1 / 1                             Löwenstein 3                            1 / 3

  Knossos                              Cretan                              Otfrid

  3 / 1                              Hesselager                            3 / 3

  4 / 1                               Tibble                                4 / 3

The labyrinths of the horizontal line contain exclusively the single double-spiral like meander (Erwin’s type 4 meander, see related posts below). However, they are made up of a varying number, i.e. 1, 2 or 3 of such meanders. Their seed patterns are composed of a varying number of similar segments. A segment consists of two nested arcs.

• The Knossos-type labyrinth contains one meander. The seed pattern of this labyrinth is made up of two segments. This pair of horizontally aligned segments complete to the meander in the labyrinth.

• The Cretan consists of two meanders that are connected by a circuit between them. The seed pattern is made up of two pairs of segments aligned vertically.

• Finally the Otfrid-type labyrinth is made up of three meanders that are connected by circuits between them. The seed pattern consists of three vertically ordered pairs of segments.

All labyrinths of the vertical line consist of two similar figures that are connected with a circuit between them. They all have a seed pattern made up of four similar quadrants. But the seed patterns differ with respect to the shapes of the quadrants.

• The Löwenstein 3-type labyrinth consists of 2 serpentines. This is reflected in the seed pattern by the four single arcs.

• The Cretan is composed of 2 single double-spiral like meanders (type 4 meander). The quadrants of the seed pattern of this labyrinth consist of two nested arcs.

• The Hesselager type labyrinth is made up of 2 two-fold (type 6) meanders. The quadrants in its seed pattern are made up of three nested arcs.

• Finally, the Tibble-type labyrinth consists of 2 three-fold (type 8) meanders, the quadrants of its seed pattern are made-up of four nested arcs.

The images above are arranged in the form of a table or matrix with 4 rows, 3 columns and 12 fields (frames). Six of these frames contain seed patterns directly related to the Cretan, the others are still void. The relationships of the horizontal and vertical line can also be formulated as follows:

• Progressing (horizontally) one column to the right will increase the number of meanders by one.
• Progressing (vertically) one row downwards will increase the depth of the meander by two. The depth of a meander corresponds exactly with it’s type number – a type 4 meander has depth 4, a type 6 meander depth 6 a.s.f.

With this information we are able to add the missing seed patterns and the corresponding labyrinths. By doing so we will encounter two other historical labyrinths and one figure that is no labyrinth. Of course it is also possible to add more rows or columns to the table and to fill the new frames with the corresponding seed patterns. All figures generated this way are self-dual. The figures of the first row are, in the terminology of Tony Phillips, uninteresting, all other figures are very interesting labyrinths (see related posts below).

Related posts

• Some Thoughts about the Seed pattern for the Ariadne’s Thread
• How to find the True Meander for a Labyrinth
• Un- / interesting labyrinths

Figure 1. From the Ariadne’s Thread to the Pattern

Figure 1 shows this process in abbreviated form for the Snail Shell labyrinth. The labyrinth, represented by its Ariadne’s Thread is dissected along the axis (2 vertical black lines). Both halves of the axis are flipped upwards by half the arc of a circle around the center. By this, the Ariadne’s Thread is transformed from a circular closed form into a rectangular form.

The path of the Snail Shell labyrinth traverses the axis twice. This is indicated with the black circles. When transforming the Ariadnes Thread into the rectangular form, the segments of the pathway that lie on the axis are dissected too and come to lie on both sides of the rectangular form. These segments are drawn as dashed lines in the pattern and also indicated by circles.

Figure 2. Labyrinths Contained in the Snail Shell Labyrinth

In the Snail Shell labyrinth, a Knossos-type labyrinth (single double-spiral like meander) is included. To this are attached at the inside and outside one circuit with the pathway changing direction. Therefore, in the Snail Shell labyrinth, the labyrinth that corresponds with Arnol’d's figure 3 is also included. To this are attached at the in- and outside one circuit without the pathway changing direction. This is where the path traverses the axis. Thus, the Snail Shell labyrinth, in the terminology of Tony Phillips, is a non-alternating uninteresting labyrinth.

