Celtic symbols, arts and culture
Posts tagged History
The Celtic World: An Illustrated History 700 B. C. to the Present
Oct 16th
Lavin leads the reader on an entertaining and informative journey through 150 captivating pages of Celtic history, culture, and tradition. This is a book to be enjoyed by all readers, from young scholars to those simply interested in Celtic history. Here is the perfect gift idea, a reference guide for travellers, and a concise yet insightful survey of Celtic history.
About the Author
Patrick Lavin
…
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Magic of the Celtic Otherworld: Irish History, Lore & Rituals
Sep 18th
Learn to live in harmony with the Green World Many people today distance themselves from the Earth. They forget they are a part of Nature. Magic of the Celtic Otherworld offers a holistic, magical system that will break down the barriers between you and the natural world. Drawing upon Irish Celtic spiritual tradition, history, and mythology, this book provides wondrous stories, seasonal rituals, and practical exercises that will expand your spiritual potential. This self-e…
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The Celtic Empire: The First Millennium of Celtic History, 1000BC – AD51
Sep 11th
European recorded history north of the Alps begins with the Celts. At their height, they stretched over the ancient world from Ireland and Britain to Turkey and Czechoslovakia, from Belgium and Gaul to Spain and Italy. They sacked Rome, invaded Greece, and even attempted to take over the Egypt of the Ptolemy pharaohs. Yet theirs was an empire without an emperor, a civilization that encompassed the continent but had no central government. To tell its history, Ellis matches his story…
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Drawing a Celtic Knot
Sep 19th
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.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_apTj-uIy0
Celtic Symbols: why are they so popular?
Sep 12th
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!
