Labyrinth

A winding path or network that traditionally has one route to its center or end. Unlike a maze, it does not require choosing among branching routes.

Maze: A network of paths with choices, often including dead ends, designed to challenge navigation. Its branching routes distinguish it from the traditional single-path labyrinth.
Knossos: A Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete, associated with the Minoan civilization. Its palace became linked to the ancient Greek story of the labyrinth.
Chartres Cathedral labyrinth: A medieval floor labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral, laid in the nave around the turn of the thirteenth century. It is a celebrated Christian labyrinth designed for walking and contemplation.
Labyrinth symbolism: The use of labyrinth imagery to represent journeys, complexity, confinement, or spiritual transformation. The winding route invites meanings beyond physical navigation.
Unicursal labyrinth: A labyrinth with one continuous route from entrance to center and back or onward. This names the single-route form described by the concept.
Minoan civilization: A Bronze Age civilization that flourished on Crete and nearby islands. The palace at Knossos helped inspire later accounts of a Cretan labyrinth.
Cretan labyrinth: A classical labyrinth pattern consisting of a single winding route to a center. This ancient pattern became a template for later labyrinth designs.
Ariadne's thread: A thread in Greek myth that guides Theseus through the labyrinth and back out. It symbolizes guidance through a confusing or dangerous passage.
Multicursal labyrinth: A labyrinthine design with multiple routes, including choices and possible dead ends. The term complicates the traditional distinction between labyrinths and mazes.
Theseus: A hero of Greek mythology known for killing the Minotaur in the Cretan labyrinth. His escape from the labyrinth supplies its best-known mythic episode.

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