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Table of Contents
A maze is a puzzle. It is made of a complex system of paths. Mazes can be on paper. They can also be big enough to walk through. The word “maze” is usually synonymous with labyrinth.
See the fact file below for more information on the maze or alternatively, you can download our 30-page Maze worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
MAZE AND LABYRINTH ORIGINS
- The term “maze” dates from the 13th century and comes from the Middle English word mæs, denoting delirium or delusion.
- The term “labyrinth” dates as far back as the 14th century, deriving from the Latin labyrinthus and the Greek labýrinthos, or a building with intricate passages.
- The only difference between the two is that maze refers to a complex branching multicursal puzzle with choices of path and direction, while a unicursal labyrinth has only a single path to the center.
- However, both a maze and a labyrinth involve a network of paths and passages and it can be said that a labyrinth is a type of maze.
- They can be found on few artifacts from the old world; from the Bronze Age in Spain, to the American Southwest, and from North Africa to Ireland and India.
- One of the earliest recorded mazes in history was the Egyptian Labyrinth. Greek traveler and writer Herodotus visited it in the 5th century BC.
- The building was located just above Lake Moeris and opposite the city of the crocodiles (Crocodilopolis).
- Mazes and labyrinths also depict religious importance. One is located at Chartres Cathedral, built in the 13th century. Roman Catholics soon covered it, worried about the ancient, pagan origins of the labyrinth.
- Another church labyrinth, dating from 4th century AD, is at the Basilica of Reparatus at Orleansville, Algeria. It is located in the pavement, measuring about 8 feet in diameter.
- One of the largest was in the nave of Amiens Cathedral in France, measuring about 42 feet in diameter.
- According to historian Pliny (79 AD), the tomb of the great Etruscan general Lars Porsena was alleged to contain an underground maze.
THE CRETAN LABYRINTH
- According to the legend, King Aegeus was forced to pay tribute to King Minos of the Minoans, whose kingdom was on the island we now call Crete. Every year, the tribute included seven young men and seven young maidens. Underground, far below King Minos’ palace at the city of Knossos, lay a huge maze. Inside the maze, Minos kept a monster called the Minotaur. The Minotaur was a hideous creature that was half-man and half-bull. The fourteen young people from Greece would be let loose into the maze, where they would become hopelessly lost and eventually be eaten by the monster. King Aegeus’ son, Theseus, decided to volunteer as one of the sacrificial victims so that he could attempt to kill the Minotaur. Theseus was successful. He slew the Minotaur, then used a trail of twine he had started laying down at the entrance of the labyrinth to find his way out of the maze.
- Francesco Segala, a 15th-century architect from Padua, Italy, pioneered the first picture mazes. He created puzzle maze designs, mainly in figurative forms including ships, dolphins, crabs, dogs, snails, horsemen, and human figures.
- In 1882, John Lubbock designed a series of mazes out of common objects to observe the navigation skills of ants. It was the first maze designed for animals (insects).
- Later in 1901, Clarke University student William Small designed a maze for rats. This was the first use of mazes to study the learning behavior of rats.
- In 1975, English maze designer Randoll Coate built hedge mazes in the landscape, such as the “Imprint” (a giant footprint) in a private garden in Oxfordshire, England in 1975; “Creation” (egg-shaped, containing a Minotaur) at Varmlands Saby, Varmlands, Sweden, in 1977; and “Pyramid” at the Château de Belœil, Belgium, in 1979.
- The current largest permanent hedge maze is the Pineapple Garden Maze in the Dole Plantation in Hawaii. It stretches over three acres and contains two and a half miles of passageways, planted from local flora.
Maze Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the maze across 30 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Maze worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about a maze which is a puzzle. It is made of a complex system of paths. Mazes can be on paper. They can also be big enough to walk through. The word “maze” is usually synonymous with labyrinth.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Basic Maze
- Maze in Shapes
- The Ladder Maze
- The Number Maze
- Even Number Maze
- Smurf Pastime Maze
- Travel Maze Puzzle
- The Brutal Maze
- The Brutal Maze II
- The Mandala Maze
- The Ultimate Maze
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Link will appear as Maze Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 1, 2020
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.