Irish Cross Symbols
Celtic crosses are one of the symbols most commonly associated with Ireland. In the past, the crosses taught a largely illiterate population the Christian faith. The crosses were highly symbolic, with each element of their design representative of a Bible story or some aspect of Christianity.
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Shape
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Like all Christian crosses, Irish crosses represent the crucifixion of Christ, which took place on a cross. Irish crosses are distinctive due to the circular shape that links the arms of the cross. According to one legend, Saint Patrick created the symbol when he superimposed the Christian cross onto the Celtic sun symbol.
Trinity Symbol
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The three-pointed Trinity symbol has its roots in Celtic times, when people believed that three was an important number with mystical powers. Christianity borrowed the idea to represent the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Trinity symbols provide the basis for many Celtic knot designs, used on early high crosses produced before the 9th and 10th centuries.
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Biblical Scenes
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After the 9th and 10th centuries, Biblical scenes began to appear on Irish high crosses, where they were a way of telling Biblical stories to people who could neither read nor write. Surviving examples include the cross at Boho, County Fermanagh, which features carvings based on the Book of Genesis and the Baptism of Christ, and the cross at Moone, County Kildare, which shows Daniel in the lion's den and Christ's miracle of the loaves and fishes.
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References
- Photo Credit Celtic High Cross image by Sammy from Fotolia.com
