Maze versus labyrinth
Let’s begin by looking at the Oxford dictionary definitions. They tell us that a labyrinth is a complicated irregular network of passages or paths. In addition a labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. It represents a journey to our own centre and back again out into the world. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools. The oldest known labyrinth is that of King Minos on Crete and is supposed to have been a secret reserved for the royal family who found their way through it in the dark, using handed-down knowledge. It’s also where the monster, the bull-headed Minotaur was kept (presumably bulls aren’t too good at working out puzzles) but, as described under mazes, you’ll see this doesn’t make much sense!
A maze on the other hand, is a puzzle consisting of a network of paths and walls or hedges through which one has to find a way. The oldest maze myth of all, describes Theseus using Ariadne's thread to search the labyrinth to find and fight the Minotaur, which is a very odd idea, because the labyrinth at Minos, recently discovered doesn't need solving, it has only one path, and even if it did, a thread wouldn't help!
Many mazes exist as part of attempts to protect things of great value. The pyramids in Egypt were actually three dimensional mazes, where many wide, well decorated, important looking passages that seemed to lead to the treasure chambers ended up as dead ends or traps, while those that truly led to the sarcophagi of the kings and their piled treasures, were small and appeared to be only used by the builders to carry goods.
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