Of all things Celtic that have become popular in recent decades, Celtic knots are one of the most trendy. Take a walk past any of your favourite neighbourhood tattoo parlours (are they still called parlours?)...as I am sure MOST of you do...and you will see a myriad of different knots available for transfer to whichever part of your anatomy is most inured to pain.
Aside from body decoration, Celtic knots have decorated everything from Illustrated Bibles to swords. One of my contacts from the summer mentioned to me that creating a Celtic knot is a very concentrated effort. Once the pen, pencil, or paintbrush touches the paper or canvas, it doesn't come off until the knot is completed. Each knot is endless.
Some samples of Celtic knots.
Another very familiar symbol is a specialized knot...the Trinity knot.
Trinity knot,,,symbolizing the three persons of the trinity.
The trinity knot with a circle...symbol of eternity.
The fivefold symbol
This pattern represents balance. The four outer circles symbolize the four elements: earth, fire, water, air. The middle circle unites all the elements with a goal to reach balance between all four elements or energies.
Tree of Life
Trees were very important to the Celts before the advent of Christianity and continued that importance into the Christian era. Groves of trees were spiritual places. The symbol of the tree of life was important.
The last symbol is another very familiar one. The Celtic cross. Some scholars believe that the Celtic cross was used by the pagan Celts even before Christianity came to the Islands. If so, it was adopted and continued to be used throughout the centuries and is a very popular cross today.
Some variations of the Celtic cross:
Not only knots are fashionable subjects for ink.
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