Thursday, February 24, 2011

Lutheran Labyrinth Project: The Chartres LabyrinthThe stone floor still bear...

Lutheran Labyrinth Project: The Chartres Labyrinth

The stone floor still bear...
: "The Chartres Labyrinth The stone floor still bears its ancient floor labyrinth (1205), used for walking contemplation by monks and still us..."
The Chartres Labyrinth

The stone floor still bears its ancient floor labyrinth (1205), used for walking contemplation by monks and still used for meditation by pilgrims. There is just one path through the labyrinth and it is 964 feet long. According to John James, the center of the labyrinth once had a metal plate with figures of Theseus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur, figures from the classical myth of the labyrinth on Minos.
The circumference of the labyrinth is 131 feet, almost exactly the same size as the West Rose window. Intriguingly, the labyrinth is the same distance from the west entrance as the West Rose is from the floor - so if the west wall fell inwards, the rose would land directly on the Labyrinth.