Celtic Symbols Family

At the core of pagan Celtic life were the Druids who were responsible for much of the mythology we know today.  The Druids worshipped nature and were the ones who understood the interconnectedness between nature, the universe and spiritual entities.

They were the ones who handed down this knowledge and were the ones who instilled spirituality and worship in Celtic tribes.  They were in a way the glue that held the Celtic culture together, and were perhaps the ones who created it in the first place.

Many Celtic symbols we know today stemmed from paganism yet are more understood thanks to mythology handed down from times centuries after.

The Celts used symbols to depict family affiliations and wore them wrought in pieces of jewelry.  While no exact symbol exists for the family as a unit, Celtic symbols for family members were steeped more in spirituality than in personal relationships.  In fact their symbols were symbolic.  However what is known is that rings were often worn depicting animal figures as a way of providing protection for the clan or tribe as a unit and even individual families within them.  

Celtic Symbol Brother
The Celtic symbol for brother has its roots in paganism and took the form of an arrow which was tattooed or painted on their bodies.  The message it conveyed in times of war symbolized brotherhood.  More accurately it was a symbol for “the brothers of the Arrow”.  In ancient battles men from all tribes and status came together as brothers.  Their lives depended on each others power and virility and the almost phallic appearance of the symbol indicated this.  Bonded by war warriors became “brothers of the arrow” and the wearing of this symbol meant that they had the same spirit.  

Often the symbol was found together or part of the ancient sun design.  When depicted this way the sun design symbolized warrior hood and inner strength.  In short it was symbol that showed the wearers were strong, virile and powerful warriors bonded as brothers to one another in battle. 

Celtic Symbol Motherhood
Perhaps the most well known symbol for motherhood, or mothers love is the Triquestra.  Designed as a Celtic knot the design contains two hearts which are intertwined with one unbroken line.  Children were depicted in the design as dots.  Another Celtic symbol of motherhood was the Triple Mother Goddess sign.  This design symbolized for the ancients fertility of crops and livestock as well as luck and power.

The Triple Mother Goddess shows symbols pointing to the harvest or the hunt.  It also symbolizes the three stages of a woman’s life, being Crone, Mother and Maiden.  When they come together they signify the power of unity.

This symbol is also considered the most significant of  motherhood symbols as it can also depict the child and mother relationship. Celtic heritage was passed down through the mother’s side.  Important bloodlines owed their existence to the mother and so the tie to the mother was revered and worshipped. In fact motherhood in Celtic culture demanded reverence and admiration.  Any transgression of act of violence towards a mother was unpardonable.

Mother Goddesses on the other hand were portrayed in symbols in order to depict fertility, birth, nurturing and even sovereignty. These symbols can be traced back over 3,000 years and were a common feature in Celtic culture.  However their role was not limited to motherhood.  Many symbols depicted are single women or groups of three. Mother goddesses were also Goddesses of war, crafts and healing. 

 

Celtic Symbol Sisters
The trinity or number three was very significant for the Celts.  Today the Celtic symbol for sisterhood is shown as a Triskele.  Consisting of knot work this symbol expresses how the Celts attributed their interconnectedness with themselves and nature.  The continual looping of the knot work seen in the Triskele represented the eternal love shared by sisters.  The bond Celtic women shared surpassed what we understand as sisters.  Even their children became their sisters in essence.  The Triskele represented the three stages of womanhood.  Crone, mother and maiden.  

The Celtic Symbol for Father and Daughter
Again knot work is used to represent the bond between father and daughter, in particular the Triskele which represented the bond that existed between them.  The Celtic symbol for father daughter has its roots in mythology.  It tells the story of Brighid who sat close to her dying father.  As she waited she weaved a knot from rushes.  Her father noticed and asked her what she was doing.  She explained how each loop although individual is not able to be separated from the whole just as their relationship was interwoven so too were they wrapped up with those who would follow in the life after.