Settled in 1736

Labyrinths are like mazes with one important difference—there are no dead ends in labyrinths. In a labyrinth there is only one continuous path to the center. People can't get lost in a labyrinth as they might in a maze. People walk labyrinths as a way of meditation and prayer. Walkers follow the path to the center of the labyrinth and then back out again. Labyrinths are frequently seen as metaphors for the journey of life. Finger labyrinths, like the ones in the chapel, provide an accessible, convenient way for people to “walk” a labyrinth by tracing the path with their fingers.

We have three finger labyrinths in the chapel: the Cretan, the Chartres, and the Ely. The Cretan pattern is the oldest, perhaps 3000-4000 years old, and is believed to have originated on the Isle of Crete. The Chartres labyrinth is found on the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France. It originated in the 13th century. The Ely labyrinth is found on the floor of the Ely Cathedral near London, England. It is from the 19th century and has angular turns rather than smooth curves in the path.

We've assembled a few websites for learning more about labyrinths:

This site has 2 virtual labyrinths to “walk.” - http://www.labyrinthonline.com/index.htm

This site gives some basic info about labyrinths and shows how to draw several kinds of labyrinths - http://www.labyrinthsociety.org/html/about_labyrinths.html

On-line site where we purchased the finger labyrinths that are now in the chapel - http://www.relax4life.com/

This site has descriptions of several different types of labyrinths and how to draw labyrinths - http://www.lessons4living.com/labyrinth.htm

Pictures of Chartres Cathedral, including pictures of the labyrinth - http://www.beloit.edu/~arthist/historyofart/gothic/chartrescath.htm

Pictures of Ely Cathedral and labyrinth -

http://labyrinth.suitcasecircus.com/photopageely.html

http://www.ely.org.uk/insideElyCathedral/labyrinth.html

http://ely.org.uk/luptonpics/lupton.html