Fig. 48.—Labyrinth in Amiens Cathedral. (Gailhabaud.)
The Chartres labyrinth formerly went by the name of "La Lieue," an expression which would ordinarily be rendered as "the league." The French league, however, was about 2282 yards, a much greater length than the total extent of the path in any of the existing pavement-labyrinths, that at Chartres, for example, having a length of only about 150 yards. Possibly the term had some etymological connection with the old Gaulish measure leuca, leuga or leuva, which was 1500 paces.
Fig. 49.—Labyrinth in Parish Church, St. Quentin. (Gailhabaud).
In other cases the labyrinth was known as a "Chemin de Jérusalem," "daedale," or "meandre," terms which need no explanation. The centre was called "ciel" or "Jérusalem." The labyrinth formerly in the nave of Amiens Cathedral was larger than that at Chartres, being 42 ft. in diameter ([Fig. 48]). It was constructed in 1288 and was destroyed in 1825. In plan it was similar to that at the entrance to the parish church of St. Quentin ([Fig. 49]). The latter, however, is only 34½ ft. in diameter.
Fig. 41.
Bronze Plaquette, Italian, XVIth Century. (British Museum)
Fig. 50. Labyrinth in Rheims Cathedral. (Gailhabaud)