labyrinth

(noun)

A maze, especially underground or covered.

Related Terms

  • pithoi
  • Linear A
  • minotaur
  • fresco
  • capital

Examples of labyrinth in the following topics:

  • Geometric Symbolism

    • Similar to the mandala, the labyrinth is a geometric pattern often used to symbolize a journey to the center or to the divine.
    • A labyrinth, though similar in appearance to a child's maze, consists of a single, non-branching path which leads to the center.
    • Labyrinths can be thought of as symbolic forms of pilgrimage.
    • Many people could not afford to travel to holy sites and lands so labyrinths and prayer substituted for such travel.
    • In prehistoric times, labyrinths may have also served as traps for malevolent spirits or as defined paths for ritual dances.
  • The Minoans

    • The many rooms of the "palace" at Knossos were so oddly shaped and disordered to Evans that they reminded him of the labyrinth of the Minotaur.
    • King Minos had his court artist and inventor, Daedalus, build an inescapable labyrinth for the Minotaur to live in.
  • Sculpture in the Greek Orientalizing Period

    • This style is known as Daedalic sculpture, named for the mythical creator of King Minos's labyrinth, Daedalus.
  • Minoan Architecture

    • When Sir Arthur Evans first excavated at Knossos, not only did he mistakenly believe he was looking at the legendary labyrinth of King Minos, he also thought he was excavating a palace.
  • Tombs of the Middle Kingdom

    • Among the tombs built during this time are Amenemhat I's funerary monument at El-Lisht; Sesostris I's funerary monument; Amenemhat III's pyramid at Hawara, which includes an elaborate labyrinth complex; and Sesostris II's pyramid at Illahun.
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