Learnings: The Sea: A Spiritual Being

A stone maze from Sweden / c. Stone Age

The Scandinavians called the sea by many names. These titles included "Ægir" and "sær", which eventually became the modern word "sea".

The ocean was a source of life. However, her ever-changing mood would sometimes make her violent. Merciless, she could deliver death to unwise seafarers.

It was believed that labyrinths, or stone mazes like this one, could trap wicked spirits that might sway the sea to cruelty and violence. A fisherman soon to head out to sea would walk this path, possibly to encourage harmful spirits to follow him and become trapped in the maze. He would then be able to fish in peace.