What are the meanings of Celtic designs?
When trying to determine what, if anything, a particular Celtic symbol means, it is important to remember that Celtic art is part of a living, changing tradition. The Celtic people have throughout history been influenced by and integrated with other cultures. The early Celtic Christians especially had a genius for transforming local customs with Christian interpretations. This amalgamation of designs leads some scholars to argue that what we think of at ‘Celtic art’ today is purely a modern invention. Because I use mostly Celtic interlaced knotwork and spiral patterns in my pottery decorations, this essay addresses those particular symbols and does not explore the possible meanings of other Celtic motifs, such as maze patterns, zoomorphics, and the Celtic tree of life. I have listed several useful resources at the end if you would like to further explore the meanings of Celtic designs. Most of what we think of as specific knotwork patterns would have been details of a larger pattern. W
