Celtic Cross - The Complex History And Artwork Of Celtic Crosses

The cross of the Celts and Celtic Christianity is a symbol of beauty and also a possessor of many meanings. It resembles a traditional Christian cross, with a circle drawn around the joints of the two arms of the cross. It is regularly referred to as the Irish Cross or the Cross of Iona (both an island and a Gaelic name).

One possible meaning is that the cross is the unity of two types of belief systems. The cross symbolizes Christian faith, while the circle symbolizes an ancient pagan moon Goddess. This coincides with the Irish legend of St. Patrick introducing this icon when he converted the pagan people of the Emerald Isle. Some also say that the circle actually represents the Sun, another robust image in the pagan belief system.

Many times, the cross and circle shape is only just part of the picture. Complex designs and carvings are prominent on Celtic crosses. One such design is an interweaving thread, actually interviewing figures of eight, which symbolize order, chaos, death and rebirth. As you can see, four again.

The symbol, in some form or another, actually dates back long-long before Christianity. The reason is, that a cross has arms facing four directions. This could mean four elements, four navigational directions, and so on. The circle is another ancient symbol, associated with perfection, even the ancient Egyptians have used it.

Regretfully, in modern times this ancient symbol has been abused and used by some radical political parties. Usually they just simplify the cross and circle motif by just drawing a circle with a plus sign inside, extending outward (often referred to as the sun cross). The link between the symbol and radical factions have become so strong that in Italy they have even banned it from being publicly shown in stadiums.