You will find some of these Celtic symbols amongst our jewellery pieces.
The Celts were tribes of people who expanded westward across Europe from roughly 700 BCE. They were a warrior culture with exceptionally good design and craftsmanship skills. The influence of Celts and their Celtic artwork can be seen throughout Europe during the pre-Roman times. During the La Tene period from ca. 450 BCE to 1 BCE, Celtic artwork flourished. The patterns they created were often inspired by nature and featured geometric patterns, spirals and triskeles.
Celtic Insular art (or Hiberno-Saxon art) is from the post-Roman era and refers to the artwork produced in Ireland and Britain. These artworks commonly feature interlace patterns, which is a typical pattern that many people associate with "Celtic Art". This style of Celtic art reached its artistic peak in Ireland during the 7th-9th centuries and declined once the Viking raids started to take place. It is thought to have extended to about the 12th century in Ireland. Intricate interlace patterns are seen in the Book of Kells, the best example of a manuscript from this time.
Celtic Cross
The Celtic cross symbolizes the harmony of the four elements, four seasons and four sides of the world. The circle represents the spiritual world which created sacred space. The lower part of the cross is always expanding, showing the growing human needs. It is believed that this symbol will save a person bearing it from the influence of dark forces and give him wisdom. One interpretation is that the four ‘arms’ represent the four cardinal directions of the earth (north, south, east, and west). Another is that it represents the four elements: Earth, fire, water and air. The four quadrants may also represent the four seasons of the year or the four stages of the day: morning, midday, evening and midnight. Most early references to Celtic Crosses come from the time in which Celts began to convert to Christianity.
Thistle
Best known as the national symbol of Scotland, it is seen to represent nobility and graciousness. To some, it is a flower, while others call it a weed. Its touch is prickly, and it can survive where other plants can’t. Not surprisingly, such a controversial plant has contrasting symbolism. In Celtic countries, the associations are positive, and the flower symbolises resilience, strength, determination, protection and pride.
According to legend, a group of sleeping Scot soldiers escaped an ambush by an invading Norse army, when one of their attackers stepped bare foot on a thistle. His agonized scream woke up the sleeping Scot soldiers, who went on to defeat the Norse intruders. They then chose the thistle as their emblem to represent themselves as a country.
The flower’s purple colours represent royalty. In Victorian England, the thistle signified pain, aggression and intrusion. Receiving a bouquet with thistles would have been interpreted as a warning against meddling in other peoples’ business. During the Victorian era in England, the thistle was a symbol of suffering, hostility, and encroachment.
Triquetra—Trinity Knot
The Triquetra, known as the trinity knot, is one of the most popular Celtic symbols. Composed of three equal interlaced arcs with a never-ending unbroken line, representing equality, eternity & unity. The concept of three was the foundation of divine belief, encompassing the maiden, mother and crone, representing the life cycle.
The Maiden: represents a young girl symbolizing youth, pleasure, innocence, and new beginnings.
The Mother: represents the middle of a woman's life as she cares for others, symbolising love, fertility, maturity.
The Crone: focuses on the wisdom learned from a long life.
The triquetra has also been used to signify other meanings, such as:
- birth, death, rebirth (the cycle of life)
- earth, air, water (the 3 fundamental elements)
- past, present, future (passage of time)
- father, mother, child (family)
Celtic Harp
The Irish Harp is one of the world’s oldest instruments. The Ancient Irish Kings employed Harpists to entertain them. At one point in Irish History conquering invaders made it illegal to posses an Irish Harp in Ireland in an attempt to kill the “Irish spirit”. Today it is the national emblem of Ireland.
Triskelion - triple spiral
The Triskele symbol, otherwise known as the Triskelion, is a trilateral symbol consisting of three interlocked spirals. Its main meaning is the unity of the Earth, Water, and Fire. It is believed to have powerful protective properties, brings money, and good luck. According to the beliefs of the Celts, all ornaments consist of the Thread of Life and the pattern cannot be changed, as it is granted by the gods. Triskeles evoke the Celtic interpretation of the three realms of material existence: earth, water, and sky (and all their interconnections). The symbol is also thought to represent the three worlds: spiritual, physical, and celestial. Other Trinity connections associated with the triskele are life-death-rebirth, past-present-future, earth-water-sky, and creation-protection-destruction. Each one deals with some aspect of personal growth, human development, and spiritual progress.
Shamrock
Shamrocks have always been good luck charms in Celtic lore. It is the national flower of Ireland even though it isn't exactly a flower. The shamrock is believed to have been an important Druid symbol. Druids are said to have felt that the three heart-shaped leaves represented the triad. The triad also represents ideals like faith, love, and hope. The plant is reputed to have mystic or prophetic powers as the leaves are said to stand upright to warn of an approaching storm. The Celts call the Shamrock “little clover.” They believed the number 3 to be sacred, such as the Mother, Maiden and Crone representing the lifecycle.
