Celtic symbols, arts and culture
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Celtic Cross Tattoos – What is the True Meaning?
Oct 9th
Celtic cross tattoos are the most powerful way of expressing your faith in God’s love. The cross is regarded mainly as a symbolization of Christianity nowadays. The Pagan followers consider it as the symbol of sun demonstrating its life-giving qualities. The designs of Celtic cross tattoos have gained the attention of thousands of people from all over the world and they are the most popular tattoo designs now. People of Celtic ancestry wear the cross tattoos to show their respect to their ancient culture.
Celtic cross tattoos with knotwork are a more complicated design since they symbolize the complexity of nature. The knots in the spirals and mazes show the reflective nature of the four seasons, the circle around the cross depicts the ancient religious meaning.
The Celtic cross is represented well in the Book of Kells. In fact, many religious cultures have The Celtic cross as the system of symbols. Hence, there is no wonder why many people have a high regard for Celtic cross tattoos.
Celtic cross tattoos have a deep connection to pre-Christian religion. When the ancient Celtic people converted into Christianity, naturally the Celtic cross became a symbol of Celtic Christianity. Ireland offers so many variations of the Celtic cross. Celtic cross tattoos are awesome in appearance, there is no denying this, and the legend of Celtic history now continues to grow in the form of Celtic cross tattoos.
Celtic cross tattoos are indeed found in ancient Bible manuscripts. Many elaborate Celtic designs are inspired by the fabulous drawings found in those books. These Celtic cross tattoos are not only beautiful but when used as tattoos – they are also flexible. You can use them to be tattooed as small armbands or you can ink them in the entire back area. The designs can be either simple or complicated. Whatever the design, they express the importance of emotions rather than a physical object which shows the powerful meaning of life.
Many Celtic cross tattoos feature the beautiful artwork of ancient Celtic knot work. These represent ethnic heritage and faith. The four points in the cross represent the four parts of man or the four elements that include earth, wind, fire and water or the four points in the compass. Celtic cross tattoos with circle symbolize the love of God or the majesty of the Sun God according to Pagan beliefs.
Though different people may have different meaning for the symbol, Celtic cross tattoos are something that can evoke the spiritual emotions of people. Again, the flexible style and decorative nature of the designs gain great popularity among tattoo lovers. Importantly, the size of the cross can be reproduced easily to ink them anywhere on the body.
It is important to know the meaning of the Celtic cross tattoos before wearing it. A common person may not understand the meaning of these symbols. However, I must admit there is a growing awareness of Celtic culture nowadays; it is almost a popular trend to be versed in Celtic culture. You need to take the appropriate care to avoid misrepresenting the design. Be sure to check out online galleries – there is a plethora of quality designs available only if you know where to look. Choose the right design, think hard about the placement, ignore the critics and you will have no regrets.
John McCleary is an avid Celtic historian with a passion for Celtic tattoo design. John runs an informative website on Celtic Cross Tattoos giving away free tattoo designs, useful tips, photo galleries and much more. Be sure to check it out at : 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!
