The Celtic Cross

Introduction

The Celtic cross is a religious symbol seen all over Britain and is growing ever more popular recently. But what exactly is it, and what are its origins?

This cross is basically a regular Christian cross with a circle surrounding the point where the lines of the cross meet in the centre. It is so called, because it derives from the British Isles and was first used in the seventh-ninth centuries in Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

The earliest versions of the cross were carved onto slabs that lay flat on the ground and were called recumbent cross-slabs. But, they gradually evolved into carvings on upright slabs (Erect cross-slab), sometimes depicted with a slightly rounded top. Both versions are always decorated intricately with typical Celtic patterns; spirals, knot work, foliage, keys, Biblical tales and animals. The most recent evolution of the Celtic cross's depiction is a free standing, statuesque High cross, rather than being simply a carving on a slab. The cross was effectively now "freed" from the stone, so these versions are known as Freestanding crosses. And the arms of the cross were made longer, so they extended the circle, with the inner shapes between the arms and the circle being cut away. And this cross is most commonly seen in the form of gravestones in Irish churchyards or as war memorials all over Britain.

The Celtic cross is widely used as Christian symbol, but as we can tell from its name, the cross has a history stretching further back than Christianity. For example, its four arms are interpreted as the four elements (earth, air, fire, water), the four directions of the compass (north, south, east, west) or the four parts of man (mind, soul, heart, body), in various cultures and traditions.

The cross is said to have derived from the Chi Rho symbol, as popularised by the Roman emperor, Constantine. "Chi" and "Rho" are the first letters of the word "Christ" in the Greek alphabet, and when these letters are interlinked, they appear similar to the cross at the centre of a Celtic cross.

But where does the cross's distinctive circle come from? The truth is, no one is sure, but among ancient races, circles were used to represent the moon and a cross and circle conjoined symbolised the sun. So, it's likely that the Celtic cross was originally a Pagan sun or moon representation, later used by the Romans in order to try to convert the Pagans of Britain to Christianity. According to Irish legend, St Patrick created the cross by drawing a circle around a Latin cross to represent the Pagan moon goddess. But to Irish Catholics, the circle can represent Christ's halo, or as eternity and the endlessness of God's love.

Information provided with kind permission of Victoria Crouch.

For the location of Celtic high crosses including links to live examples and other educational information please click on the map of Ireland and enjoy the journey.