Celtic Symbols

The Cranberries are a popular Irish Pop/Rock group who released several albums, mainly in the 1990s. While their music cannot be called Celtic in any traditional sense, their sound, especially lead singer Dolores O’Riordan has a definite Irish/Celtic mood to it. The songs of the Cranberries, such as “Dream” and “Linger” are mellow, thoughtful soft rock, but too interesting to be dull the way some “soft” music is. The Cranberries are currently not performing as a group, as members have gone their separate ways.

I actually chose this topic because I found the following video that contains many interesting Celtic symbols, set to a Cranberries tune called Zombie.

The dragon is often thought of as a Celtic symbol, though it came to Celtic lands relatively late. Dragons, of course, are important mythic symbols in China and other Asian lands. In the West, they tend to have a darker image, often associated with evil.

Today Celtic dragons are best known as symbols of Wales. The red dragon of originally represented Wales, who was fighting the white dragon, which represented the Saxons.

When you look at ancient Celtic art, however, you don’t find dragons. These magical creatures were probably introduced to the British Isles by the roaming Vikings. By the Middle Ages, dragons were a symbol used in many European lands, including Ireland, where they can be found in the Book of Kells.

The dragon is still a sort of ambiguous symbol, admired in some ways but feared as a destroyer. Tolkien, who based his sagas at least partly on Celtic legends, cast his dragons as villains, as in the Hobbit. It is likely that the Christian influence, which associates reptiles in general with evil (going back to the Garden of Eden), has made Europeans suspicious of dragons.

In recent years, however, dragon lore has been undergoing a kind of renaissance, with dragon tattoos, sculptures, role playing games, fantasy novels and so on capturing the imagination of people everywhere. Dragons have also, along with faeries, been recast as benevolent protectors in certain neo-Pagan circles (which is closer to how they have long been seen in the East). Dragons often appear in Celtic tattoos, jewelry, t-shirts and other decorations.

It seems that the dragon, whether as a Celtic symbol, a relic of medieval days, or a Far Eastern transplant has undergone a kind of rehabilitation and is increasingly admired for its beauty and courage, as well as its ability to spark our imaginations.

The Holy Grail, while not necessarily a Celtic symbol per se, has long been associated with the British Isles. It is best known today from the legends of King Arthur. It is supposed to be the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper. In a 12th Century story by Robert de Boron, the Grail is brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea. Medieval legends describe knights such as Percival on quests for the Grail.

There are also connections between the Grail legend and Welsh literature, especially the Mabinogion, in which the hero Bran has a life-giving cauldron.
Some authors and researchers, notably Lewis Spence The Mysteries of Britain (Senate Paperbacks)
connect the Holy Grail to earlier Celtic beliefs, such as Cerridwen’s Cauldron, from which the mythic bard Taliesin drank, giving him the gift of prophecy.

While the Holy Grail has long been a sacred symbol of Christianity, especially in Western Europe, the cauldrons of Bran and Cerridwen have more recently been resurrected by neo-pagans. It is difficult to prove one way or the other whether these two traditions are directly related –that is, if the Holy Grail developed out of earlier tales of cauldrons from the Celtic lands.

When it comes to symbolism, however, it isn’t necessary to find direct historical links in order to find meanings and similarities. The Grail, and its connection to Jesus, relates to the Christian sacrement of Communion, in which worshippers partake of Christ’s body and blood, symbolizing eternal life. This seems to connect with the cauldron of Bran.

J. A. MacCulloch’s The Religion of the Ancient Celts
connects the cauldron with earlier fertility gods and goddesses, such as Dagda and Cerridwen, and spoke of the “three properties of the cauldron –inexhaustibility, inspiration and regeneration. From this we can see that both the Holy Grail and the cauldrons of Celtic tradition were related in many ways.

Celtic symbols, designs and artwork make great tattoos. You can use Celtic knots, crosses, spirals and zoomorphic images in an infinite number of ways to create a great traditional or unique tattoo design.

Celtic tattoos are part of the tribal tattoo type, although they have a distinctive quality of their own. They are especially good for displaying different bright colors. Celtic knotwork, for example, can have any number of overlapping colors.

The video below has some ideas you can use. Find out more about
Celtic symbols, designs and artwork make great tattoos. You can use Celtic knots, crosses, spirals and zoomorphic images in an infinite number of ways to create a great traditional or unique tattoo design.

