"L" IS FOR LABYRINTH

In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (Greek λαβύρινθος labyrinthos, literally the building complex at Knossos "the house of the labrys" [double axe]) was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, a mythical creature that was half man and half bull and was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus. Daedalus had so cunningly made the Labyrinth that he could barely escape it after he built it. Theseus was aided by Ariadne, who provided him with a skein of thread, literally the "clew", or "clue", so he could find his way out again.

In colloquial English, labyrinth is generally synonymous with maze, but many contemporary scholars observe a distinction between the two: maze refers to a complex branching (multicursal) puzzle with choices of path and direction; while a single-path (unicursal) labyrinth has only a single, non-branching path, which leads to the centre. A labyrinth in this sense has an unambiguous route to the centre and back and is not designed to be difficult to navigate.

In Christian symbology the labyrinth stands for our journey through life and that walking it can take us on a journey to the centre of our own beings. It is also widely known that in the Middle Ages walking this sacred path of the labyrinth was seen as a pilgrimage and, indeed, prayer labyrinths were called "Chemin de Jerusalem" (Roads of Jerusalem).

This labyrinth here, is in the garden of the Catholic Church of St John in the Melbourne suburb of Heidelberg.

This post is part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.