A Celtic cross, its design a Celtic knot

A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines the cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. Celtic Cross was an unusual collaboration of Simon Posford (Hallucinogen, Shpongle), Martin Glover (bassist from Killing Joke), Saul Davies (violinist from James), and Chester (Baba G). ... Image File history File links Ccross. ... Image File history File links Ccross. ... A classic Celtic knot pattern Celtic knots are a variety of (endless) knots and stylized graphical representations of knots used for decoration, first known to have been used by the Celts. ... A reliquary in the form of an ornate Christian Cross Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope...

It is the characteristic symbol of Celtic Christianity, though the symbol has older, pre-Christian origins. Such crosses formed a major part of Celtic art. This design is also referred to as the high cross, Irish Cross, or the Cross of Iona. Celtic Christianity, or Insular Christianity (sometimes commonly called the Celtic Church) broadly refers to the Early Medieval Christian practice that developed around the Irish Sea in the fifth and sixth centuries: that is, among Celtic/British peoples such as the Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Manx, Cumbrians (the inhabitants of the... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Muiredacha Cross. ... High Cross, Dysert, Co. ... Iona is a small island, in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. ...

Origins

Celtic cross in Père Lachaise cemetery

In Celtic regions of Ireland and Great Britain, many free-standing upright crosses—or high crosses—were erected, beginning at least as early as the 7th Century. Some of these 'Celtic' crosses bear inscriptions in runes. There are surviving free-standing crosses in Cornwall (famously St Piran's cross at Perranporth) and Wales, on the island of Iona and in the Hebrides, as well as the many in Ireland. Other stone crosses are found in Cumbria and the Scottish Borders, however some of these are of the similar Anglo-Saxon cross making tradition. The most famous standing crosses are the Cross of Kells, County Meath, Ireland, Ardboe Auld Cross, Ardboe, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, the crosses at Monasterboice, County Louth, Ireland, and the Cross of the Scriptures, Clonmacnoise, Ireland. This representation is often related to the numerous representation of crosses combined with a circle before Christianity. Often called "sun cross", they can be found in Bronze Age Europe (Nordic Bronze Age, Urnfield culture). But there is a constant difference: only the Christian cross shows arms outside the circle, while the sun cross is totaly surrounded by its circle. Moreover, the sun crosses are sometimes made with more than 4 arms. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1824x2520, 742 KB) Photograph by Rama This picture was improved by the Wikigraphists of the Atelier graphique. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1824x2520, 742 KB) Photograph by Rama This picture was improved by the Wikigraphists of the Atelier graphique. ... Looking down the hill at the Père-Lachaise cemetery The cimetière du Père-Lachaise (pronounced pierre la-sh-ez) is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris (there are larger cemeteries in Paris suburbs). ... High Cross, Dysert, Co. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Technical note: Due to technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... Saint Piran is the patron saint of tin-miners. ... Perranporth is a popular surfing tourist destination on the north coast of Carrick, Cornwall in England, UK, six miles south-west of the surf resorts of Newquay and six miles east of Porthtowan. ... This article is about the country. ... Iona is a small island, in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. ... This article is about the Hebrides islands in Scotland. ... Cumbria (IPA: ), is a shire county in the extreme North West of England. ... Scottish Borders (often referred to locally as The Borders or The Borderland) is one of 35 local government unitary council areas of Scotland. ... An old mill at Kells Folio 34r of the Book of Kells contains the Chi Rho monogram. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Navan Code: MH Area: 2,342 km² Population (2006) 162,831 Website: www. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Cookstown UK Parliament: Mid Ulster European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 Post Town: Dungannon Postal District(s): BT71 Population () Ardboe (Irish: Ard Bó), is a small village in the north east of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Omagh Area: 3,155 km² Population (est. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... Categories: Ireland-related stubs | County Louth ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Dundalk Code: LH Area: 820 km² Population (2006) 110,894 Website: www. ... Clonmacnoise viewed from the River Shannon The monastery of Clonmacnoise (Cluain Mhic Nóis in Irish, meaning Meadow of the Sons of Nós) is situated in County Offaly, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone. ... A Caddo solar cross, to Southeastern Native Americans a symbol of both the sun and fire. ... A simplified map archaeological cultures of the late Bronze Age (c. ... Map of the Nordic Bronze Age culture, ca 1200 BC The Nordic Bronze Age (also Northern Bronze Age) is the name given by Oscar Montelius (1843-1921) to a period and a Bronze Age culture in Scandinavian pre-history, ca 1800 BC - 600 BC, with sites that reached as far... The Urnfield culture of central European culture is dated roughly between 1300 BC and 750 BC. The name describes the custom of cremating the dead and placing them in cemeteries. ...