Celtic tattoos are part of the tribal tattoo type, although they have a distinctive quality of their own. They are especially good for displaying different bright colors. Celtic knotwork, for example, can have any number of overlapping colors.

The video below has some ideas you can use. Find out more about
Celtic Tattoos

Samhain, or Halloween marks the end of the light half of the year and the beginning of the dark half in the Celtic calendar. It may seem odd to think of November 1 as New Year’s Day, but perhaps no stranger than January 1, which is, after all, the heart of winter. A more intuitive New Year’s Day would probably be the start of Spring, around March 21. However, it’s interesting to contemplate why the Celts chose the time of year when winter was approaching to mark the New Year.

Samhain, which was the largest celebration in medieval Ireland, lasting for three days, is also the name of the month of November in Irish and Scottish. It marks the final harvest, as well as being a time to honor the dead. It is also believed to be a time when the “veil” between worlds -the world of the living and the world of the dead- is thinnest. This is the origin of modern Halloween ghosts, witches and so forth.

Wiccan and Celtic Re-constructionist pagans also honor Samhain as the highest holy day. They generally follow the Celtic Wheel of the Year, which is marked by the four seasonal changes (the solstices and equinoxes) and four festivals, Beltane, Samhain, Lughnasa and Imbolc. While the ancient and medieval Celts probably did not follow this calendar precisely, it is based on some of the traditional Celtic festivals and honors the Celtic practice of following the cycles of nature.

Some religious fundamentalists, meanwhile, see Halloween or Samhain as satanic or a celebration of heathen gods. While the latter may be true from a Christian (or monotheistic) point of view, the notion that pagan beliefs are satanic is not accurate. The fact is, paganism originates from a world view that did not recognize a single malevolent entity such as Satan or the Devil, so such an entity was neither worshipped nor feared or hated.

Many Celtic Christians have integrated the traditions of their pagan ancestors with Christian beliefs. For example, November 1 is also All Saints Day. The other pagan festivals have been similarly “updated” with Christian interpretations.

Whatever path you follow, Happy Celtic New Year!

Welsh is one of the Celtic language that is still spoken today by an estimated half a million people, or about 20% of the people of Wales. There are also people outside of Wales, including people who have emigrated to other places, notably England, who speak Welsh. There is even a Welsh settlement in Argentina! In addition to this, there are scholars from any number of backgrounds who have mastered the language. Still, there are very few people today who speak only Welsh; the vast majority of Welsh speakers also speak English.

The Welsh language goes back at least as far as the 6th Century. Like all languages, it has gone through transitions –from Old Welsh to Middle Welsh to Modern Welsh. While at times the Welsh language was discouraged, even suppressed by English rulers, since the 20th Century there has been an active campaign to keep the language alive. In public schools in Wales, it is mandated that Welsh and English be treated equally, ensuring that the language will not die out.

Another way the Welsh language is thriving is in the realm of music. Along with the Celtic music of Ireland and Scotland, Wales has produced some beautiful and haunting music in its native language. The following video, featuring the popular singer Meinir Gwilym, gives you a sample of Welsh, both spoken and sung.

The Book of Kells is an Irish manuscript from around 800, written in Latin and elaborately illustrated with religious and mythical art. It was written by monks and is a translation of the four Gospels of the New Testament along with commentary.

Although the Book of Kells is primarily a Christian religious book, it is also of interest to many people as a source of Celtic artwork. It has many illustrations of humans, mythic beasts (known as zoomorphic images) as well as many great examples of Celtic knotwork.

The Book of Kells is composed of four volumes, and the original manuscript is presently on display at Trinity College in Dublin.

The Book of Kells is an Irish manuscript from around 800, written in Latin and elaborately illustrated with religious and mythical art. It was written by monks and is a translation of the four Gospels of the New Testament along with commentary.

Although the Book of Kells is primarily a Christian religious book, it is also of interest to many people as a source of Celtic artwork. It has many illustrations of humans, mythic beasts (known as zoomorphic images) as well as many great examples of Celtic knotwork.

The Book of Kells is composed of four volumes, and the original manuscript is presently on display at Trinity College in Dublin.

