The Meaning of Celtic Knot Symbols

27 January 2010 ~ 1 Comment

Reviews

Numerous people all through the world find the symbols and meanings of Celtic jewelry designs appealing and love to collect gold or silver Celtic knot jewelry. There are lots of lovely pieces of jewelry depicting Celtic knots and other Celtic designs and it can be absorbing collecting jewelry with either a distinct type of shape, for instance the triquetra, or a set including all styles and designs. It can give more meaning to your collection if you understand something regarding the history and mythology of the Celtic people who used these designs in their daily life on their jewelry and everyday items. While meanings of Celtic knot designs are, in general, lost to us, nevertheless a great deal is acknowledged regarding the history of the Celtic people.

The era of the history of the Celts dating from roughly 600 AD. in Great Britain after the Roman Era, identified as the Insular Art period, saw an outburst of jewelry crafting. Artisans used precious metals to produce many elaborately designed pieces adorned with the famous Celtic knots but also spirals and animal symbols. As well as ornaments, illustrated manuscripts were produced, the most celebrated of which is the Book of Kells. Crosses made of stone were carved with the Celtic symbols and could be seen all over the British Isles, in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

Creators of Celtic Knot jewelry at present are motivated by the objects that were produced in this period, taking their ideas from the illustrated texts, relics and stone crosses still seen all over the land in our day. Irish designers are accomplished in creating exceptional jewelry in gold and silver, bearing the complicated designs so prized by the Celts at one time. They decorate their jewelry with the elaborate knotwork seen in these ancient relics.

The original meanings of a lot of of the designs are lost and various meanings have been fabricated by contemporary people, so finding out the earliest meaning of some of the designs is problematical and in many cases not possible. Nevertheless historians can be of the same opinion on a small number of things in relation to the Celtic knot designs. The elaborate knots represent how all things are related and also epitomizes God’s timeless love. The Book of Kells is opulently illustrated in vibrant colours with Celtic knots. The Celtic knot is possibly, the best known and most widely loved Celtic representation and is a characteristic of numerous pieces of top quality Celtic knot jewelry including necklaces, Celtic crosses, pendants and wedding bands.

Triquetra, or trinity knots are often seen in jewelry from the Insular Art period particularly in illustrated texts, such as the Book of Kells, and in metal work. It was mostly used in combination with supplementary knots and was often used as a space filler rather than a stand alone design. In contemporary times the triquetra has developed into a Christian symbol representing the Holy Trinity or as a representation of particular threefold things such as grandmother, daughter and granddaughter.