page_title: Turf maze
section_title: Historic turf mazes in Europe
hierarchical_section_title: Turf maze / Historic turf mazes / Historic turf mazes in Europe
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Rasenlabyrinth in der Eilenriede
context_page_description: Historically, a turf maze is a labyrinth made by cutting a convoluted path into a level area of short grass, turf or lawn. Some had names such as Mizmaze, Troy Town, The Walls of Troy, Julian's Bower, or Shepherd's Race. This is the type of maze referred to by William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream when Titania says
  The nine men's morris is fill'd up with mud;
  and the quaint mazes in the wanton green,
  for lack of tread are undistinguishable.
  In some turf labyrinths, the groove cut in the turf is the path to be walked; more commonly the turf itself forms the raised path which is marked out by shallow channels excavated between its twists and turns.
  Most British examples are based on one of two layouts: the Classical or the later, more complex Medieval type which is derived from it.
context_section_description: Eilenriede forest, near Hanover, West Germany "Das Rad" ("The Wheel") (processional type, with tree at centre and short-cut to exit; has existed since at least 1642)
  Graitschen, near Camburg, Thuringia, East Germany "Schwedenhieb", "Schwedenhugel" or 'Schwedenring"
  Steigra, near Querfurt, Saxony-Anhalt, East Germany "Schwedengang", "Schwedenring" or "Trojaburg"
  Tibble near Anundshög, Västerås, Sweden "Trojienborg" (named on map of 1764)
caption: Turf Maze in Eilenriede forest, Hannover, Germany
exif: {}