A Brief History of the Labyrinth
    The oldest known form of the Labyrinth is the classic seven-circuit Cretan labyrinth dating back to 2500 BCE.  Imprints of this pattern have been found on ancient coins and artifacts as shown below.


Knossos Coins circa 300-200 BCE

Right: Classic Cretan Turf Labyrinth located in Northern California  

     Labyrinths were especially popular in 12th and 13th century Europe where they were incorporated into the architecture of many cathedrals. “In Gothic Cathedrals the orientation of labyrinths on their floors ... and the major axis of the cathedrals [themselves] are one and the same. Many of these sacred spaces were oriented towards the rising Sun on the particular Saint’s day after which the cathedral was named” (from Labyrinths: Ancient Myths & Modern Uses by Sig Lonegren).
    The most well-known of the Cathedral labyrinths is at Chartres Cathedral in France (right), which was laid in the nave floor in 1201. Chartres is one of seven pilgrimage cathedrals established in Europe by the Church during the Crusades. At a time when it was too dangerous for worshippers to make pilgrimages to the Holy Lands, a journey to one of these cathedrals served as an acceptable substitute. “The walk into the labyrinth ... marked the ritual ending of the physical journey across the countryside. It served as a symbolic entry into the spiritual realms of the Celestial City [of Jerusalem]” (from Walking the Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool by Dr. Lauren Artress).
    Over the last twenty years there has been an American revival of the labyrinth, beginning in the spiritual community and spreading to health care facilities, schools, social centers, and corporations.