Celtic Crosses 

Although the Celtic cross is in modern day regarded as a symbol of Christianity, the original Celtic crosses predate the arrival of Christianity's influence on Celtic culture. Very little is known about the origins of Celtic crosses either before or after the arrival of Christianity, but many theories have been proposed.

One theory is that Christian Celtic crosses were inspired by the crosses of the Coptic church. The Coptic cross as it is seen today is not uncommon to a stylized Celtic cross. The Coptic church is an Orthodox Christian church with a wide reach around the world, including Celtic territories. Stemming
from the Coptic church is a sect of Egyptian people called Copts, who have their own language and glyph alphabet. The Coptic cross itself is rooted in Egyptian culture since its basis is the sacred ancient Egyptian ankh, to which Gnostic Christians added a cross, which eventually became the Coptic cross we know today.

Other scholars and theologians believe the Celtic cross is the result of a collision of many cultures, not only the influence of Christianity on old Celtic symbols. In such a case, the Celtic cross would carry numerous significances including symbolism of the natural world, specific religious symbolism, and
specific cultural symbolism – the interpretation of which would depend entirely on the person viewing it. Celtic crosses to Celtic pagans would have one meaning, whereas Celtic crosses to Celtic Christians would have another.

Irish mythology tells a tale of St. Patrick introducing the Celtic cross while converting the native Irish people to Christianity. As the story goes, St. Patrick blended the typical Christian cross with the ancient Celtic sun symbol, placing the square sun symbol at the “T” on the traditional cross. The end result is a very famous image: a clear Christian cross with the “T” marked by a smaller square cross, usually enclosed in a circle. These crosses are known as high crosses.

High Celtic crosses were often inscribed with Runes, an ancient Anglo-Saxon alphabet that is now archaic and typically used only in modern paganism, divination, or art. Examples can be found throughout Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Northumbria, Scotland, England, and on smaller islands in the UK. These crosses fell out of fashion sometime after the 15th century, but regained popularity in the 19th century as gravestones.

There are few types of Celtic crosses that predate Christianity, so there is little documentation about the significance of the cross shape in Celtic or Druid religion. The sun cross that was incorporated into the Christian high crosses is a very common symbol not just in the Celtic territories, but throughout the world. A similar symbol dates back to the Neolithic era. At its most basic, the sun cross combines a square cross with a circular enclosure. The symbol represents the cycle of life; the four seasons.

The Druids did have a cross as well, a symbol based upon a four-leafed clover. Some sources say it was  the Druids who began the superstition that four-leafed clovers are good luck, and that each of the four leaves carries its own significance: love, honor, health, and wealth.

A symbol that has achieved infamy in present times is the Celtic swastika. Originally the swastika meaning was as a religious symbol: it is not thought to have had any negative or sinister significance.