Mazes and Labyrinths: A General Account of Their History and Development: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

Mazes and Labyrinths: A General Account of Their History and Development, credited to William Henry Matthews, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of Mazes and Labyrinths: A General Account of Their History and Development by William Henry Matthews. Read in English by LibriVox Volunteers. Come along on a journey through the history of Mazes and Labyrinths by W.H. Matthews. Get lost in the wonders of winding paths, from ancient Egyptian temples to medieval cathedrals and English garden mazes. Blending mythology, archaeology, and folklore, discover how these puzzling patterns have symbolized everything from spiritual quests to playful challenges. From the Minotaur’s lair to elegant hedge mazes at country estates, Matthews reveals how humanity has always loved getting lost—on purpose. - Summary by Carrie Mae Streb

Recording facts

• Recording title: Mazes and Labyrinths: A General Account of Their History and Development
• Author credits: William Henry Matthews
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 24
• Listed recording duration: 6:24:05

Catalogue topics

• history
• mythology
• Legends
• folklore
• puzzles
• ancient mazes
• garden maze history
• maze architecture

Track guide

1. 00 - Preface — 4:32
2. 01 - Introduction — 10:43
3. 02 - The Egyptian Labyrinth — 12:42
4. 03 - The Egyptian Labyrinth (continued) — 10:27
5. 04 - The Cretan Labyrinth — 11:14
6. 05 - The Cretan Labyrinth (continued) — 11:35
7. 06 - The Cretan Labyrinth (continued) — 12:26
8. 07 - The Etruscan or Italian Labyrinth — 10:11
9. 08 - The Labyrinth in Ancient Art — 19:57
10. 09 - Church Labyrinths — 23:54
11. 10 - Turf Labyrinths — 14:58
12. 11 - Turf Labyrinths (continued) — 21:11
13. 12 - The Origin of Turf Mazes — 16:10
14. 13 - The Floral Labyrinth and the Dwarf-Shrub Maze — 13:33
15. 14 - The Topiary Labyrinth, or Hedge Maze — 19:17
16. 15 - The Topiary Labyrinth, or Hedge Maze (continued) — 18:46
17. 16 - The Topiary Labyrinth, or Hedge Maze (continued) — 20:32
18. 17 - Stone Labyrinths and Rock Engravings — 12:30
19. 18 - The Dance or Game of Troy — 17:32
20. 19 - The Bower of "Fair Rosamond" — 14:29
21. 20 - Maze Etymology — 27:12
22. 21 - Labyrinth Design and the Solution of Mazes — 21:32
23. 22 - The Labyrinth in Literature — 19:29
24. 23 - Miscellanea and Conclusion — 19:13

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Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.