EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW
ABOUT CELTIC ART & SYMBOLISM
There seems to be a persisitent curiosity among admirers of Celtic art with regard to the meanings behind various knots, symbols, and designs. This curiosity is fueled by a wealth of information on the subject, much of which is either slanted, misinformed, or even downright bogus. Just try "Googling" Celtic Symbols and their meanings and see what you get!! (and of course here I am, adding to it...) Of course this doesn't mean there are no legitimate sources of information to be found out there - just be aware as you're searching, and always consider the source.
The basic truth is the Celts were not ones for writing things down so any meanings they may have attached to their designs will probably never be known. There are a few symbols or designs which can be interpreted with reasonable accuracy based on what we know about similar ones found in other cultures. We can also venture an educated guess here and there based on what we do know about Celtic culture. The rest is open to pure speculation.
That said, here is a brief compilation of the most common symbols and designs along with their generally accepted interpretations. It starts with general explanations of four basic art forms, then lists more specific designs, including ones used in my Folk Wheels. Feel free to agree or disagree. Schools of thought are as numerous and varied as the stones of Ireland but, again, the simple truth is whatever intent or symbolic meaning the original artists might have attached to their works died with them.
Circles/Spirals
Renown Celtic artist George Bain called the circle "man's first step in art". It seems reasonable to assume the creation of the spiral soon followed. The Celts were not the first or only culture to employ these symbols. They were not even the first to use them in Britain. Spirals carved into a large stone at Newgrange in Ireland date back to 2500 BC which, according to anthropological studies, predates the arrival of Celtic speaking people in Ireland by alomost 2000 years. But the Celts were among the first to elaborate upon these primitive symbols and transform them into art, creating designs that were uniquely theirs. These designs became increasingly complex, culminating around the 7th century AD (a time period sometimes referred to as the "Ultimate La Tene"). As with many cultures, both before and after them, early Celts likely used these symbols to represent the sun and/or their pagan sun god, Taranis. It's possible that such concepts as eternity and continuity may have also been attached. Any further interpretations would be purely speculative. For a little more info, scroll down to Spirals - Folk Wheel image.
Knotwork Interlacings
These are the most popularly recognizable forms of Celtic design, and the most contentious when it comes to interpretation. Truth is, there is no "Dictionary of Celtic Knots", no source based in historical fact that provides a list of knot designs and their respective meanings. Scottish art teacher and author George Bain ("Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction", 1951) suggested that knotwork interlacings could be symbols of continuity, an interpretation which has since become widely accepted among artists and craftspeople. It seems a perfectly reasonable assumption. Is it what the original artists intended? Only they know for sure, and they're not talking.....just smiling secretively in their tombs.
Key and Step Patterns
I've seen these described as "spirals in straight lines", which I suppose is one way of interpreting them. Some art historians propose that the labyrinth and maze patterns found in Greek and Roman art were probable sources of inspiration. Similar patterns and designs exist in a multitude of cultures the world over, from Asia to Africa to the Americas, but again, it was the Celts who raised this art form to another level. Distinctly geometric in form, these simple yet mesmerizing designs reached their apex in the mid-first millennium AD upon the pages of manuscripts like the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne gospels. What they meant, if they meant anything at all, is lost to history. Perhaps, as some have proposed, they represented some kind of spiritual path.....or maybe they were just an interesting way to fill up a space.
Zoomorphics
It's a common misconception that early Celts were not skilled or refined enough as artists to illustrate life forms in a realistic manner.
Early pagan laws strictly forbade copying the works of the Creator, which is why no "realistic" versions of plants, animals and humans exist in early Celtic art. Instead, limbs, necks, ears, chins, and so on were either simplified or exaggerated and interlaced with one another to create designs which could represent various life forms without endangering their spirits or insulting the One who created them first. They are also among the most complex and difficult to create of all Celtic designs. Artist Aiden Meehan ("Celtic Borders", 1999, pg.9) states, "animal and plant motifs...offer the most variety and interest. They are also the least often attempted, as being just too difficult, [and]...are all the more intriguing for that." As far as the meaning of any specific zoomorphic design is concerned, one must delve into the murky annuls of Celtic mythology and search out the symbolic meaning of that particular life form. Should you decide to conduct such a search be forewarned: an enormous amount of information exists out there - some reasonable, some outlandish, nearly all of it speculative. Find what seems to be the most generally accepted innterpretation and go with that.
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