According to legend, It is said that St Patrick picked a shamrock from the ground in Ireland in order to prove the existence of The Son, The Father and The Holy Ghost. St Patrick used the trefoil leaves to explain the unity of the Holy Trinity – three parts yet one whole – to the pagans during his Christian teachings.
Celtic Spiral
The best-known Celtic motif dating back to the 5000 year old tomb complex at Newgrange. Originally symbolized the Eternal Cycle of Life, Death & Rebirth. The spiral has come to represent the Great Goddess and her threefold manifestation of virgin, mother and crone.
The meaning behind the anti-clockwise spiral is sometimes interpreted as the passage from the inner to the outer self. An anti-clockwise spiral is thought to symbolize the passage from the inner self to the outer soul. This Celtic single spiral is thought to show the development, or growth of a person over time and maybe connected with cosmic energy.
Celtic Love Knot
This design looks like two hearts interlocked by the intertwining lines of Celtic knots. The infinite intertwined knots symbolises the everlasting love between two people. The Celts have been using this as an emblem to celebrate their love from around 2500 BCE. It is also known as the Anam Cara Knot, meaning soul friend which derives from the Irish language, a famous expression even used by St. Brigid of Kildare. It is believed that the Celts exchanged these knots in the same way that people do today with rings. The unbroken lines with no beginning and no end represent eternity, much like a married couple’s love.
Celtic Knot
Celtic knot designs are inspired by the ancient Celtic and Pictish Peoples, dating back to around the 7th century. Celtic interwoven knot consists of a single thread of complete loops with no start or finish. This thread symbolizes how life and eternity are interconnected, just like the path of life along which, as in a labyrinth, a person passes through, from start point, and eventually ends up where they began. The eternal knot symbolises the continuity of life which has no beginning and no end and the interconnection of all things. Celtic knots represent eternity, whether this means loyalty, faith, friendship or love.
The Claddagh
The Claddagh symbol originated in County Galway in the little fishing village Claddagh, where the design was invented by Richard Joyce. He became a master goldsmith during his years as a slave in the West Indies and shaped a unique ring for the woman he was meant to marry the same week he was captured. Two hands cradling a crowned heart, the heart for love, the hands for friendship and the crown for loyalty. The design represented the wish that love and friendship should reign supreme. He was released after 8 years and returned Claddagh rings are widely exchanged as a symbol of loyalty and unity.
Today it is commonly accepted that the joining hands, heart and crown represent a lasting bond of friendship, love and loyalty. Wearing a Claddagh ring on the right hand with the heart facing out signifies the wearer is unattached and searching for love, the heart facing in would indicate the wearer's heart is unavailable and may be in a relationship. Worn on the left hand, the wearer's heart is promised forever, with the heart facing in it's denoting marriage, and heart facing out will show the wearer is engaged to be married.
St. Brigid's Cross
Next to St. Patrick, St Brigid is one of the most revered saint in all of Ireland, she was important in spreading Christianity in Ireland. She was born near Dundalk in 453ad. Little is known of the history of the St Brigids cross however legend suggests when St Brigids pagan father was ill, she was sat with him on his deathbed and wove a cross from rushes. The cross was presented it to him and when her father saw the cross he repented and asked to be baptised.The St Brigid cross is one of the less well known Irish symbols, it symbolises the beginning of Spring which officially in Ireland is the 1st of February. These crosses are traditionally hung by on on doors and are said to protect houses from Fire and Evil quite ironically the crosses are normally made from rushes, perhaps not the most fireproof material!
Tree of Life
The intricately interwoven branches and roots of the Celtic Tree of Life form a strong and earthy Celtic symbol that’s often associated with the Druids. While the branches reach for the sky, the roots permeate the earth. For the ancient Celts, the Tree of Life symbolizes balance and harmony. This symbol meant the unity of the three worlds: underworld, life on earth, and in heaven. Known in Irish as ‘Crann Bethadh’ (Crown Bett-ah), this Celtic symbol represents the belief of the close association between heaven and earth. The Celts believed that the trees were the spirits of their ancestors, providing a link between their earthly life and the next.
The Celtic Tree of Life symbol represents strength, longevity and wisdom, all of which were attributes that the Celts revered. The Celtic tree of life symbol also shows the link between every root below the ground and every branch above.
Dara Knot
Another of the better-known Celtic symbols is the Dara Celtic Knot. This symbol boasts an interwoven design and a name that comes from the Irish word ‘Doire’ which means “oak tree”.
The Dara Knot is derived from this word and the symbol represents the root system of an ancient oak. Like other Celtic knot symbols, the Dara Knot is made up of intertwined lines with no beginning or end. Celts and Druids revered nature, particularly ancient oak trees, and considered them sacred. They saw the oak tree as a symbol of strength, power, wisdom, and endurance. When times were difficult, the Celts would go to the symbol to provide them the fortitude and inner insight necessary to get through the ordeal.