Related posts

• Seed Pattern – Shifting the Center / 4
• Un- / interesting Labyrinths
• Considering Meanders and Labyrinths
• How to Draw Ariadne’s Thread for a Snail Shell Labyrinth

World Labyrinth Day

A global celebration of the labyrinth

The first Saturday in May

May 4, 2013

 “Walk as One at 1”

Be part of a rolling wave of peaceful energy

as the earth turns.

Walk a labyrinth at 1 PM in your time zone. 

World Labyrinth Day, a project of The Labyrinth Society, is a day designated to bring people from all over the planet together in celebration of the labyrinth as a symbol and a tool for healing and peace.

Most nicely it would be if everybody which is able would walk a labyrinth. But it is also possible, as a substitute to trace a finger labyrinth, to make a labyrinth meditation or to be active  labyrinthine in some way.

If you are looking for a labyrinth near you, maybe you will find one here:

• To find a labyrinth worldwide
• To find a labyrinth in Germany
• To find a labyrinth in Austria
• To find a labyrinth in Switzerland
• More information about the World Labyrinth Day from the TLS

He was on a religious trip to Nanded in February 2013.

Jagpreet Singh reported:

I visited nearly 10 – 12 historical Gurudwaras in and around Nanded. Most of the big Gurudwaras in India have geometrical designs in the Parikrama, like the Golden Temple in Amritsar. I was really intrigued when I discovered as many as 7 labyrinths during the Parikramas (the walk around) in the different Gurudwaras.

The commonality in many of these was that they were on the left hand side of the entrance of the Temples. However, all of them were of a different design and size in the center. While some labyrinths were approx. 6 feet by 6 feet, there was one which was approx. 20 feet by 20 feet – a person can actually do the labyrinths’ walk. There was one that was approx. 4 feet by 4 feet also.

As to the material used to make them: All have been made of marble of different colours.

Even though the Gurudwaras are approx. 300 years old, all of them have gone through a major renovation in 2007-2008, (just before the 300 year centenary of the 10th Guru of the Sikhs – Guru Gobind Singh). So I am not sure if the labyrinths are a new addition or have been there all along.

Click into a photo to open the carousel. By clicking the Esc key you can return.

All photos with kind permission of Jagpreet Singh. © by Jagpreet Singh.

On the photos I could identify five different labyrinths. Four follow the pattern shown below, only one deviates from it.

They are square, the entrance is situated on the first circuit which leads clockwise around the whole figure. In the four corners are convexities in angular or circular shapes. From the last circuit one reaches the middle which is a little bigger and is mostly still decorated with geometrical patterns.
The path sequence is: 0-1-4-3-2-5-6-7. One recognises in it the relationship with the classical 3 circuit labyrinth type Knossos.

6 circuit labyrinth with seed pattern

The designers of the labyrinths are (still) unknown, also the intended purpose. Are they pure ornaments or, nevertheless, suited for rituals? Are they influenced by the western culture or from Indian origin?

Maybe somebody knows more about these labyrinths?
In the next Caerdroia Jeff Saward has intended a publication about this and other labyrinths in India. Maybe we get to know then more?

Further Links

• Sikhism
• Parikrama
• Nanded
• Gurdwara
• Sikh Gurus
• Guru Gobind Singh
• Gurudwara Hazur Sahib – Nanded
• Gurudwara Nagina Ghat Sahib  - Nanded
• Gurudwara Banda Ghat – Nanded
• Gurudwara Mata Sahib – Nanded
• Gurudwara Shikar Ghat Sahib – Nanded
• Gurudwara Hira Ghat Sahib – Nanded
• Gurudwara Nanaksar – Nanded

Figure 1: Snail Shell Labyrinth

Erwin calls it the Snail Shell Labyrinth. He had generated this labyrinth by completing the seed pattern for the Ariadne’s Thread of the Cretan-type labyrinth. But instead of the usual end he completed it around an other one of its ends. So he did, what I refer to as shifting the center. Somebody else also had the same idea, as can be seen in this source on page 14 (scroll down on the link page). Both shifted the center to a neighbouring end in the same quadrant, but did not continue with this process.

