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Celtic Crosses
Introduction
The Celtic cross is a religious symbol seen
all over Britain and is growing ever more popular recently. But what
exactly is it, and what are its origins?
The Celtic cross is basically a regular Christian cross with a circle
surrounding the point where the lines of the cross meet in the centre. It
is so called, because it derives from the British Isles and was first used
in the seventh-ninth centuries in Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
The history of the Celtic cross
The earliest versions of the cross were carved onto slabs that laid flat
on the ground and were called Recumbent cross-slabs. But, they gradually
evolved into carvings on upright slabs (Erect cross-slab), sometimes
depicted with a slightly rounded top. Both versions are always decorated
intricately with typical Celtic patterns; spirals, knot work, foliage,
keys, Biblical tales and animals.
The most recent evolution of the Celtic cross's depiction is a free
standing, statuesque Celtic cross, rather than being simply a carving on a
slab. The cross was effectively now "freed" from the stone, so these
versions are known as Freestanding crosses. And the arms of the cross were
made longer, so they extended the circle, with the inner shapes between
the arms and the circle being cut away. And this cross is most commonly
seen in the form of gravestones in Irish churchyards or as war memorials
all over Britain.
The different meanings of the Celtic cross
The Celtic cross is widely used as Christian symbol, but as we can tell
from its name, the cross has a history stretching further back than
Christianity. For example, its four arms are interpreted as the four
elements (earth, air, fire, water), the four directions of the compass
(north, south, east, west) or the four parts of man (mind, soul, heart,
body), in various cultures and traditions.
The Celtic cross is said to have derived from the Chi Rho symbol, as
popularised by the Roman emperor, Constantine. "Chi" and "Rho" are the
first letters of the word "Christ" in the Greek alphabet, and when these
letters are interlinked, they appear similar to the cross at the centre of
a Celtic cross.
But where does the cross's distinctive circle come from? The truth is, no
one is sure, but among ancient races, circles were used to represent the
moon and a cross and circle conjoined symbolised the sun. So, it's likely
that the Celtic cross was originally a Pagan sun or moon representation,
later used by the Romans in order to try to convert the Pagans of Britain
to Christianity. According to Irish legend, St Patrick created the cross
by drawing a circle around a Latin cross to represent the Pagan moon
goddess. But to Irish Catholics, the circle can represent Christ's halo,
or as eternity and the endlessness of God's love.
Written by Victoria Crouch
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