Celtic patterns: meaning and symbolism

Everyone knows about the culture of Greece, Rome, Egypt. These civilizations are a model of art and culture. But on the territory of Europe once there was a people whose skills and legacy are simply amazing. They were called Celts.

Time did not spare them: from the once powerful people there remained only memory in the form of complex ornaments, names on the map and crosses covered with ornaments, on the fields of Ireland.

Celtic patterns, the significance of which is not fully understood, attracts the eye, fascinates, hypnotize. Looking at them, you will involuntarily believe that these strange interweaving lines have a mystical power. As in the drawings of other peoples, in their ornaments and weaving of the Celts their beliefs and world perception are reflected.

If you look at the Celtic patterns, their meaning will no longer seem such a huge secret. All the lines have neither end nor beginning, as in the Celts' representations there was no end or beginning of human life. In the world everything is interconnected and passes into each other, the smaller is always part of something more. Celts believed that man is part of the World Tree, with which he will merge, having passed through many deaths, births and rebirths. When an individual chose a picture for himself, he chose his fate, because there were ornaments that brought luck, health, happiness and love to the owner.

The meaning of Celtic patterns can be discerned by looking at medallions and a few preserved pendants. Lines wriggle, twist, intersect in space as a giant labyrinth. This is what the Celtic patterns hide in themselves. Their meaning is transparent here - a labyrinth in which a person wanders before he comes to the realization of truth, that is, before he gets to the center of the labyrinth.

Another unusual Celtic symbol is a cross, but not simple, but with a circle. He personified the harmony of the four elements. It is noteworthy that at the end it expands (as a symbol of a person's ability to self-development, to go beyond).

Celts believed that a person lives simultaneously in a real and unreal world. And the latter's symbols help to live in this world, they can influence and change the course of events.

Another famous symbol is tricel, or trefoil. Initially, he denoted three legs, coming from one center, which personified the harmony of Fire, Air and Water. Much later, the ornament changed, becoming similar to the three spirals that form a triangle in the center.

The Celts depicted animals. And the rabbit had a dual meaning. It is a symbol of prosperity, love, prosperity, but also cunning, resourcefulness and lust. Like many peoples, the Celtic snakes were considered sacred keepers of magic secrets and healing. The deer is a symbol of rebirth, the Tree of Life, since every spring is replaced by horns.

Interestingly, the Celts in mythology meet dragons. This is quite unusual, since this "beast" mainly lives in China and Japan. The dragons symbolize Celtic patterns. The meaning of this symbol is protection, wisdom and the ability to bestow immortality.

Summarizing all of the above, it is worth noting that the numerous preserved ornaments are striking in beauty and complexity of execution. Celtic patterns and their meaning will always attract people's attention.