Celtic Knot Symbolism:All who gaze upon its richly layered beauty are compelled
The deftly woven lines.... The cunningly formed texture.... The interwoven, endless patterns are not merely beautiful.... For many, this Celtic symbol represents eternity...the eternity of life, the eternity of nature, and the eternity of love. Providing an illusion of depth to the pages on which they are inscribed, these knotwork designs can be seen on Irish manuscripts and Celtic stone carvings seemingly as old as the very soil of Ireland. People from many lands herald Celtic knotwork as the emblem of their heritage because the people known as "Celts" lived in many areas of modern-day Europe, spanning far beyond the shores of the Emerald Isle. What most of us call "Celtic" knotwork is actually derived from the exquisite designs created by Irish Christian monks who had come to the Emerald Isle in the Dark Ages to bring the pagan Celts to Christianity. Contrary to popular belief, these designs didn't appear until the mid-7th century when Irish monks began compiling their illuminated manuscripts of the Christian gospels. So although there are many other prehistoric Celtic symbols, Celtic knotwork is the distinctively Irish contribution to those ancient Celtic designs. Actually the monks who came to Ireland were influenced by the knotwork styles from the Middle East. Knotwork is found originally in ancient Syrian and Coptic manuscripts. Nevertheless, as the Irish monks began creating the beautifully adorned illuminated manuscripts, such as the Book of Armagh, the Book of Durrow, and the Book of Kells, they took the designs they brought from those lands and created a uniquely Irish art form. By the 8th century, interlacing Celtic knotwork had become the defining characteristic of Irish art.
 Celtic Knot Symbolism
These designs are not only exquisite and beautiful...they also compel the beholder to ascribe the Celtic knot meaning, even though these meanings may or may not have any historical basis in fact. So many people ask, "What is the Celtic knot symbol for love?"; or "I'm looking for a Celtic knot meaning strength..."; or "Where can I find a Celtic tattoo knotwork design meaning brotherhood?" Perhaps the answer to these questions is disappointing. Nevertheless, the honest answer is that Celtic symbolism is not that concrete. For one thing, there are no written records of what the various knots symbolized at the time they were originally created. Their meanings are really in the eyes of the artists and of the beholder. And they are much more abstract than symbolizing specific human emotions or relationships. As with most Celtic symbols, the meaning of various knotwork designs are more abstract and are usually more related to the universe and life in general.
These endless strands are like the ties that bond us all together. As each generation passes, the weave grows larger. And as the weave grows larger, it grows more complex and brings itself back in on itself, such that the next generation will continue on to bring forth the generation after that. Celtic knots are not designed to be merely pleasing to the eyes. They are also symbols that can show us how we are all part of a neverending cycle of life, where we each add our particular strand in the fabric of time and space. And just as the lines of Celtic knots are interwoven, so are we interwoven with all those around us. We continue on to eternity as others continue on to eternity, inexorably wrapped up with all those who join us in this life and the next. Though each loop is individual, each loop cannot be separated from the whole. Many people also believed that the interlacing was a protection against evil. Just as we, joined together, can defeat evil, so were Celtic knots designed to defend against evil. The more interlacing, the more powerful the protection. There is, indeed, safety in numbers, even in this distinctly Irish form.
Many people also give various types of Celtic knots different meanings.
In the pagan mindset this design symbolized the connection of the three planes of existence: mind, body, and spirit. To Christians, it illustrated the essential core of Christian belief wherein one God was Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For both beliefs, the Trinity knot symbolized the way in which three separate essences were vitally interconnected.
From the most basic Lover's knot and the more complex forms of circular knots to the later Irish additions of birds, animals, and even people in the designs of Celtic knot art, the essence of knotwork designs remains the same. Athough they are sublimely complex at first viewing, they are simple to understand in their details. One weave is simple. A page of them is confounding. Yet, as we can understand others by understanding our own connections to them, we can understand the whole by understanding each connection. From these, the great artwork of life itself is formed. Individual loops and strands all combining into a rich tapestry of wonderment and beauty.
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