15 Circuit Labyrinths

I know of only four full sized older Classical Fifteen Circuit Labyrinths - three in Sweden and one in England. I must admit that I find fifteen circuits to be too big. By that I mean that it is difficult to maintain one's focus for the length of time it takes to walk them. One of the results is that several of them have faded back to the earth due to lack of maintenance. One other almost disappeared, but is now being restored, and the fourth one is made of head-sized rocks on an solid rock surface, so it is in better shape.

Tibble near Anundshög, Vasteros, Sweden

Tibble - most of the paths are still visible, but near the cross in the seed pattern, it has become very confusing.	This is the drawing of the Tibble labyrinth on the sign at the top of the picture of the labyrinth.

Note that the drawing on the right is a probably a seven circuit labyrinth. Apparently the people who put up the sign didn't know the difference! Most of the stones that make up the walls of this labyrinth have disappeared under the turf. Fortunately, John Kraft, an expert on Swedish labyrinths, lives in near by Vesteros, made the following drawing of Tibble using a screw driver to probe for the walls.

Rösaring on Lake Malaren, west of Stockholm, Sweden

This classical fifteen circuit labyrinth is about the same age as Tibble, but it is in much worse condition - again, due to lack of maintenance. One approaches Rösaring from the North along a dead straight road.

Beginning of the dead straight road at Rösaring, where the death walk began.
While there appears to be a bend in this "road" today, it runs from the flattened mound in the foreground to the remains of the structure at the other end.	The plan for the Rösaring complex with its dead straight road, series of mounds, and the fifteen circuit labyrinth at the bottom left.

Rösaring Classical Fifteen Circuit Labyrinth - drawing by John Kraft

Rösaring Labyrinth with mound in background. Note how the labyrinth has almost disappeared due to lack of maintenance.

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"Dead Straight"

The term "dead straight" in English comes from these roads. "Reg" in Sanskrit means "ruler" - the king who rules, but also, a ruler is a tool that makes a dead straight line.

The Dutch word for these dead straight lines is "doodweg." Also, interestingly enough, also called "leyweg." In medieval times, it was a law in the Netherlands that you had to take a dead body in a straight line to its final place of rest. Here is a map from 1733 of a number of "doodwegen" coming together at St. John's Church and cemetery in het Gooi, east of Amsterdam.

See all the roads (doodwegen) coming up from different towns to the cemetery from the south east. In the parish of Laaren.

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Jungfrun Labyrinth

The Jungfrun Fifteen Circuit Classical Labyrinth

This stone labyrinth is on the Isle of Blå Jungfrun in the Baltic Sea (outside of Kalmar). According to John Kraft, who kindly allowed me to use his drawings of bothe Tibble and Junfrun, this is the biggest labyrinth in Sweden. There are one-day boat tours to the national park from Oskarshamn on the coast, and from Byxelkrok on Öland. It appears to be in quite good shape.

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Troy Farm Labyrinth, Somerton, Oxfordshire, England

This picture was taken in 1990. Unfortunately, it fell into some disrepair in the next decade; however, it is now being restored in preparation for a Labyrinth Society European Regional Gathering there at the end of May 2008.

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