What is the Difference Between a Labyrinth and a Maze?
What are the differences between mazes and labyrinths?
- Labyrinth: are geometric unicursal patterns that define sacred space. There is only one entrance to a path marked with designated areas for meditative pauses that leads to a predetermined destination, usually the center of the design. Many people use labyrinths as a spiritual pilgrimage to a sacred mental place.
- Maze: are muticursal patterns which are more complex with several paths or branches and dead ends through which the solver must find a route to the destination.
Unicursal Labyrinths
There are three main categories for unicursal labyrinths:
- Roman labyrinth - Classical or Cretan, four sectored symmetrical standard layout
- Church labyrinth - Chartres or Medieval style
- Simple alternative transitive (SAT) - these are the simplest labyrinths
Labyrinths have only one winding path that leads from the entrance of the design to the center of the labyrinth then back to the entrance. Labyrinths frequently have designated stopping points along the way for prayer or meditation.
How are Labyrinths Made and Used?
Both mazes and labyrinths can be created with many different materials. They can be cut into the ground such as turf Labyrinths, built with walls and rooms, or simply drawn into sand, on sidewalks or driveways with chalk, built with mirrors, rocks, corn stalks, hay bales, books or with different colored paving stones, string, sticks or paving tiles such as bricks. Permanent labyringth are created using concrete, marble or granite. Many semi-permanent labyrinths are grown using flowers, dwarf shrubs and other hedges or other foliage planted in a labyrinth pattern and maintained by gardeners. Labyrinths can also be drawn or painted on the outside walls of churches, frequently near the entrance ways.
Some people make labyrinths by sewing fabrics and carpet materials together. Many stone labyrinths can be found in Lappland, Finland and Sweden.
Labyrinths and mazes created out of crops or otherwise temporary and seasonal materials are frequently promoted as seasonal tourist attractions. Two good examples of crop mazes are the Dole Plantation Pineapple maze in Hawaii, and the Carter County Fairgrounds Corn Maze in Kentucky.
Labyrinths and mazes can also be printed or drawn on paper to be followed by a pencil or fingertip such as with the images on this web site. Make a bird seed maze or labyrinth and watch the birds flitter as they eat the delicious treat.
Some institutions use labyrinths and mazes:
- peace labyrinths - are built to help promote religious tolerance and peace and raise awareness about other religions, cultures, and communities
- goddess labyrinths - earliest labyrinths are through to have been used to worship the great goddesses
- church labyrinths - many churches use labyrinths for spiritual practices and activities and to build community and attract new members
- school labyrinths - children play and dance on labyrinths as well as learn relaxation techniques
- prison labyrinths - prisons are stressful places. Labyrinths can help provide calming relief from stress.
- hospital labyrinths - hospitals, health care facilities, spas and wellness centers use labyrinths for relaxation, support groups, and therapy treatments
- tattoo labyrinths - some people have labyrinths tattooed onto their skin
- text labyrinths - Christian designers in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries used word manuscript labyrinths to meditate and teach scripture
Multicursal Mazes
Mazes are muticursal patterns, more complex than simple labyrinths, with several paths or branches and dead ends through which the solver must find a route to the destination.
Mazes are more often used for teaching and entertainment purposes, however there are many historical religious and spiritual mazes.
Common Maze Structures
- Logic maze - like standard mazes except they have rules to restrict what you can do to solve the maze
- Picture maze - a picture is revealed when this type of maze is solved
- Dead end maze - a maze with dead ends and road blocks
- Loops and Traps Maze - this type has one-way doors that can either lead to the correct path or divert from the correct path and take you back to the starting point
- Dimensional Mazes - three or more dimensions, like cubes or multi-layered mazes
- Turf mazes - mazes cut into the earth
- Mizmazes - an unconventional maze, classed as a labyrinth because the pathway has no stems
- Celtic maze - straight-line spiral pattern dating back to prehistory
- Corn Maze - just like it sounds...a maze designed in a corn field. Very popular family activity in the USA.
- Crop circle - Mazes that are carved into crops by "space aliens" like the Mayan Maze formation at Waylands Smithy
- Garden mazes - living mazes made with small plants like grass, flowers or large plants like hedges and vines - also fabrics, see Garden Maze Quilts
- Hedge Maze - an outdoor garden maze with walls or dividers created out of trimmed hedges
- Computer Game mazes - Most common computer games are various styles of mazes. 3D Monster Maze, Logic Quest 3D, Pac-Man
Some Examples of Historical Mazes:
- The Padmavyuha or Chakravyuha is an army formation mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Intricate carvings showing a legend from Mahabharata, where the warrior Abhimanyu enters the chakra-vyuha - Hoysaleswara temple, Halebid, India
- Papago (Pima) nation of south central Arizona's Man in the maze is a right-handed classical seven-circuit labyrinth: ancient patterns of the Tono O'odham (or Tohono O'odham) In the language of the O'odham, Hohokam means "those who have gone". Hohokam was a native American culture existing in south-central Arizona from the 3rd century B.C. to mid-15th century A.D.
- The Celtic Maze is a straight-line spiral pattern (like the spirangle). The patterns originated in early Celtic developments. Prehistoric Celtic spiral designs date back to 3,500 BCE.
Visit the history page for more historical mazes.
To learn more about mazes and labyrinths visit the references and resources page for links to some quality educational and informative online sites.
