Celtic symbols narrate stories of eternal love and romance. Celtic love symbols indicate numerous meanings and emotions.
The Celts were a tribe who were known for their bravery and fierceness. Originating from the Steppes, they traveled through Europe and made their way into the Isles of Britain and settled down. Even though they had remarkable expertise in warfare and fighting, they held on to their traditions and rituals which were romantic and ethereal in nature.
The Celtic art and culture has numerous symbols which can still be seen everywhere from wedding rings, fabric prints to tattoo designs. In fact, Celtic symbols and tattoos go hand in hand for most young lovers of today. The popularity of every Celtic symbol for love is due to the many folklore and legends associated with them. Moreover, it reminds us of a period when a young man had to prove his love to get betrothed to his lady-love. Therefore, it can be said that these symbols are epitome of eternal love and romance.
Love Knot
~ They say love knows no boundaries. Yet, a lover would want to be bound in the arms of his beloved forever.
~ The love knot symbol is truly an enigmatic Celtic symbol, which transcends boundaries and nations.
~ One of the most famous Celtic love knot symbols is the sailor’s knot, which tells you how the Celtic sailors used to long for their sweethearts.
~ They used 2 ropes and intertwined them together in a knot, and presented it to their loved ones upon reaching home.
The sailor love knot, later on, came to be known as the perfect union of two people, which has no beginning and no ending, but only everlasting love. Other Celtic symbols of love in the knot form are the spiral or oval knot, Celtic triple drop, Celtic square knot, Celtic round knot, and Celtic serpent knot, among others.
Claddagh
~ A claddagh symbol consists of two hands holding on to a heart which has a crown on its top.
~ The hands in the symbol represents friendship, the heart depicts love and crown shows loyalty.
~ A person who is giving this symbol to someone, is committing his love, friendship, and loyalty to that person.
~ Therefore, this symbol is often used as one of the Celtic ring designs and commonly seen engraved on wedding rings.
The lore behind this Celtic symbol for love is of a young fisherman who was captured by the pirates and sold in Africa as a slave. Though he was believed to be dead by the villagers, his lover did not think so and waited for him. Years went by and one day the man managed to escape from bondage and returned home to his beloved. He etched the claddagh symbol on a ring and gifted to his girl in return for her faith in him.
Three Leaf Clover
~ Shamrock or the three-leaf white clover is the national symbol of Ireland.
~ Since ancient times, this plant has been considered sacred by the natives.
~ Legend has it that when St. Patrick came to the shores of Ireland to spread the message of Christianity, he used the leaves of this plant to explain the concept of holy trinity to the island-dwellers.
~ It symbolizes God – the Father, God – the Son, as represented by Christ, and God – the Holy Spirit.
There is another version of symbolism associated with Shamrock. It is also said to represent faith, love, and hope. Therefore, this design is popular in wedding jewelry. Both bride and groom carry or wear this symbol on their wedding day in order to bring good luck to their new life.
Serch Bythol is another Celtic symbol for love, which is denoted by knots and triskeles (three-cornered knots). The triskeles represent body, mind and spirit in its three corners. The serch bythol contains two triskeles, signifying body, mind and spirit of two people, uniting in circle which symbolizes eternal love.
The Celts were firm believers in spirituality, which is evident from Celtic symbolism. Celtic symbols and meaning are shrouded in folklore and legends which have been popularized even more in this modern era. As these symbols have cryptic meanings and stories to tell, they make excellent tattoo designs. Hence, the relation between Celtic love symbols and tattoo are here to stay for a long time.
