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. Though Celtic knots were being created in pre-Christian times, these knots are most known for their use in the ornamentation of Christian monuments and manuscripts like the 8th century Book of Kells. Classic Celtic knot (two-part circle) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Classic Celtic knot (two-part circle) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Endless Knot is a symbolic knot used in Tibetan Buddhism. ... Some knots: 1. ... As a noun, a graphic usually refers to a computer image or picture, or an infographic, such as a chart. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A Celtic cross. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... Ornament is frequently used to denote: An element of decoration. ... The Taj Mahal, commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, as a mausoleum for his wife, Arjumand Banu Begum. ... A manuscript (Latin manu scriptus, written by hand), strictly speaking, is any written document that is put down by hand, in contrast to being printed or reproduced some other way. ... This page (folio 292r) contains the lavishly decorated text that opens the Gospel of John. ...

History

A modern take on Celtic knotwork

Design influenced by illustration in the Lindisfarne Gospels

Not much history of the knots is available before the beginning of the Christian influence on the Celts in about A.D. 450. There is much evidence for the use of geometric patterns as ornamentation particularly in jewelry before that time. Some historians have theorized that early Celtic religion prevented their depicting creatures realistically, similar, then, to the Islamic prohibition, which gave rise to the development of Arabic calligraphy. Still, Chinese and Japanese calligraphy seemed to arise simply from an aesthetic sense and needed no such prohibition to encourage its development. Celtic knot ring This knot was designed and drawn by User:Sasha Kopf. ... Celtic knot ring This knot was designed and drawn by User:Sasha Kopf. ... Image File history File links Lindisfarne_StJohn_Knot2_3. ... Image File history File links Lindisfarne_StJohn_Knot2_3. ... Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels contains the incipit from the Gospel of Matthew. ... Events August 25 - Marcian proclaimed Eastern Roman Emperor by Aspar and Pulcheria. ... Table of Geometry, from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... Jewelry (the American spelling; spelled jewellery in Commonwealth English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ... The term creature refers to an animal. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... Calligraphy in a Latin Bible of AD 1407 on display in Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England. ... Calligraphy in a Latin Bible of AD 1407 on display in Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England. ...

The same pre-Christian designs found their way into early Christian manuscripts and artwork with the addition of depictions from life, such as animals, plants and even humans. In the beginning the patterns were intricately interwoven cords, called plaits, which can also be found in other areas of Europe, like Italy in 6th century. A fragment of a Gospel Book, now in the Durham Cathedral library and created in northern Britain in the 7th century, contains the earliest example of true knotted designs in the Celtic manner. Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Divisions Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta - liverworts Anthocerotophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering plants Adiantum pedatum (a fern... Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin for wise man or knowing man) under the family Hominidae (the great apes). ... A pattern is a form, template, or model (or, more abstractly, a set of rules) which can be used to make or to generate things or parts of a thing, especially if the things that are generated have enough in common for the underlying pattern to be inferred or discerned... A plait is a knot usually tied from multiple lines and exhibiting a repeating pattern, often a braid and often referring to hair. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... Folio 3v contains the colophon to the Gospel of Matthew from the Durham Gospel Fragment The Durham Gospel Fragment is fragmentary a seventh century Insular Gospel Book. ... Durham Cathedral silhouetted against the sunset Durham Cathedral from nearby The Rose Window in the Chapel of the Nine Altars. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ...

It should be noted that some scholars believe the forms known as Celtic knots may actually be Norse in origin. This theory draws support from the well-accepted idea that the Celts readily adapted ideas from cultures which conquered them or otherwise intermingled. The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, Europe and the British Isles from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ... A Celtic cross. ...

Significance

While analysis of the knots seem to point to eight basic types, there is no evidence to indicate that a knot had any specific philosophical or religious significance beyond perhaps the most obvious, that being the intricacy capable in the work of humans, itself reflective of the intricacy of natural forms. Some Wiccans have taken up the creation of celtic knots, attributing to them ideas and magical properties that may not have been there originally. Philosopher in Meditation (detail), by Rembrandt. ... Fishers of Men, oil on panel by Adriaen van de Venne (1614) Various religious symbols Religion is a human phenomenon that defies easy definition. ... The pentagram within a circle; a symbol of faith used by many Wiccans. ... Magic(k) or sorcery are terms referring to the alleged influencing of events and physical phenomena by supernatural, mystical, or paranormal means. ...

While the ancient Celts felt no need to attribute meaning to their designs, there is nothing to prevent the modern viewer from assigning significance. It might even be argued that from a Jungian of the collective unconscious, that the meaning was always there but hidden during the act of creation and revealed in their contemplation. Carl Jungs autobiographical work Memories , Dreams and Reflections, Fontana edition Carl Gustav Jung (July 26, 1875 – June 6, 1961) (IPA:) was a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology. ... Collective unconscious is a term of analytical psychology originally coined by Carl Jung. ... Contemplation comes from the latin root for temple, and means to enter an open or consecrated place. ...

As to their magical properties, it might be argued that creating knots is a type of yoga, where the conscious mind is actively engaged with precise, repetitive tasks to the extent that it no longer censors images from the unconscious. A similar set of conditions can be found in the recitation of a mantra, the creation of a Buddhist sand mandala or praying the rosary, with the same kind of results. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... Buddhism (also known as Buddha Dharma, meaning approximately Law of the Awakening) is a religion, a practical philosophy, and arguably a psychology, focusing on the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), who lived in ancient India most likely from the mid-6th to the early 5th century BCE... The Kalachakra Sand Mandala The Sand Mandala (tib: kilkhor) is a Tibetan Buddhist tradition which symbolises the transitory nature of things. ... Our Lady of Lourdes - Mary appearing at Lourdes with Rosary Beads The Rosary (from Latin rosarium, crown of roses), is an important and traditional sacramental devotion of the Roman Catholic Church consisting of a set of prayer beads and a system of set prayers. ...

Many items decorated with knotwork have been found in archaelogical sites. Items such as torcs, bowls and cups are adorned with intricate patterns by ancient smiths. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech/discourse) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... A torc, also spelled torq or torque (from Latin torqueo, to twist, because of the twisted shape of the collar) is a rigid circular necklace that is open-ended at the front. ...

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Knots in art and decoration

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

See also

• Khachkars - Armenian knotwork

A khachkar in Echmiadzin Khachkar (Ô½Õ¡Õ¹Ö„Õ¡Ö€ in Armenian, meaning cross-stone) is a carved memorial stone, typically found in Armenia. ...

External links

• Celtic Knotwork: the Ultimate Tutorial A Look at the Construction and Mathematics of Celtic Knots
• Draw Your Own Celtic Knotwork Comprehensive list of links to both knotwork tutorials and a knotwork bibliography.
• Celtic Interlace; An Overview by Stephen Walker, reproduced with permission from Dalriada Magazine, 2000.