The archaic English word for cross as an instrument of torture is rood (literally "pole", cognate with rod). The word cross in English derives only indirectly from Latin crux via Old Irish and possibly Old Norse, introduced in the 10th century. A rood is an old English ( Anglo-Saxon) unit equal to quarter an acre, i. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Irish language, or, rather, the Goidelic languages, for which extensive written texts are possessed. ... Old Norse or Danish tongue is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the Nordic countries (for instance during the Viking Age). ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ...

Irish Myth

In Ireland, it is a popular myth that the Celtic cross was introduced to the island by Saint Patrick during his time converting the pagan Irish. It is believed that he combined the symbol of Christianity, a cross, with the symbol of the sun, to give pagan followers an idea of the importance of the cross by linking it with the idea of the life-giving properties of the sun. ^[1] St Patrick redirects here, for other uses, see St. ... Celtic polytheism refers to the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Celts until the Christianization of Celtic-speaking lands. ...

Political symbol

Drawing of a nationalistic stylized Celtic cross

Variations resembling the Celtic cross, and the sun cross from which it is derived, have been adopted by some white nationalist and neo-fascist groups. These supporters usually use a very basic variation of the design which is made up of simple lines, without any of the ornamental complexity of traditional Celtic crosses. In these recent adaptations, it is sometimes also called a sun wheel. It is used by white nationalists due to the fact^{[citation needed]} that the sun and the cross both play prominent roles in various western religions. The symbol can also sometimes be identified with radical nationalists of a Third Positionist or Catholic nationalist persuasion. Image File history File links Celtic-style_crossed_circle. ... Image File history File links Celtic-style_crossed_circle. ... White nationalism is the attempt to create racial identity groups which advance the social and economic interests of White or Caucasian people. ... The terms Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism refer to any social or political movement to revive Nazism or Fascism, respectively, and postdates the Second World War. ... A Caddo solar cross, to Southeastern Native Americans a symbol of both the sun and fire. ... International Third Position was a group formed by Nick Griffin and Derek Holland as a continuation of the Political Soldier movement. ...

This new political connotation has almost eclipsed the traditional meaning of the symbol in France, Italy and many other European countries. In France, the symbol was adopted by the groups Occident and the Groupe Union Droit. In Italy, the symbol has been banned from being shown within stadiums, as it is considered a sign of fascism and racism. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Occident, like many similar groups, used the celtic cross as its emblem. ... Groupe Union Droit or Groupe Union Défense, better known as GUD, is the name of a succession of violent French far-right student political groups. ...

Celtic crosses are also associated with political movements advocating greater independence or other measures, with respect to Celtic minorities, such as Breton nationalism. In defining Breton nationalism, it is important to differentiate between: The nationalism of stateless people, such as Bretons or Galicians, who wish to aquire more power in the United Nations, and to obtain the right to self-rule, recognised by the UN, The nationalism of nation states, such as France...

References

See also

• Kildalton Cross

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Celtic crosses

The Kildalton Cross is a monolithic Celtic cross in the churchyard of the former parish church of Kildalton (Scottish Gaelic: Church of the Foster Son [ie. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...

External links

• Celtic Crosses - Symbolism and History.

• Celtic Cross Tattoos - Symbolism and Designs