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Labyrinth

We think of a labyrinth as a maze, with branching passages making it easy to lose your way. But in the middle ages, a labyrinth usually meant a very specific pattern: This pattern has no branches to get lost in. You enter, weave back and forth, in and out, and eventually reach the center. You weave back and forth seven times.  There are a lot of rock structures like this on beaches all around Europe. Some people think it was a kind of fish trap, where the fish would swim in and then not be able to find their way back out. They are also carved in stones and built of tiles on the floors of cathedrals. I saw an old one in Glendalough.                                This was identified with the city of Jericho: Joshua had to march his army around the city seven times, blowing his trumpets, to bring the walls down. Here's an example, but there are tons of these illustrations in medieval manuscripts. Castles are built along these kinds of lines. You have to climb a hill to reach most cas

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