Someone has posted a whole series of videos that show how to work with clay to make Celtic style sculptures. I don’t know if you can learn something like this from a video if you’ve never (or hardly) worked with clay before, but it’s still interesting to see how it’s done. And for people who have some experience with clay, it might give you inspiration to sculpt in a more Celtic manner!

Although my focus with the Celtic Symbols blog has been on more esoteric themes, the shamrock is probably the most obvious of Celtic, or Irish symbols. Shamrocks have a long history in Ireland. They are associated with good luck, St Patrick and leprechauns. In Irish, it is spelled seamrog (meaning “summer plant”).

At one time, the shamrock was a plant sacred to the druids. This is believed to be because the leaves form a triad, and this is very important in Celtic symbolism (see my post about the triskele, or triple spiral). St. Patrick was said to have used the shamrock as a way to symbolize the Trinity. Hence, the shamrock is a popular symbol for St. Patrick’s Day.

The plant most commonly associated with shamrocks is the white clover, but other plants with three leaves are sometimes called by this name as well. In the 19th Century, it became a symbol of rebellion against the English, and for a time is was forbidden to display it.

Celtic Wheel of the Year is based on the traditional agricultural cycle, as well as astronomical events such as the solstices and equinoxes. The Celtic Wheel of the Year has eight spokes, and is based on the following holidays:

Samhain (October 31) -this is also called the Celtic New Year. It signifies the beginning of the dark half of the year. From this, we get the modern holiday of Halloween. Samhain was a day to honor the ancestors and it was believed that the veil between the worlds (of the living and dead) was thinnest at this time. So the souls of the dead, as well as otherworldly creatures such as faeries, were free to roam.

Yule/Winter Solstice (approx. December. 21) -this is the shortest day and longest night of the year. While Samhain initiates the dark half of the year, Yule is the height of it. This also means, however, that the days after this begin to get longer as the light half of the year approaches.

Imbolc (February 1) - this day was originally celebrated in honor of the goddess Brigid. It is a preparation for Spring and a time of purification.

Spring Equinox (approx. March 21)- this is the beginning of Spring. In some European cultures it was a celebration of the goddess Ostara, which later became associated with the Christian holiday, Easter. Spring is a celebration of fertility and the lengthening of the days.

Beltane (May 1) -this is the counterpoint in the year to Samhain. Mayday celebrations continue to this day, and throughout history this day has been dedicated to the exuberance and fertility of this time of year.

Summer Solstice (approx. June 21) -this is the longest day of the year, the counterpoint to the Winter Solstice. In Celtic lands this was a day when faeries were about, and gifts were left for them.

Lughnasa/Lammas -this is a pre-autumnal festival of the harvest. The god Lugh was an Irish Sun god, who was also the master of many skills. He has been associated with Hermes and Mercury.

Autumn Equinox/Mabon -this is the beginning of Autumn, and the next harvest festival as the dark half of the year once again approaches.

As you can see from this, Celtic Wheel of the Year has mostly survived from ancient times right to the present, though the names of some of the festivals have changed.

It should be noted for the purpose of historical accuracy that what has come to be known as the Celtic Wheel of the Year is a combination of ancient tradition and more recent, mostly Wiccan and neo-Pagan reconstruction. The Celts did celebrate many of these festivals, in particular Samhain, Beltane, Lughnasa and Imbolc, but they probably did not conceive of the eight-spoked Wheel as many see it today. There seems to be a natural beauty and symmetry to the Wheel of the Year image, and I don’t see a problem calling it the Celtic Wheel, as it owes so much to that tradition, but it’s worth clarifying that the idea is not a perfect representation of ancient beliefs.

The White Goddess, by Robert Graves, is a difficult book to describe, as it is to read. However, it contains a storehouse of knowledge and inspiration about mythology, poetry and, specifically, Celtic tales, which makes it of special interest to this blog.

Graves wrote this in the 1940s. He is putting forth a very complex argument, though the book is almost like an epic poem. He is trying to prove that the Goddess is the inspiration for all true poetry. He uses ancient Celtic tales, especially the Welsh poem, The Battle of The Trees to decode the symbolism of Ogham (the Celtic Tree Alphabet) and how it relates to ancient gods and goddesses. For people interested in Celtic symbols and Ogham in particular, the material about the meaing of tree names makes it worth reading.

