Where did the mysterious image of a labyrinth come to us? What psychological, mythological and ritual reality underlies this graphic metaphor? Where can Ariadne's thread lead Theseus? And how is the labyrinth connected with the afterlife? These and other questions are answered in a small study, but very rich in content, by the famous Swiss classical philologist Karl Kerenyi, known to domestic readers from the book “The Eleusinian Mysteries” and the joint work “The Trickster” with P. Radin and C. G. Jung . The wide range of material attracted by the scientist - from ancient Babylon to medieval England and archaic Scandinavia - allows him not only to comprehensively describe this mythological image, but also to decipher a whole range of plots from classical antiquity and medieval European culture.

Carl Kerenyi - Exploring the labyrinth. // Translation by Vlasov N.A. – St. Petersburg: LLC Publishing House “Eurasia”, 2020. – 160 p. – ISBN 978-5-8071-0466-3

CONTENTSFrom the author (5)1. Problem and mystery (11)2. Babylon (14)3. Life and Death (24)4. Seram, Polynesia, Australia (32)5. Scandinavia, England, Germany (45)6. The Middle Ages and Virgil (57)7. Building and cave (62)8. Dance (69)9. Dive and Flight (82)10. Infinite and immortal (87)11. Ornament and meaning (101)12. Normans and Romans (122)Notes (135)List of images (153)