Celtic Facts, Fiction & Fun by The CelticLady

. . . inspired by the ancient Celts to create modern Celtic art

(C)

Celt History:
Facts, Fiction & Fun
from
The CelticLady (TM)

CELTIC ART

JEWELRY

FONTS

more Products

WEDDING INFO

HISTORY

MISC

SYMBOLISM

Celtic Treasures

Examples of Celtic art and metal works dates back to 2500 B. C. T he earliest People known as Celts lived across Europe from Hungary in the East to Ireland in the West, dipping south into Spain and north to the Baltic Seas. As the Roman Empire expanded it replaced the conquered land with Roman culture and art and so the Celtic way of life was slowly removed from continental Europe. Roman generals tried many times to conquer Ireland but failed. The mighty Roman Empire tired to also conquor Scotland but when they were unable to they built Hadrian's Wall to keep the Scots out of their empire. Due to this type of resistance the Celtic way of life and its beautiful art has been perserved to this day

T he Book of Lindisfarne, also known as the Lindisfarne Gospels, was created towards the end of the seventh century. This manuscript was made of vellum like most manuscripts of the Middle Ages. Until the last 20 years vellum was still in use by many draftsmen for the creation of drawing plans ranging from the fighter jets to architectural designs. And draftsmen were using pen and ink to create these drawings. In this computer age it is easy to forget that just two decades ago artists relied on the some materials as the monks of the Middle Ages.

T he Book of Kells, now residing at Trinity College in Dublin, is attributed to St. Columba who founded a monastery on Iona around 563 A.D. The influence of the monartery at Iona spread far and wide and included the conversion of Pictland. The Picts, according to legend, were so named because when the Romans encountered them they said painted or tattooed bodies and faces and thus called them "Painted-Ones" or "Picts".

Celtic cross shown is part of the the The Celtic Lady's™'s Jewelry Collection W ith the arrival of Christianity Ireland with the monks wisely incorporated Celtic art into the illuminated manuscripts. Small pockets of Celtic influence remains alive today in many parts of the World. Scotland, Wales, the Spanish Pyrenees, and Nova Scotia are some of those areas that enjoy the beauty and grace of Celtic art as well as its music. Today we can see the wide-spread influence of Celtia in the reknown "Riverdance" which celebrates dance in the many cultures the Irish immigrated to. And in many of the CD's by The Cheiftains who have for years have traveled the world to share music with other cultures - Spain being a frequent stop - so they can jam with other Celtic musicians.

CELTIC NATIONS
O ften people think that Celtic art is Irish art. Though the Irish did preserve the written word of God in their wonderful Illuminated Manuscripts, other Celtic people have existed throughout Europe. The Celts came from central Europe before the time of Christ, eventually settling in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Isle of Mann (in England), Brittany (in France), and Gallacia (in Spain).
I n the modern world Celts may be found both in the Old World as well as the New World, north hemishpere and south hemishpere.
B elow are the flags of these great Celtic Nations.


Ireland	Cornwall	Galicia	Brittany

Scotland	Wales	Northern Ireland	Isle of Man

Pronouncing the word "CELTIC"
Personally, I pronounce "Celtic" with a hard "C" but while visiting Ireland I heard it pronounced either way - a hard "C" like in "cat" or a soft "C" as the basketball team "The Boston Celtics" is pronounced. Being a book-a-holic my dictionary gives both pronunciations but one Gaelic dictionary indicated only the hard "C". I have received many comments on this subject and most point to the hard "C". Yet, in Scotland, I am told that it is pronounced with a hard "C" unless you are talking about the football (in America we say "soccer") team which like the Boston Celtics uses the soft "C".
It is also thought that when the Roman armies first encountered the Celtic tribes they called them by the Greek word "Keltoi" using a hard "C" sound.

Zoomorphics

Hounds cuff bracelet shown is part of the
the The Celtic Lady's™'s Jewelry Collection Animals, birds and reptiles interlaced with Celtic knots are called "Zoomorphics". In the Bronze Age these designs are found in Britain and Ireland as well as in Gaul (France) and La Tene (ancient caves with primitive wall paintings). Stone carvings found in Egypt and Assyria from 5000 B.C. influenced the later Celtic carvers, metalworkers, and embroiderers. In Prehistoric Scotland, sacred animals were carved onto stone and probably represented tribes or clans of the area. Reptile ornaments are called "lacertine" and can be found in the Books of Kells, Lindisfarne, Durrow and St. Chad. The Christian monks incorporated zoomorphics into the illuminated manuscripts and thus allowed the people a link to their past as well as a new interpretation.

©
Claddagh ring shown is part of the
the The Celtic Lady's™'s Jewelry Collection The Claddagh Ring is worn today by many - from tiny tots learning the lovely art of Irish Step Dancing to those who have visited the Emerald Isle. But what does it symbolize?
Claddagh Tale According to one tale (the Irish are great story tellers!) a man named Richard Joyce was taken away from his fishing village and put into slavery. In time he became a master goldsmith and won his freedom. When he returned to Ireland and the place called Claddagh he was able to create the symbol of love and friendship we have come to know as the Claddagh Ring. The two hands represent friendship, the crown - loyalty and the heart - love.

Now the above was probably one of many tales and the following is also disputed so if you have heard other version I would love to hear from you.
Wearing the Claddagh Ring: For someone who is spoken for the heart should be closest to the heart and therefore points up the arm. For those seeking their one true love and want the world to know they are available the crown should point up the arm, showing that the heart is available for that special someone.

Symbolism

Celtic cross shown is part of the
the The Celtic Lady's™'s Jewelry Collection The CelticLady(TM) is often asked "what symbol means this or that". As a student of the Celtic arts, I am always learning more about the meanings of different motifs from various tribes. From my art history days at University I do know that it was often forbidden to make a copy (realistic picture) of God's work. Based on this, anthropologists theorized that many cultures turned to using symbols based in geometry, mathematics and abstraction or exageration. I have read that the knotwork was created to confuse evil and that the repetition of a design was done to give it more power.

For more information on symbols and motifs - visit the The Celtic Lady's™'s List of Symbol Designs

Shop Index - | - Tattoo Art

Web Site Index

Webmistress: Susan
URL address: www.celticlady.com
Last updated: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 © COPYRIGHT - Susan K. Zalusky 2004
Please note that all designs are copyright protected.
- - Please respect the copyright right law. This may be the only way some artists, writers, and composers make a living.

Thank you for visiting The CelticLady's Web Site

The CelticLady's Web Site™ is constantly being updated and improved. If you encounter any problems please be patience and if you have the time I would appreciate hearing from you via e-mail:.
Thank you for visiting The CelticLady's Web Site of Celtic Jewelry, Computer Clip Art & Fonts.