What is a Celtic High Cross?
A Celtic Cross is a Latin cross with a circle around the intersection. A high cross is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. They are usually (but not always) Celtic Crosses. Many are huge – upwards of 4 meters tall. They were raised primarily in Ireland, Britain and Scandinavia during the Early Middle Ages. In the British Isles they served either as status symbols (for a monastery or for a sponsor/patron), or to designate a preaching place. In Scandinavia they were raised primarily on pagan grave fields when the family was baptized as a witness or testment to their new faith. Most are carved with pictures of Biblical stories, such as David and his Mighty Men, the Resurection or the calling of the Apostles. Some feature elements from the lives of the saints, or the IHS graf. The Scandinavian ones also feature runes announcing who had the cross raised. The most famous one is probably the one at Monasterboice, an early Christian settlement in County Lo