This book is actually a root source for much of the modern neo-Pagan movement. It has been criticized by scholars as inaccurate. I don’t know if it’s meant to be taken literally, but I don’t think it should be approached in this manner. The difficult style, that jumps from subject to subject and from one culture to another, is all about connections and synchronicities. As best I can understand, Graves is giving an inspired example of how everything at one level is connected through poetry and mythology.

Although I don’t think he mentions Jung in the book (I haven’t read it in a while -and it really needs more than one reading anyway), but it definitely relates to some of Jung’s ideas about synchronicities and the collective unconscious. I would recommend anyone interested in poetry or mythology to give The White Goddess a try and not try too hard to understand it all.

Crop circles are a fascinating and controversial topic. While not specifically Celtic in nature, they do mainly occur in or near lands where the Celts have dwelt, namely the British Isles. Some crop circles do exhibit patterns found in Celtic symbols such as Celtic knots, Celtic crosses or triskeles (triple spirals). Of course, many other patterns appear as well.

There are many theories about what these mysterious and often beautiful patterns mean and who constructed them. These theories include that they are man-made hoaxes, created by extraterrestrials, made by hidden forms of energy or that they are some kind of distraction or “disinfo” campaign on the part of the goverment or Illuminati.

There is a definite link between crop circles and sacred geometry, especially spirals. Those who maintain that all crop circles are hoaxes have a difficult time showing how such intricate patterns can be constructed in what is often a very short time.
The following video looks at some of the connections between crop circles and ancient sacred sites:

Jen Delyth is a Welsh artist who has created many beautiful works based on her interpretation of Celtic symbols and designs. She has books, calendars, t-shirts and other items with spirals, zoomorphic images such as dragons and other symbols. Much of her work also incorporates her concept of the Celtic Tree of Life. The tree of life is a theme common to many traditions, from Norse to Kabbalistic. Trees certainly play a significant role in Celtic cosmology, as we can see from the Ogham, or tree alphabet which uses names of trees to signify letters.

Jen Delyth is an artist who is both keeping old Celtic artistic traditions alive and bringing them into the future, as her designs are at once ancient and contemporary.

What follows is a video by Jen Delyth, Land of the Blind, Trance Peace Concert, with some great images to go with the music.

Courtney Davis is an example of a contemporary artist who is reviving traditional Celtic symbols and designs and placing them into a modern form. His books are especially appealing to people who want to make art themselves, or perhaps get tattoos or decorate their homes with Celtic motifs, because he goes into detail about how to create and use these designs.

For example, in books such as the Celtic Art Source book, Courtney Davis discusses the history and traditional uses of Celtic crosses, spirals, knotwork and zoomorphic (animal) images. He gives examples of how these can be used as borders, mandalas or other decorations, as well as displaying fully formed colorful images he has created.

Courtney Davis has also created other books that specialize in particular Celtic symbols, such as spirals, as well as calendars and card decks with his work.

This video showcases some of Davis’ beautiful interpretations of Celtic art:

Dragons are a mythical beast famous in both Asian and European tales. The national flag of Wales features a red dragon, so dragons have obviously influenced the Celtic lands.

In Celtic history and mythology, dragons represent sovereignty, or a chieftain, as in the word (and name) Pendragon, which means chief.

The idea of ley lines is popular among new age and occult researchers. These are the lines that connect sacred spots, and energy is supposed to flow between them. Ley lines have been compared to the idea in Asian medicine of meridians, which connect the various organs of the body. Ley lines have also been called “dragon lines,” suggesting that dragons inhabit the places beneath the earth where powerful energies flow.

An interesting source of ideas about the place of dragons in Celtic myth was written in the 19th Century by J.F. Campbell, Celtic Dragon Myth, which can still be found today.

This video features a haunting Celtic melody by David Arkenstone, entitled, The Dragon’s Breath, accompanied by some cool dragon images.

In this Celtic Symbols blog we will be exploring, among many other things, Celtic languages. When you think of Celtic symbols, you may think of things like Celtic knots and spirals and we will certainly be discussing those too –and their application in art, jewelry and tattoos. However, languages are also based on symbols. In fact, language is the most common form of symbolism we use in everyday life.

There are many Celtic languages. Celtic languages are a distinct family of language (like Germanic and Latin languages), and part of the larger Indo-European classification of languages. They are not spoken by many people, but they are not dead languages either. There are people working to keep them alive. There are also Celtic musicians who keep the languages alive by singing in traditional Irish, Scottish, Welsh and other Celtic tongues.

