Celtic symbols, arts and culture
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Celtic Cross Tattoos – How Can They Be So Popular?
Nov 3rd
Celtic cross tattoos are the most powerful symbols to convey the love for God. The Celtic cross has rich and colourful history. Ancient Celtic people did not have written language and they used symbols and patterns to express their emotions. When their regions were conquered by Romans, the Christian Priests in Rome preached Christianity among Celts. The priests were greatly inspired by the Celtic art and they begun using them in their Bible manuscripts. Nowadays, Celtic cross tattoos are admired by thousands of people for their elegant beauty.
Celtic cross tattoos stand for an emblem of ancient history. It reveals the endlessness of god’s love. There are plenty of Celtic cross designs available on the internet, you can select any simple design to be worn as an arm band or complicated design to adorn your upper or lower back.
By selecting a Celtic cross tattoos, you can express the mystery of life. The designs with intermingling knots signify the continuance of life. They are too complex to design yourself, you will need to seek a talented tattoo designer and tattoo artist to complete them properly.
Most of the people love to choose Celtic cross tattoo designs for their spiritual meaning. Yet there are some people, who wish to wear them simply for their awe-inspiring appearance. Celtic cross tattoos are normally designed in black colour. However, nowadays, various other shades are also available. You can select purple, blue or red colour to emphasize some parts of the tattoo. The cross designs are available in numerous models. They include Celtic cross with flowers, knots, Jesus and so on.
Aquarian cross is an inspiring Celtic cross tattoo design and it includes traditional knotworks. The symbol of Aquarius adorns the middle part and it certainly appears graceful with its intertwining knots. Celtic cross tattoos can be customized to your taste and preference and this feature increases its popularity.
Skibbereen cross is one of the popular designs of Celtic cross tattoos. It is an equal-armed cross with bold patterns. The exciting feature of this design is that it can be reproduced into various designs. The symmetric knot works in these Celtic cross tattoos are impressive, they look amazing on the upper arm.
The flexibility of Celtic cross tattoos is the most exciting feature. You can increase or decrease the size as per your wish. You can add backdrop colour to the cross design which can improve the entire appearance.
Celtic cross tattoo design is renowned for its simplicity and gracefulness. Unlike other tattoo designs, they have close links with religious connotations. Celtic cross tattoos are worn by many people as a symbol of ethnicity. Irish, Scottish and Walsh people love them to wear so that they can show their respect for culture and heritage. Some people link the four points in the cross with four seasons that have great influence in the lives of mankind.
Even if there is no definite reason, you can select the Celtic cross tattoo design for their fabulous appearance. You can look fashionable with them. Due to the intricate nature of the cross designs; you need a brilliant tattoo artist who can ink them perfectly.
John McCleary has a huge love for Celtic cross tattoos, he runs a neat website on Celtic Cross Tattoos – you can find heaps of cool designs, history, useful tips and much more. Be sure to check out his site at Celtic Cross Tattoos http://www.squidoo.com/celtic_cross_tattoos
Happy Celtic New Year’s
Nov 2nd
Samhain, or Halloween marks the end of the light half of the year and the beginning of the dark half in the Celtic calendar. It may seem odd to think of November 1 as New Year’s Day, but perhaps no stranger than January 1, which is, after all, the heart of winter. A more intuitive New Year’s Day would probably be the start of Spring, around March 21. However, it’s interesting to contemplate why the Celts chose the time of year when winter was approaching to mark the New Year.
Samhain, which was the largest celebration in medieval Ireland, lasting for three days, is also the name of the month of November in Irish and Scottish. It marks the final harvest, as well as being a time to honor the dead. It is also believed to be a time when the “veil” between worlds -the world of the living and the world of the dead- is thinnest. This is the origin of modern Halloween ghosts, witches and so forth.
Wiccan and Celtic Re-constructionist pagans also honor Samhain as the highest holy day. They generally follow the Celtic Wheel of the Year, which is marked by the four seasonal changes (the solstices and equinoxes) and four festivals, Beltane, Samhain, Lughnasa and Imbolc. While the ancient and medieval Celts probably did not follow this calendar precisely, it is based on some of the traditional Celtic festivals and honors the Celtic practice of following the cycles of nature.
Some religious fundamentalists, meanwhile, see Halloween or Samhain as satanic or a celebration of heathen gods. While the latter may be true from a Christian (or monotheistic) point of view, the notion that pagan beliefs are satanic is not accurate. The fact is, paganism originates from a world view that did not recognize a single malevolent entity such as Satan or the Devil, so such an entity was neither worshipped nor feared or hated.
Many Celtic Christians have integrated the traditions of their pagan ancestors with Christian beliefs. For example, November 1 is also All Saints Day. The other pagan festivals have been similarly “updated” with Christian interpretations.
Whatever path you follow, Happy Celtic New Year!
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!
