A Franciscan labyrinth in Ashland, Oregon

                    



Last evening my friend and brother in Christ, John, returned after a 3 week visit to Sweden and Denmark.  We made the trip as John needed to connect with his relatives and his memories of youth.  This was a very nice trip and, for me, a very good exposure to the Scandinavian history, culture, and path at this point in time.  Another point of interest for me was the large number of labyrinths present, especially on the coastal points of travel.  This led me to the theory that perhaps the early Viking travels, themselves or perhaps their captives or slaves, may have been instrumental in the dispersion of that medium throughout the world.  To this point I will post here, in addition to the latest walk of the Franciscan Labyrinth, a few of the many labyrinth shots we took on the trip.

This is a paver labyrinth in the courtyard of a bicycle dealership in Vasteras, Sweden.  This is a typical pattern from this area (9 or 12 instead of 7 circuits in the classical).  This one is patterned after the next photo which is very hard to still make out as it is near an ancient Viking ceremonial ground and not so well maintained.

It seems as though most of theses labyrinths were used in random ceremonies, quite often by fishermen wishing for a good catch.  Magic seemed to be the goal verses meditation.  And to be honest I can not really see Viking warriors themselves walking a pattern like this (especially to "get a girl").....The next few shots were taken on the island of Gotland off the coast of Sweden.

 On the road to the lighthouse

Scratched into the sand within a church ruin in Visby (I did not do it)

 An unusual pattern in the pavers in front of the cathedral in Visby.

 This sign is describing, in Swedish, a hedge labyrinth in Stockholm.  A pretty nice one but somewhat overgrown so it is almost a maze.

 This is the inside shot of the center of another hedge maze (true maze this time).  The pathway is again pretty tall and the inside is patterned after the label on a Tuborg beer bottle (not prehistoric :0)

 This is the entrance to the Tuborg Maze

This is the first 12 circuit classical labyrinth we encountered arriving at Visby on Gotland.

I am very happy that we made this trip and the ancient roots of the Viking settlements were a treat to visit and ponder upon the drive that lead peoples to travel such harsh seas in search of new lands.  Perhaps with respect for all the ancients who searched out new lands we can in these latter days  search out the new lands and dimensions of creation within ourselves.  Learning to realize that we and all of creation are connected and can best survive by serving each other, including Mother Earth.  Pax!  Roberto