Celtic Knot Band 

The splendor and the ancient symbolism attached to Celtic artwork are especially suited to jewelry when presented to a loved one.  In the form of a Celtic wedding band or a Celtic knot ring these pieces transport a simple offer of betrothal to one that is able to symbolize ancient beliefs and culture, at a glance.

Even those who lay no claim to Celtic heritage are attracted to their beauty and to what they signify.  For instance circular knots are able to represent eternity and the permanence of everlasting love and marriage while the angular knots convey the message of stability. The smooth flowing lines wrought in the design carries its own meaning of harmony and comfort.

The origin of Celtic knot work
Celtic knots are indeed an ancient art starting around the 8th century and handed down from generation to generation.  At their inception they were used to replace the written word yet when adopted by the Christian monks they formed the shapes as we know then today.  From their introduction and later those found in Christian adornments, carvings and manuscripts they captivated the imagination and spread around the world.  Using interlacing patterns called spirals, steps, plaits or braiding, Celtic artwork displays wonderfully intricate designs.  Yet each pattern holds its own symbolism which forms the basis of today’s artwork.  

In early pagan Celtic cultures the knot was used to signify the eternity and endlessness of human relationships both to the earth and to their spiritual beliefs. Many of these early symbols took the shape of knots that featured interwoven designs showing no beginning and no end.  With the introduction of Christianity and the demise of paganism, Celtic knot work persevered and took on a more devote meaning attributed to God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Today many Celtic knot work designs are attributed a secular symbolism of love between two people.   However whether pagan, Christian or secular the meaning of a relationship that has no beginning and no ending remains clear.

Celtic knots in depth
However controversial the symbolism attached to Celtic knot work, when used to create jewelry they become highly sought after pieces of artwork, even if their designs are able convey more than one meaning.

The Celtic knot is able to covey many messages.  Some advocate that it was designed to defeat evil and the interlaced knots were a powerful means of providing protection.  Others believe strongly that the original meaning was one of never ending life where the strands woven into the designs depicted life as it is woven into space and time and as such was neverending.   The knots interwoven with the strands were meant to depict life in the past, in the present and in the future while each loop was meant to depict a specific individual woven into the whole.

Perhaps the most common design used to depict love is the Celtic Love Knot.  The design shows two interwoven strands which are very similar to the Heart knots or eternity knots.  The symbolism attributed to the love knots has not changed in meaning over the years.  It can be taken a step further as shown in the triple love knot which comprises three strands meant to depict a trinity.  The trinity when attributed to pagan belief depicts the forces of nature being earth, wind and fire.  When intersected by one interwoven line it takes on a spiritual meaning of unity, strength and being.  

The Celtic four love knot represented in paganism leans toward the four seasons.  When double lines are found along the edges they represent eternal love between two people.  When a single line is found it represents loyalty.  

The Celtic trinity knot makes use of single strand that is woven back onto itself which symbolizes no beginning and no end.  When the paganism meaning is attributed it stands for the co-existence between things such as body, spirit and mind, Mother, Crone and Maiden, wind, fire and water and even past, present and future.

If a Christian meaning is to be attributed, it stands for the relationship formed by God, Son and the Holy Spirit, or the relationship between God, man and woman.

However diverse the meaning and symbolism, each form of Celtic knot jewelry can be used to convey a message of love, whether rooted in paganism or Christianity.