Labyrinths & Mazes

by Jürgen Hohmuth

Breathtaking aerial shots of ancient and modern labyrinths and mazes offer an exciting new perspective on an age-old phenomenon and an opportunity to better understand its meaning.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of color photographs of labyrinths and mazes across Europe. Includes a history and analysis of both types of puzzles.

[David Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jurgen Hohmuth's book is a deep dive into human curiosity and ritual. Starting around 1200 B.C. the phenomena of the labyrinth was discovered across the world. It seems as though this fascination, following a winding path with no wrong turns, took root in many different civilizationsand since then it has become a part of each generation that followed. These detailed and beautiful patterns lead a man down a winding, circuit path that, as long as you do not give up, leads to the center of the design. And that is the pure beauty of a labyrinth, there is only the journey that must be taken, no other alternative.

My outright favorite is the Maison Dedalus labyrinth located in Amiens, France. I love tracing my finger along the loops, slowly but inevitably finding the center.

[Ann Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing photographs and great details make this a real gem. This book highlights the simple perspective as well as the complex designs. Tantalizing views will keep you riveted to these pages from beginning to end.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always used the words labyrinth and maze interchangeably but I found out by reading this book that there are differences between the two. Through photographs and a bit of history and lore this book gives us an overview of the two. Made from different materials ranging from simple turf to tiled mosaics these interesting and beautiful labyrinths and mazes intrigue and astound. At the back of the book the author tells how the crew managed to get some of the pictures and stories and on interesting aspects of the roadblocks they encountered and the people they met.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw this in a bookstore and was curious enough to get it from the library. It seemed like it was trying to simultaneously appeal to the coffee-table-book-seeking, New Age, and archaeological crowds, and so it felt like it was sort of tripping over itself. Also, the layout and design were irritating and confusing in ways that made the book hard to read at times. The photography was nice, and it was interesting to read the different theories about the purpose behind labyrinths, and that they may have been important to pre-Christian religious rituals which involved dancing. But in general, I didn't find this to be interesting enough to own.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photos in this book far outweighed the textual content, at least in my opinion. But I was looking for visual inspiration to carry into mandala making, as well as tips on maze making to take to my journalling students. And that's just what this book did for me!