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What is a Maze?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

A maze is a complex structure with a series of interconnecting pathways. The term is also used to refer to a graphical puzzle that replicates the maze on a two dimensional medium. It is viewed as a puzzle that must be solved, and the solver must work his or her way from the entrance to an exit, or another location. Getting through a maze can be difficult, leading to the use of the word as a slang term for a complex process.

The practice of building and solving mazes is centuries old. Archaeological digs in many nations have revealed traces of mazes built by people all over the world, from Latin America to Greece. Going through one may have been viewed as a religious experience, or it could simply have been thought of as an exciting challenge. Many were historically made from garden features like hedges, and this continues to be the case.

Mazes are sometimes made from hedges.
Mazes are sometimes made from hedges.

A maze should not be confused with a labyrinth. A labyrinth is a similar structure, but it has a path that is clear and easy to follow. The goal of a labyrinth is to induce contemplation and thought by guiding a walker through it. Labyrinths also have a long history, and continue to be used in religious ceremonies. The twistings and turnings of a labyrinth are carefully mapped out, and sometimes send a message when viewed from above.

A three dimensional maze can be built from almost anything. In gardens, hedges, trees, and plants are used to make garden mazes of varying sizes and heights. In many cases, one made in a garden is low, allowing people to see out of it. Brick, stone, wood, and other materials can also be used to create a maze. In both cases, the path is usually laid out on the ground beforehand, using a pattern drawn out on paper and then enlarged.

In some parts of the world, going through a seasonal maize maze is a tradition. This is made from maize, or corn, an excellent crop for making mazes with since it grows quickly and achieves great height. In areas of large corn production, a maize maze may be built as a summer and early fall treat, and it is often paired with other activities such as pumpkin carving.

On paper, a maze represents a purely graphical puzzle. In theory, a two dimensional maze is easier to solve, because the solver has an overhead view of the entire structure, rather than just a section of it. However, graphical mazes can get extremely complex, with very fine pathways which are difficult to trace. The difficulty is complicated even further when it is not simply connected, meaning that it follows a relatively straight path from one end to the other.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a MusicalExpert researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a MusicalExpert researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

Euroxati

Overall, I would definitely say that mazes take a lot of time to build and plan. Whether it's simple or complex, strategy is always needed, and especially if you're building a hedge maze, you have to remember not to get lost yourself, ha ha.

RoyalSpyder

@Hazali - Honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of mazes in video games. More than often, they tend to be way too confusing to me, and some of them don't have any solution. However, there was one "maze" that caught my attention. It was in Legend of Zelda the Wind Waker.

Toward the end of the game, there's a castle maze where in order to get through it, you have to follow the back of swords. It seems rather confusing at first, but I thought it was pretty clever.

Hazali

Speaking of mazes, does anyone else enjoy them when they're used in video games? I know that some people aren't a fan of them, but usually, they're cleverly implemented and fun to navigate. They're also a great opportunity for you to put your thinking cap on, and do some puzzle solving.

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    • Mazes are sometimes made from hedges.
      By: djama
      Mazes are sometimes made from hedges.