmut Jaskolski
Mandala
Noun
A geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism.
Such a symbol in a dream, representing the dreamer's search for completeness.
A labyrinth is an ancient circular diagram found in cultures around the world. Since antiquity, stories of the labyrinth—closely associated with the ancient sages of the Minotaur, Theseus and Ariadne, and Daedalus and Icarus—have caught the Western imagination. In fact, the labyrinth as an object of contemplation and meditation might be considered the "mandala" of the Western world.
Labyrinth (LAB-i-rinth)
A fiendishly intricate maze devised by Daedalus to house the Minotaur. The myth of an impossibly complex series of corridors may have been inspired by travelers' tales of the historical palace or temple compound of Knossos.
The name "Labyrinth" comes from the word "labrys" meaning "double-ax", and the dynasty of King Minos was referred to as the "House of the Double-Ax". Clearly there is history behind the myth here, for many images of double-axes have been found by archaeologists on Crete from a time even earlier than that of the mythological heroes.