The Celtic Cross
A beautiful survivor of ancient British Celtic culture is its art. Ornamental, favouring curves to straight lines, Celtic art is deep in symbolism. Its twirls and interlacing breathe life into these petrified relics.
Quite creepy; hence its attraction to the present-day Goth subculture.
The Celtic Cross
Celtic Cross
An ornamented standing stone cross with a circle is called a High Cross. There are various other names, including Ionic Cross, Scottish Cross, Irish Cross, Welsh Cross, Anglican Cross, St. John's Cross, Halo Cross, and Sun Cross. Sometimes the cross arms extend beyond the circle, and sometimes the arms terminate at the circle, in which case it can be referred to as a Disc Cross.
An early 19th century Celtic Cross grave marker with Triquetra twirls. Yorkshire, England
Another term is the Gaelic Cross, although 'Gaelic' usually refers to the old Irish language. (The Fleur-de-Lis Cross is also sometimes called a Gaelic Cross.)
Anglicans and Episcopalians usually call this the Anglican, Episcopal or Celtic Cross, whereas Catholics often refer to it as the Irish Cross. But just as the Protestant Christ is the same as the Catholic Christ, so the Celtic and Irish Cross are one and the same.
The cross is so named because early examples are found in the Celtic land of Ireland, where in about 800 A.D., missionaries erected these stone crosses to mark preaching stations and monasteries. (See also Wayside Cross.)
They are also found extensively in churchyards and market squares in other the Celtic lands: Wales, the south-west of England, and Scotland (including the Isle of Iona, west of Scotland, hence yet another alternative name, the Ionic Cross). The stone used for these crosses in western Britain is usually local sandstone - relatively soft and easy to carve intricate and beautiful designs. The basic construction is simply a Latin Cross with a ring. The meaning of the cross is well known, but what is the ring?
Logo of the
Church in Wales
Flag of the Church in Wales (yr Eglwys yng Nghymru) See also St. David's Cross
Because of its antiquity, the Celtic Cross is popular with neo-Druids, occultists, neo-Pagans and New Age followers, who see the ring representing the thunder god Taranis and refer to the cross as a Taranis Wheel. (See also St. Brighid's Cross.) Another interpretation is that the cross is an astrological navigation instrument (http://www.crichtonmiller.com/real-cross.htm).
The most common Christian interpretations of the ring include:
- a symbol of eternity that emphasizes the everlasting life in Heaven for those who accept Christ
- the everlasting love of God, as shown through Christ's crucifixion
- the world, for which Christ died
- Christ's resurrection
- a crown of thorns
- a halo
- and finally, the story of St. Patrick, living with some new Christian converts who had been Druids. Patrick took one of their standing stones etched with a circle that symbolised their moon goddess, and scratched a Latin cross mark over the circle. This was to show that Christianity had replaced their pagan beliefs.
...and of course, all of these explanations could be correct.
Who knows, the circle might have originally represented a moon god, the Sun god, a cosmic wheel, a phallic symbol plus an association with everlasting life, or an astrological instrument. But when the stone crosses were carved by Christians (probably from the 6th Century) they were doing so with their Christian God in mind. And like church buildings, hymns, vestiges and many other trappings used by the Church in those days, they were influenced by existing pagan customs and culture in their art and design.
Churches in Scotland and Ireland are often dedicated to St. John and therefore a Celtic Cross in such churches might be called St. John's Cross. Confusingly, during the First Crusade, there was an order of mediaeval monks known as the Order of St John of Jerusalem who used the Maltese Cross as their emblem. That emblem is also referred to as St. John's Cross. (See Hans Cross for another cross of St. John the Baptist.)
The Celtic Cross outside St. Peter's
'Christ the King'
Photo by C M Diamond, Peterborough, Ontario
The Celtic Cross form is given other names, such as St. Peter's Cross, although St. Peter is usually associated with an inverted cross. An example can be seen outside the Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
On the lawn there is a bronze statue of "Christ the King" which was erected in 1926. The artist's name is unknown but it was purchased by Bishop O'Brien when visiting Rome circa 1925. The statue was his gift to the Diocese of Peterborough for the celebration of their 100th anniversary of the first mass that was said in Peterborough on June 5, 1826.
'Christ the King' statue base
Photo by C M Diamond, Peterborough, Ontario
The white Canadian granite base is by a local monument maker, an Irishman, who formed an incuse image of a Celtic cross in the stone and then poured molten lead into the hollow. There are two such crosses on this monument. The arms are shaped like nails, representing the nails that were driven into Jesus on the cross. (See also Nails Cross)
Yet another saint associated with the Celtic Cross is St. Brendan. This cross is often adorned with a dolphin (see the story of St. Brendan.)
See also Celtic knotwork of the Triquetra, the Sun Cross and the Crown of Thorns Cross
So much for the interpretation of the circle; but what does this symbol of a combined cross and circle really mean? See the meaning of the cross and also read The Cross and Eternity by Rev. David Linde.