Triquetra with inner circle
Christians took the concept of the three interlocking shapes of the Celtic Trinity Knot and repurposed it to signify the holy trinity: the father, the son, and the holy spirit. The never-ending loops themselves are said to reference the concept of infinity which is why the inner circle was later added to the symbol.
The circle that is interlaced with the triquetra represents the bond between the three elements.
Triple Moon/Goddess Symbol
The Triple Moon Symbol is used to represent the Goddess. It shows different portions of the lunar cycle, with the moon in three phases – waxing, full and waning. First, there is a crescent moon that is in a growing/waxing phase. In the centre comes a circle representing the full moon, and finally, there is a crescent denoting the diminishing/waning moon.
The waxing moon stands for the Maiden, symbolising purity, youth, new life, beginnings, rejuvenation, excitement, enchantment, and expansion.
The full moon represents the Mother, symbolising fulfilment, fertility, ripeness, potency, compassion, giving, caring, nurturing, protection and power.
The waning moon represents the Crone and stands for repose, maturity, wisdom, experience, knowledge, understanding, completion, death and rebirth. In its entirety, the symbol is believed to signify the eternal cycle of birth, life, and rebirth.
Triple Crescent Moon
The triple crescent moon is a symbol of the goddess in the Wiccan religion. The goddess is the opposite divine cosmic force to the Horned God. The symbol represents the three stages of womanhood – mother, maiden, and crone. The triple crescent moon has also been linked to the Fates. The Fates control the fate of gods and mankind.
The Triple Crescent Moon is three crescent moons interlinked. The three moons have different meanings. Wiccan’s believe they represent the three stages of womanhood. Celtic symbolism believes they represent the three Fates – birth, life, and death.
Pentagram
The Pentagram symbol, composed of five, straight lines to form a star, harks back to 3000 BC in Mesopotamia. Through the centuries, this five-pointed star has been used by several religions: the Hebrews used the symbol to represent the Truth and the five books of the Pentateuch; the Druids referred to the pentagram as the Godhead and the Christians said that the five points represented Christ’s five wounds. Five has always been considered a magical number: we have five fingers and toes on each extremity; we have five common senses; we have five initiations in our lives (birth, adolescence, coitus, parenthood, and death). The pentagram also contains the golden mean or ratio: a symbol of beauty and perfection. As such, it is believed to be a powerful symbol for protection against evil or conflicts. It can also be used to promote good and beautiful energy in a person or environment.
Pentacle
The Pentacle is an encircled Pentagram. A Pentagram is an ancient spiritual symbol shaped as a five-pointed star with one point aligned upwards. It is considered to be representative of the five elements from which man is made, namely fire, air, water, earth and spirit.
It is viewed as a symbol of life, love, light, unity, wholeness, and quest for divine knowledge. The Pentacle has always been associated with divine protective powers and was used for protection from the evil forces, demons, etc.
In the present times, the Pentacle and the Pentagram are much-respected symbols used by the neo-Pagans and Wiccans.
Celtic Shield Knot
The Shield knot is the Celtic symbol for protection. It’s tight pattern depicts an unbreakable barrier, with a single interwoven thread suggesting endless protection. This Celtic protection symbol was worn into battle on shields and armour, giving the Celts a fighting spirit. Larger ones would be placed on battlefields to demonstrate strength and protection in an attempt to ward off enemies. It is widely believed that Shield Knots were given to sick friends and relatives to ward off evil spirits, and hung in homes to protect against evil.
Celtic Sailors Knot
This design features two intertwined ropes with four points and is said to have been created by sailors during their long voyages as a means of remembering their loved ones. The sailors knot is believed to be thousands of years old. The Celts also took to the sea and it was common for these sailors to stay at sea for many months on end. They would then give these knots to their loves ones upon returning home. Women often wore these as bracelets, belts, or hair decorations. It is one of the simplest knots to make, but it is also one of the strongest and most durable. It is a bond that cannot be broken. The Sailor’s knot symbolises friendship, affection, harmony and lasting love.
Spiral Goddess
Representing the divine feminine power, fertility, and the cyclical nature of life. It's a tribute to the strength, creativity, and sacred essence of women throughout history. Shown on the Goddess womb and sacral chakra is the spiral, a common Celtic symbol that is related to life and growth, evolution and expansion. The spiritual meaning of the spiral is interconnected and stemming from the source of all creation. Her raised arms signify that the Goddess invokes the power of the spiral within her to bring life. The Goddess is the origin of everything, she is the beginning but also the end, She is the one who gave birth to the universe and the one who can destroy everything for its regeneration. Sometimes the spiral goddess symbol is depicted alongside the crescent moons of the Triple Moon/Goddess symbol, representing the cycles of life and the three aspects of the Goddess: Maiden, Mother and Crone.