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Guest writer - Celtic Wedding Rings and tying the Knot
The origins of the Celts dates back to prehistoric times when they emerged as a group of loosely knit tribes with a common culture and language. Celtic settlements stretched from Turkey and the Balkans right across Western Europe. But it was the rise of the Roman Empire that would expose the lack of cohesion between the various Celtic tribes and would lead to them being overrun, expelled from their territories and being pushed back to the western fringes of the continent. Although the ancient Celts flourished across Europe, it is in Ireland where their traditions have been most preserved. One aspect of this culture that still survives today is the artwork and this is most commonly seen in jewellery such as celtic rings. Their artwork was believed to be very symbolic often being based on nature using images of birds and animals and fish. The Celts believed firmly in the interconnectedness of all life and produced the familiar Celtic Knots, which are interlaced patterns with no beginning and no end. Although perhaps the true significance of these patterns has been lost over the millennia, Celtic designs remain increasingly popular in our modern world. The Claddagh is a traditional symbol of love and friendship and is thought to have originated from Claddagh in Galway as far back as the 16th century since when has been worn by many as a wedding ring and as a symbol of love. The design of the Claddagh consists of a heart as a symbol of love, a crown as a symbol of fidelity or loyalty and the hands depicted friendship. Tradition states that if you are spoken to you should wear the Claddagh on your left hand facing inward but if you are unattached it should be worn facing outward on the right hand. Celtic crosses, which predate Christianity, can symbolize the four quarters of the earth and or the four elements – earth wind and fire. They are equal armed crosses which are enclosed or backed by a circle. Following the introduction of Christianity, it became more common to see Celtic Crosses on top of a matching pedestal, which gave it a more elongated look. Celtic crosses are often worn as jewellery such as rings or on chains around the neck. Geometric designs have always feature prominently in Celtic artwork with spirals, chevrons, scrolls and knot work. Many of these patterns can be seen decorating stone carvings or ancient manuscripts and religious books. The Celtic spirals are very symbolic with the single spiral generally thought to signify growth expansion and cosmic energy. The dual centred spiral found often on stone carvings signifies duality and nature and is associated with motifs from other cultures such as the Ying Yang symbol. Celtic knot work designs remain popular today and can vary from single elegant knot patterns to complex intricate interlaced patterns. Although the symbolism of celtic designs may have been lost, many of the designs remain popular today and will often be seen used in the design of jewellery and in particular Celtic Wedding rings. Written by John Lewis of Love2Have who specialise in traditional gold celtic rings handcrafted in the UK.An Introduction to Celtic Art
The majority of products on this website feature designs drawn from early Celtic art. Here we look briefly at the history behind the art form, aswell as its symbolism and meaning.
The Celts were a people who lived in parts of Europe from the eighth century BC to the middle of the first century AD. The Greeks knew them as the 'Keltoi', while the Romans called them 'Gauls'. Through the centuries, Celtic art was influenced by the many people with whom they came into contact with, from the ancient Egyptians to the Vikings.
They were first known of in the Hallstatt region of Austria, in the period from 750 to 450 BC. They later spread out from there to other parts of Europe, including northern Italy, Spain, France and Britain. This second period covers the years from 450 BC to around 50 AD, called 'La Tene' after a settlement on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland.
The early Celts did not write anything down, but we know about them from books written by the Ancient Greeks and Romans who traded and fought with them. Much evidence of their history has also been gained from archaeological digs. From these we have learnt that they made their own tools, weapons, cooking utensils, pottery and simple jewelry. As they became more successful at farming, more people were able to concentrate on arts and craftwork, making decorative and practical objects from gold, bronze, silver, iron, pottery and glass (the favourite colour for enamel being red, followed by yellow, green and blue). We can see the high level of craft skill in the decoration of arms and armour, harness and chariot fittings, dishes and flagons and personal jewelry. The items produced were then bartered for food or for other items of a similar value.
Many Celtic designs were based on circles, made with iron compasses. Sometimes the pattern was made straight onto the object to be decorated, or another way was to make a wax model of the object and put the pattern on that. It would then be covered in clay and heated to melt the wax. Molten bronze was then poured into the mould and left to harden.
Aswell as liking geometric designs, the Celts were fond of swirling patterns, suggesting flux and movement. Some of these were like the tendrils of plants. Another favourite was the three-legged triskele which is still used as the emblem of the Isle of Man. Some popular animal designs included geese and hares, both of which were thought to be magical.
Later Celts who became Christians made beautiful manuscript copies of the Gospels and other religious works -the most famous being the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels. To convey the glory and mystery of God to a largely illiterate world, monks would make the books fabulously beautiful, with full pages of colourful decoration, often featuring the Symbol of the Cross. These pages, called 'carpet pages', often contained detail so fine and precise that Gerald of Wales, in the 12th century, called the Book of Kells 'the work, not of men but of angels'.
Bibliography
Bain, G. Celtic Art - The Methods of Construction (Stuart Titles Ltd, reprinted 1990 from first publication 1944)
Down, C. The Crafter's Design Library - Celtic (David & Charles, 2003)
Hammet, B. Celtic Art in Cross Stitch (David & Charles, 2002)
Martell, H.M. Celts (Evans Brothers Limited, 1997)
Martell, H.M. What do we know about the Celts? (Simon & Schuster Young Books, 1993)
Orr, A. & Clarke, L. Celtic Cross Stitch (New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd, 2001)
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