Triskele

The triskele, or triskelion, is an ancient symbol consisting of three interlocking spirals, or sometimes three bent human legs.  The name is Greek for ‘three legged’ or ‘three times’.  The triskele can be found at several Megalithic and Neolithic sites around Europe, and has strong connections to the pre-Celtic art of the La Tène culture.

The triskele can be found on a number of pre-Celtic megalithic sites, including Newgrange (Brú na Bóinne), the ancient astrological passage tomb dated to around 3,200 BCE.  Here, the triple spiral motif is found carved on the passage and entrance stones as well as several of its surrounding curbstones.

Later, the triple spiral was incorporated into the Insular art of illuminated manuscripts from Ireland, such as the Book of Kells, resulting in a connection with Celtic culture that still is still seen today.

The triskelion appears in many other cultures and regions, such as Sicily (called ‘trinacria’), the Isle of Man, Brittany, and some parts of Germany.  It is also found on Mycenaean vessels, Lycaean coins, and on warrior’s shields on Greek pottery.

 

The spiral triskele is also a symbol of several polytheistic reconstructionist and Neopagan groups.  Celtic Reconstructionists use the triskele to represent the triplicities in their cosmology and theology, such as the connection between Land, Sea and Sky.  The triskele is also associated with the Celtic sea god Manannán mac Lir and the triple goddess Brigid.

The triple spiral is also called the ‘spiral of life’, symbolizing life, death and afterlife.  The Celts believed that all things moved in eternal cycles, and the triskele reminds us of the cycle of life.

Wiki – Triskelion, Triple Spiral

© The Celtic Journey (2013)

The Celts: The Complete Epic Saga

The Celts: The Complete Epic Saga (DVD)

The Celts were the first European people north of the Alps to rise from anonymity. Wild and ferocious, they were also romantics and mystics and they shared a family of languages that are now the oldest living tongues of Europe. Their story is one of survival, defiance and creativity often in the face of oppression.

IN THE BEGINNING
Who were the Celts, and what made their culture so distinctive? The mysteries of the Celts are made more complex by the absence of ancient Celtic written records.

HEROES IN DEFEAT
Celtic culture was to spread to cover an area stretching from the Mediterranean to the North Sea. Soon after 400 B.C. Celtic tribes erupted over the Alps and attacked Rome and Delphi.

THE SACRED GROVES
The Celts are surrounded by an aura of romance and mysticism, and echoes of the past still resonate today. Many of the traditional feast dates of Western Civilization have their roots in the pagan Celtic past.

FROM CAMELOT TO CHRIST
One man, Arthur, succeeded in repelling the Anglo-Saxon advance. But who was he, and did he even exist at all? The mystical Celtic world represented by Arthur is now linked with the Christian missionaries.

LEGEND AND REALITY
The year 1066 marks the coming of the Normans, the new enemies of the Celts. From the eleventh century the Celtic nations faced gradual absorption and assimilation by their powerful neighbors England and France.

A DEAD SONG?
The word ‘Celt’ first appeared in 1707, the year of the union of Scotland with England. Two conflicting forces drove the Celts wherever they settled to be absorbed or to retain their own identity .

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The Celts is a 2-DVD set covering the development of pre-Celtic and proto-Celtic cultures, to the eventual integration of the Celts into Roman, Viking, Norman and Anglo-Saxon cultures.  It discusses the Halstatt and La Tène periods, the religious beliefs of the Celtic people, the Roman invasion, the rise of Christianity, the Viking invasions, the struggle for power in the British Isles, the decline of Celtic culture, and the modern Celtic revival.

This scholarly work features interviews with famous figures in Celtic Studies, such as Barry Cunliffe, Anne Ross, and Miranda Green.  However maintaining its historical accuracy, The Celts is also enjoyable and interesting, featuring scenes of stunning scenery and magnificent artwork.  Although long, this DVD set is definitely recommended.

© The Celtic Journey (2013)