Labyrinths and mazes
Labyrinths and mazesLabyrinths and mazes
Labyrinths and mazes have been around for
literally thousands of years. They have special
uses in all fields and studies for humankind.
Mazes are used to not only study humans and their
intelligence, but also that of animals. Mazes and
labyrinths are used in so many ways it may boggle
the mind. They are used to test memory, to
entertain, to provide good story plots for cheesy
movies, sometimes even those movies that aren't
so cheesy, and in some places provide decoration.
Labyrinths also provide the basis for some
excellent games and hours of fun for the kids whose
parents just don't feel like dealing with them at
the time. Then, last but not least, labyrinths and
mazes can provide excitement in books you just
can't put down, and puzzles which seem almost
impossible to solve for those people who test their
minds to the limit for fun.
The word labyrinth comes from a Latin word,
"labrys" which means "double-axe". One can only
speculate why they would call it that, but it does
make sense. Labyrinths were built to protect, but
what if the person trying to be protected was lost
in it. A double-bladed axe would be similar. It can
be used to defeat the enemy as long as the other
side of it does not defeat the allies. Labyrinths
could be used to protect all sorts of things. The
Egyptians used them to protect riches and even
important bodies. In one instance, in Cretian
mythology, the labyrinth was built by Daedalus for
King Minos to protect the people of Crete from a
minotaur. Instead of it keeping him from completing
the labyrinth, it kept him inside so he could do
the people no harm. He was lost inside of it until
Theseus came and killed him.
Labyrinths and mazes aren't just used for
protection, though. In some places, like England,
and some churches, labyrinths were used for
decoration purposes. In the churches they were put
on the floors to symbolize the hard times of the
followers of that church. In England they would
have huge mazes put around fountains or out in
their gardens. Even today people use mazes for
decorations in their gardens. People pay large sums
of money to companies who specialize...
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