Laying out Labyrinths

by Adam Warren

There are many books and Websites which illustrate the method of drawing a 7-ring classical (Cretan) labyrinth by starting with a "seed pattern". This page goes beyond that by suggesting practical ways of creating full-sized versions which can be walked or run.

Let us start by looking at an animation of the basic drawing process:

There are two key factors to using this method successfully:

(i) remembering the seed pattern (cross, corners and dots)

(ii) practice

This is a great way to create "freehand" designs - here are a few of the ways I have done this:

• scratch the design on a sandy beach with a stick;
   
• use large pebbles to make the design more resilient;
   
• use sticks to make the pattern in a woodland glade;
   
• use mown hay to show the walls.

The advantage of this approach is that you can create a labyrinth in a few minutes with whatever is to hand.

mown hay labyrinth

stick labyrinth, Newbury road protest

Things get a little more complex if you want to create an accurate classical labyrinth, with truly circular arcs and regular path widths.

The method suggested here requires five fixed vertical posts around 1' (30cm) tall. Outdoors, these can be wooden stakes, sticks or poles knocked into the ground. Indoors, these posts will require a heavy base and someone to hold on and stop them moving while the design is laid out.

I recommend a path width of 1'6" (45cm) for walking or 2' (60cm) for running - this gives a labyrinth that will fit in an area around 21' (6.3m) to 28' (8.4m) in diameter. Note that the geomantic centre of the labyrinth is not in the geometric centre of this area, so be careful if space is tight.

These instructions are scalable and work on a path width of 2 units - whatever that might be.

You will also need a rope at least as long as the radius of the labyrinth - so for a 7-ring design with paths 2 units wide this means 15 units, taking account of the centre.

The rope should have knots spaced 1 unit apart (i.e 16 knots) and 2 units spare at each end to hold or tie. You may find it a good idea to mark the even-numbered knots using colour or ribbon since these will be used to define the lines needed to create the labyrinth.
 

The first step is the "geomantic act" - selecting the location of the labyrinth's centre.

Crucial issues are (i) is there enough room around this centre, and (ii) does it feel right?

Mark the centre with a post.
 

The next step is to mark out the square that encloses the seed pattern with four more posts.

If the path width is 2 units, then the square is 8 units on a side, with the centre offset as shown. I recommend a path width of 1'6" (45cm) for walking or 2' (60cm) for running.

I have made the square using Pythagoras' 3-4-5 triangles, but have concluded that doing it by eye works just fine.
 

For outdoor labyrinths, if the dotted line runs exactly East-West, and the square is on the North side of the line, then the sweeping arcs of the labyrinth will mirror the motion of the sun across the sky and the entrance will be in the North. You may well have your own ideas, which is great provided the orientation is done thoughtfully.
 

Now divide each side of the square into four equal parts of 2 units each.

Mark these points by poking a stick into the ground, placing a stone or making a mark.

Complete the labyrinth's seed pattern by marking the cross lines and corners as shown.

The distances involved are small, so this is easy to do by eye - although you can use the knotted cord to guide you if you wish.
 

This animation shows the basic approach:

• attach the knotted cord to the centre post so that the first knot is right against it;
• keeping the cord fairly taut, wrap it around two of the posts as shown;
• note that alternate knots (shown red above) should pretty much line up with the cross and corner lines;
• as you start to unwind the cord from the first post, mark the small arc described by the first red knot;
• the second post takes over as the axis as the rope continues unwinding - now you need to mark the arcs described by the first five knots!
• the centre post takes over as the axis as you mark out the seven semi-circles that form the top half of the labyrinth;
• the rope then wraps around the third post and finally the fourth post as you complete marking the design.

An alternative approach is to lay out one line at a time by marking the arc described by a single knot as you unwind the rope around the posts. It is easiest to start with the largest outer arc and work your way inwards. As you complete each line, simply move to the next red knot and work your way back in the other direction, as shown below:
 

Which technique you use depends on how many people are making the labyrinth and the what method you are using to mark the paths. If you are making a permanent labyrinth then you will obviously want to mark out the design using some temporary method initially so that you can check it.

Once you have marked out the design, you could choose to mark the path instead of the walls - this is how some turf labyrinths (such as the Mizmaze on St. Catherines Hill near Winchester) are constructed.

Lawns and fields

temporary: sticks, sawdust, flour or water-based paint
seasonal: tennis-court paint, lawn fertilizer
permanent: stones, earth, bricks, paving, dug-out path and bark chippings

Beaches

temporary: stones, driftwood, seaweed or sand

Tarmac or concrete

temporary: chalk or water-based paint
permanent: spray paint, outdoor paint

Indoors

temporary: masking tape, rope, cloth
permanent: paint onto a roll of carpet or canvas

I have often used a sticks-and-string approach to creating temporary labyrinths in fields, since it is a quick method that copes well with rough, long grass and leaves no trace afterwards, apart from a mysteriously trampled path!

This picture shows children playing in one constructed from green garden pea-sticks and plastic warning tape.

Warning! If you use a sticks and string method then you MUST push a cork firmly on to the end of each stick - otherwise someone could fall and literally poke their eye out. I nearly found this out the hard way with my daughter.

These days I use a length of wire poked into the ground that has a (safe) loop on the top to hold the tape/wool/rope that is used to mark the walls.

 

© Adam Warren/Labyrinthos 2000 ~ this page last updated 27/07/2003