 |
The Celtic Cross The Celtic Cross was a symbol of the four quarters, the North, which represents wisdom, stability, and winter; the East, for knowledge, learning, and spring; the South for vitality, passion, strength, and summer; and the West, representing intuition, emotion, and inner knowledge.
|
The circle connecting the four arms of the Celtic cross symbolizes the unity and the eternal cycle of life and rebirth.
Another interpretation of the Celtic cross is found in the Chi-Rho monogram, a cross made by combining the first two letters of the name of Christ in Greek, Chi (or X), and Rho (or P). The Celtic cross is illustrated by monuments of crosses in Britany, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Cumbria, Ireland, and Cornwall.
(c) 123 Celtic Irish
There are two gods and one goddess who seem to be explicitly associated with the sun in Celtic mythology. Their names are Ogma, Lug, and Brigid.
One of Ogma's titles means "sunny countenance," a title which seems to be a reflection of Ogma's poetic ability.
The second god listed was Lug ("Light"), who is often misleadingly called a sun god. Lug's connection to the sun comes from his appearance at the Second Battle of Mag Tuired, where it is mentioned that his face glows like the sun so that Bres ("Handsome") mistakes his face for the sun and asks the druids why the sun has risen in the west. They tell him that it is the face of Lug, not the sun. Lug is the god of crafts, as his title Samildanach ("Very skilled in all arts") mentions. In particular, his is a great warrior and a great magician, like the Norse Odin, and he holds a great powerful spear, one of the four great treasures which the Tuatha De Dannan brought over from the Islands on the North. In this case, the sun seems to be connected with strength at arms and magic as well as the ability to create.
Brigid, the last name mentioned, is discussed under Catholicism (and Christianity). Though she has Celtic origins, her folklore was adopted into other legend. However, we will discuss Brigid's Cross. Legend has it that Brigid constructed the cross out of reeds for a dying man. The solar cross was used among the Greeks, the Norse, and, at least later, among the Highland Scots who would burn them to rally the clans to war. The solar cross is simply the solar wheel without the rim. As such, it does not seem particularly suitable for artistic purposes, when the wheel would suffice, but it is easier to construct from wood as a talismanic object than a solar wheel. A lasting reminder of the power of this symbol occurs still in the Celtic cross, where the solar wheel sits atop a pillar. The earliest examples of these are quite simply sun wheels carved into the top to taller ornamented stones, usually placed near churches. As time went on, the supporting pillar used grew thinner and thinner until we have the Celtic cross of today.
(c) Thinkquest |
