“The world can doubtless never be well known by theory: practice is absolutely necessary; but surely it is of great use to a young man, before he sets out for that country, full of mazes, windings, and turnings, to have at least a general map of it, made by some experienced traveler.”
– Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield – “Lord Chesterfield” (1694 – 1773)
Daedalus’ Labyrinth
The Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, Daedalus (literally translated: “clever worker”), was a renowned craftsman and sculptor, who designed and built the fabled Labyrinth, an elaborate structure so complex, it was rumored to have nearly trapped its inventor after construction. He also fashioned intricate wings he and his son Icarus used to escape Crete after imprisonment there by King Minos, for whom he fashioned the sprawling maze. Some ancient historians credit him with inventing carpentry, the saw, axe, plumb-line, drill, and glue. In modern times, a derivation of his name, “daedalean,” is an adjective meaning “complicated” or “convoluted.” Fitting, given the intertwined yet ill-fated thread woven by his life-story.
In colloquial English, “labyrinth” is synonymous with a maze, yet there truly is a distinction between the two. A maze is generally a complex branching (multicursal) tangle with choices of path and direction, holding many false paths and “dead ends.” A labyrinth is typified by a single (unicursal) non-branching path, which leads only to the puzzle’s center. Seemingly, then, one entering the Labyrinth should be able to wind their way to dead center and back. Unfortunately for any foolhardy adventurer looking to brave the task, they would usually just wind up, well, dead.