What might be unknown to the most is, that the Snail Shell Labyrinth is the only other figure that can be generated by rotating the seed pattern of the Cretan. With the statements from my previous posts about the shifting of the center (see related posts below), we are able to demonstrate this.

Figure 2: Seed Pattern

The seed pattern for the Ariadne’s Thread of the Cretan has 16 ends (fig. 2). So there are 16 possibilities to place the center. However, these reduce to four, as the seed pattern is made up of four similar quadrants. After four rotational steps, the seed pattern is self-covering.

Figure 3: Symmetry

In addition, each of these quadrants is symmetric in itself (fig. 3). This reduces the range of figures to two pairs. Each pair is made up of the same figure rotating either clockwise or anti-clockwise.

Figure 4: The ends and the pairs of figures

This is shown in fig. 4. Connecting the first end with the center generates the first figure in clockwise rotation. I therefore label this end as 1 →. If we connect the second end with the center, this generates figure 2, in clockwise rotation (2 →). The third end connected to the center generates also figure 2, although in anticlockwise rotation (← 2). And finally, the fourth end generates figure 1 rotating anticlockwise (← 1). Figure 1 is the Cretan, figure 2 the Snail Shell Labyrinth. We now have completed the first quadrant. The fifth end of the seed pattern is the first of its second quadrant and with this, the whole process begins anew.

Related posts

• How to Draw Ariadne’s Thread for a Snail Shell Labyrinth
• Seed Pattern – Shifting the Center / 3
• Seed Pattern – Shifting the Center / 2
• Seed Pattern – Shifting the Center

For that to happen, I memorized the path sequence of the respective thread of Ariadne, and repeated it over and over again like a mantra while trampling the path into the  snow. And I counted in which circuit I just was and which was the next to come. For one have to pay attention where and what circuits will be made later,  and leave enough place for them. Having a look at the providently printed drawing of the prototype before tracking the path will help.
After arriving the center I traced back one more time the whole long way to the beginning what was sometimes quite strenuous. One should not change the lane, this is a point of honor. And if one makes the distances between the single circuits greater than a hop, this is likewise not possible.

I have tried to implement all 7 new types. I have made some more often. My “favorite type” is at present 5674 1238. The path sequence as an eight digits figure can be noticed quite well in two groups of four. Then the well-known classical labyrinth would be e.g. the type 3214 7658.

Who wants, can investigate more exactly the different types in the below quoted post. And if someone liked to experience the path on one’s own, he may copy and print the drawings.

Related Post

• How to Draw Eight 7 Circuit Labyrinths

One is the well-known classical 7 circuit labyrinth with the path sequence 0-3-2-1-4-7-6-5-8 which is also called the Cretan or the original labyrinth because it is the mother of all labyrinths. For a more exact name I suggest to add the eight-digit identifier 3214 7658 as type designation.

The other is the up to now unknown labyrinth with the path sequence 0-5-6-7-4-1-2-3-8. It is a classical 7 circuit labyrinth which needs the type name 5674 1238 for classification.

There are only two classical 7 circuit labyrinths with these characteristic features which it makes exceptionally specimens of her type.
Hence, the new type has also earned his right to exist.

Labyrinth Easter egg type 5674 1238

Happy Easter to all visitors of this blog!

Related Post

• How to Draw Eight 7 Circuit Labyrinths

The labyrinths with their seed patterns

This is shown in the figure with the six labyrinths and their seed patterns. The labyrinths were numbered in the same order as in the previous post:

1. The Cretan
2. Serpentine from the inside out
3. S-shaped course of the pathway
4. Yin/Yang-movement
5. Serpentine enclosed by a two-fold double-spiral like meander
6. Three-fold double-spiral like meander

The Cretan is the only labyrinth with a seed pattern that is made up of four similar fourth parts. All other seed patterns have two similar halves.

Related posts:

• The Six Very Interesting Labyrinths with 7 Circuits
• Some Thoughts about the Seed Pattern for the Ariadne’s Thread