This video is the first in a series of tutorials in Irish. I will not post all of them. If you are interested, you can find them on Youtube. There are other resources for Celtic languages as well.

The Triskele is a triple spiral symbol is a Celtic and even pre-Celtic symbol that has been found on ancient megalithic and neolithic sites around Ireland, such as Newgrange. The number 3 and the triple spiral has had various meanings over the centuries. The triple spiral has been associated with the Sun. One idea is that the triple spiral represents pregnancy, with each of the three spirals standing for three months. Yet another, and not necessarily contradictory interpretation is that the triple spiral represents the three phases of birth, death and rebirth.

Modern neo-Pagans, such as Wiccans, recognize the Triple Goddess, which is probably the most common contemporary association of the triskele. It is likely that ancient pagans associated this ancient Irish symbol with some kind of divinity as well. The Christians, of course, later worshipped the Trinity.

The spiral by itself is an ancient symbol occurring in many cultures. It is usually considered to be symbolic of the universe or cosmos as it unfolds over time. Many consider it to be significant that the DNA helix has a spiral shape. The triskele, or triple spiral is a variation on this cosmic theme, reflecting the sacredness some cultures had for the number three.

The triskelion (which means “three-legged” in Greek) is a similar symbol, consisting of three interlocked spirals. These are also commonly found in Celtic lands. The triskelion is, in fact the official symbol of the Celtic land of Brittany. It is also found on the Isle of Man (yet another Celtic land, with its own language) and Sicily. This symbol has also been found on ancient Greek coins.

The ancient Irish symbol, the triskele and its counterpart in nearby lands, the Triskelion are sacred depictions of the number three as related to nature or the divine. They are being revived by fantasy and tattoo artists today, especially those who work with Celtic symbols.

Ogham is the ancient Celtic alphabet that was inscribed on stones and trees. The letters of this alphabet were all actually based on trees. Some researchers have connected this practice with the Druids, the pre-Christian priests of the Celtic lands and compared it to various forms of shamanism around the world. The poet Robert Graves bases a great deal of his book, The White Goddess on the intricate meanings of the Celtic Tree Alphabet.

One fascinating but controversial belief is that the ancient Celts visited America and left evidence of this in the form of Ogham. This blog will go into more detail about many of these subjects, but for now I wanted to post this short video about this. It is certainly not inconceivable that the Celts, like the Vikings, came to the New World at some point.

Celtic knots are probably the best known of Celtic symbols. They are attractive symbols in themselves, and are often used today as borders and decorations on other works of art or design. They are also very popular today in tattoos, as well as jewelry.

The Celtic knot is a symbol of infinity, and of the many connections that exist between all things. One possible analogy in the world of symbolism would be to the magic carpet, as in Persia and other places where intricate carpets were (and still are woven. The weaving of a carpet has been used to symbolize layers of reality, and the magic or flying carpet could mean many things, such as astral or interdimensional travel.

Can you draw a Celtic knot? It is no simple matter for most people. The bad news is that I cannot teach you this; I have trouble drawing stick figures in fact. The good news is that this cool little video shows someone demonstrating the technique to drawing a Celtic knot in under 3 minutes! She also discusses the history of the Book of Kells, a medieval manuscript that contains many Celtic knots and other beautiful designs.

Thanks for visiting the Celtic Symbols blog! This site is inspired by the beauty and enduring popularity of Celtic symbols such as knotwork, zoomorphic images (those depicting animals, both real and imaginary, such as sea monsters and dragons) and other images. These images are very commonly seen today in many art books, in jewelry, as tattoos and fantasy art (paintings, book covers, CD covers, etc.).

Celtic art goes way back in history, and I’ll be exploring some of this fascinating tradition. There will also be links to other interesting sites and resources. I think Celtic symbols and artwork has such appeal, not only for its intrinsic beauty, but because it expresses something of the infinite, as in a Celtic knot. There is both a spirituality and earthiness to Celtic art.

I’d like to explore the many ways Celtic symbols have been used over the centuries, including languages. For example, one of the earliest Celtic languages was the Irish Tree Alphabet, known as Ogham. This, and other aspects of Celtic or Gaelic languages have also become very popular recently, especially in music.

So please visit this site often and keep up with this fascinating aspect of Celtic culture!