Methods of tracing the Cretan labyrinth

June 14th 2004

Résumé en français

Le dessin du labyrinthe crétois.

L'intention de cet article est d'étudier les méthodes utilisées pour dessiner le labyrinthe crétois classique à sept couloirs et de discuter du problème posé par les deux lignes outrepassées du labyrinthe pétroglyphe de Luzzanas (Kern No 76).

Object of that paper

My intention in that paper is to discuss the methods used for tracing or drawing the classical 7-lane round Cretan labyrinth, and to address the disturbing overdrawn lines on the Luzzanas petroglyph labyrinth (K. 76).

References are made to Kern's English edition.

Preliminary considerations

First let me say that I prefer to call that labyrinth Cretan instead of Classical. I think the Roman and Medieval labyrinths also deserve to be called Classical, which renders that term ambiguous.

The Cretan labyrinth is usually built around a cross. From that point, there are two main methods to draw it: the so-called "seed pattern" method and a well-known but until now undescribed and unnamed method that I would call the "long line" method".

The "seed pattern" method is the one that should be used for drafting or tracing with the compasses, and for geometrically precise on-site building. Both methods can be used for free-hand drawing or rapid-rough building or tracing.

The seed pattern methods

The "seed pattern" methods start with a greek cross (four equal arms), and four dots marking the corners of the square containing the cross.

There are several different seed patterns in use.

	The most frequent is the one with 4 angles or "L" placed between the dots and the cross. This starting pattern cannot be considered general because the actual round Cretan labyrinth usually has curves instead of angles. Certain descriptions of the procedure even start with angles and suddenly replace the angles by curves on the finished drawing (see K. 6A).
Paul de Saint-Hilaire (l'Univers secret du labyrinthe, p. 133) proposes a pattern with 4 half-circles placed obliquely on the 4 diagonals, with their openings towards the exterior. Again, this cannot produce the typical Cretan labyrinth, but rather a strongly radial, modified but nevertheless beautiful, version resembling the Pima-Maricopa-O'Odham-Papago labyrinth of the Arizona Indians (K. 659, 660).
	I use 2 half-circles facing up in the top part of the pattern, and 2 ones facing outwards in the bottom part. The dots are the centers of these half-circles. This is the only seed pattern method which arrives at the true Cretan labyrinth design. I think it has not yet been published.

Here is the sequential procedure. One starts from the top of the cross. The movement is clockwise if the labyrinth is to be clockwise (and conversely). It is important that all the following movements also be clockwise (or counterclockwise if such be the case).

The sequence will become easy after a couple of trials.

Starting from the top of the cross, make a half-circle to the near end of the right half-circle.

From its symmetrical (near end of the left half-circle) to the right dot.

From the left dot to the far end of the right half-circle.

From the far end of the left half-circle to the end of the right arm of the cross.

The rest of the sequence should be obvious, because of the very strong rhythmical-symmetrical component of the movements.

Another couple of trials will produce a very convincing Cretan labyrinth.

The spiral structure of the Cretan labyrinth

I have surprised some people by talking (or writing) about the spiral structure of the Cretan labyrinth. That property is not immediately apparent when one looks at the drawing. If one follows in both directions the line crossing the main axis (the arms of the cross), one should see that one is following a spiral.

The spiral structure is much more strongly experienced through the tracing of the labyrinth from the "seed pattern". All the movements of the sequence should of course be done in the appropriate direction (Kern's No 6A diagram changes directions at every movement, which hides the spiral nature of the process).

Superimposing a spiral on the labyrinth also brings out the spiral structure of the Cretan labyrinth (see my site).

It is important to experience and acknowledge the spiral nature of the Cretan labyrinth, since this is one of the main differences with the Medieval labyrinth, which is concentric.

The "long line" method

The "seed pattern" method of drawing the Cretan labyrinth may be very old (Tony Phillips has on his site (Cretan game, bottom of page) the picture of a pottery shard with the seed pattern, dated 604 BC). I think that the other method should be older still. I had that idea looking at the Luzzanas petroglyph labyrinth (K. 76).

I know that the Luzzanas labyrinth is not as ancient as was first thought, but it is nevertheless a relatively ancient occurrence of a different way of drawing the labyrinth.

First, one should see that the Luzzanas drawing was not made from a seed pattern. It is too asymmetrical and the curves that would have been the initial half-circles are too different from each other in size, in shape and in orientation. There are no breaks in the continuity of the lines where they should meet the half-circles of the seed pattern. There are no dots distinguishable from the lines.

Then, eventually, one notices that there is a discontinuity between the drawing of the cross and the drawing of the long curved lines. These are drawn with a different line quality, and there is some break of line continuity at the meeting of the lines with the end of the four arms of the cross.

