Though the labyrinth-walking movement is relatively new, the practice, it's believed, began at the time of the Crusades. The danger involved in making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land was great, and so, as a substitute, the faithful were encouraged to walk the labyrinths on the floors of certain cathedrals, especially in southern France, as points of pilgrimage they could visit safely and perform a symbolic walk to the center of their faith. Churches in Algeria and Italy also had labyrinths on their floors, and labyrinth patterns have been found for thousands of years, across many civilizations, in countries all over the world. As with Stonehenge, the pyramids, and other ancient sites that seem invested with important spiritual significance, Sager found the lore on labyrinths massive and solid historical evidence sketchy.
Modern pilgrims remain undeterred by sketchy scholarship.
Indeed, until 1792 when it was melted down, the center of Chartres's labyrinth contained a copper plate believed by some to picture the Minotaur. In contrast to mazes, the modern labyrinth offers one way in and one way out, with no tricks or dead ends intended to confuse the walker.