Actually, my proof is not in that drawing, but in the actual use of the method, which indeed seems to return in some manner to that drawing, and to some primitive initiatic meaning of a very ancient prehistoric drawing.

Here is the sequence of that method. The drawing starts with the cross. It should normally be a greek cross (four equal arms).

The first long line starts from the top of the cross, making a small half-circle (clockwise if the labyrinth is to be clockwise), keeping a single lane width as the distance to the cross, then turning up and keeping a double lane width as the distance to the previous segment of the line, making a full counterclockwise half-circle .

The second line starts from the end of the right arm of the cross (for a clockwise labyrinth), makes a full counterclockwise half-circle outside the first line, turns and enters inside the first line, and makes another clockwise half-circle.

The third line starts from the end of the left arm of the cross, makes a full clockwise circle at single distance from the previous line, turns and makes a counterclockwise circle at double distance from its first segment.

The fourth line starts from the bottom of the cross, makes a counterclockwise circle at single distance, then turns inside the third line and makes a clockwise circle.

On Jeff Saward's "Labyrinthos" site, there is a picture of a recent labyrinth (Burt, Ireland) obviously designed from that "long line" perspective. The extensions of the cross are slightly separated from the cross, putting emphasis on the cross itself. The cross is a latin cross (bottom member longer), which makes a vertically elongated design and suggests a definitely christian symbolism.

Both methods of drawing the Cretan labyrinth are illustrated on my site, both in table form and as animations. I have found that the "long line"method can also be used as a choreographic argument or scenario for "dancing the labyrinth".

The "long line" method can also be executed without the initial cross. In fact, one may say that the labyrinth is really composed of two lines, their intersection constituting the cross. Catherine Blackburn, an artist from Toronto, uses in her paintings the 3-lane Cretan drawn with 2 long lines without an initial cross. Her labyrinths look like hand-written signatures. Robert Ferré tells me he does the 7-lane Cretan, and that somebody he knows knows someone who does it with both hands simultaneously, one hand for each line. I leave to Robert the pleasure of describing his procedure. I might just add that this is a virtuoso piece, not for beginners.

Some reflexions on the two methods

Practicing and comparing the two methods brought interesting thoughts. The seed pattern method would be left brain, algorithmic, rational and geometric; the long line method would be right brain, initiatic, intuitive and manual. The first can be taught and learned easily and is a good "ice breaker" in any party. The other is difficult to learn and teach, and may not be very impressive for "ordinary" witnesses, but the pleasure of drawing it is much deeper and it carries a feeling of participating in a very ancient and primitive action, and also of conducting a somewhat difficult and dangerous symbolic ritual.

The anomaly of the Luzzanas labyrinth

The Luzzanas petroglyph labyrinth (K. 76) has been much diffused and is very well known. It presents an anomaly which I think has not yet been addressed as such. There are three lines starting from the foot of the initial cross of the labyrinth. One is obviously the normal long line being the extension of the cross towards the right and the outermost counterclockwise circle. Another line seems to be the result of an error in drawing the cross: the foot of the cross is too long, and the long line had to start nearer to the center, so that part of the line is outside of the design.

The third line is the one which I want to discuss. Kern describes that line as being a "guiding line" from the entry of the room to the entry of the labyrinth. I was surprised by that remark because the round Cretan labyrinth design is a graphical totality which allows no such addition. Kern refers to another labyrinth with such a guiding line (K. 632). It is a square Cretan from Ceylon. My interpretation about the Ceylon labyrinth is that the added line's function is simply to fill the front side of the square, which has an empty space on the left because of the spiral structure of the labyrinth, which is asymmetrical. Indeed, once placed there, the added line also serves as a guiding line towards the entry of the labyrinth. For the Luzzanas labyrinth, I think there is a different explanation, and I want to propose it here.

When practicing the "long line" method of drawing the Cretan labyrinth, I tried to draw a counterclockwise labyrinth. Everything went fine until I had to draw the fourth long line. Then I made a mistake, probably due to the change in orientation (and also to the fact that, before the last line is drawn, the whole design looks symmetrical). I drew precisely the kind of line which is a problem on the Luzzanas labyrinth: I drew the line in the wrong direction. Since then I am profoundly convinced that the corresponding line on the Luzzanas labyrinth was not intentional but simply an error in the drawing procedure. And because the drawing is inscribed in the rock, that line could not be erased and therefore has always been considered as being part of the drawing.

My proposition is that we should recognize the Luzzanas labyrinth as having two errors and that it should not be reproduced without a comment about these two lines being errors. Of course suppressing these two lines when we reproduce it may not be ethical, but maybe this is what should be done. As long as it is mentioned!