Trinity Celtic Symbol

The oldest known Celts were a diverse group of tribal people that originally lived in central Europe during the Iron Age. Towards the end of the 6th century BC, the Celts had occupied pretty much all of Europe, including the Iberian Peninsula and the British Isles. Unfortunately for the Celts, the Germanic tribes and the Romans went on to enforce their rule on the European mainland and drove the Celts out. By the first millennium AD, the Celts were left only in the British Isles.

So when we talk of Celtic art and culture or Celtic symbolism, we are referring to the societies that developed in Ireland, Scotland and other places such as Cornwall in England Isle of Man and Brittany in France. Today, the word 'Celtic' is predominantly associated with the Irish and the Scots. Modern references to this word include the premier Scottish soccer team, Glasgow Celtic and the Boston NBA team, Boston Celtics, where there is a large Irish population.

Celtic Trinity Symbol
Introduction
The trinity symbol is, along with the Celtic Knot, one of the most famous symbols from the Celtic heritage. The trinity symbol, or the Triquetra can be described as an individual strand that wraps into and onto itself and looks like a three-sided, three-lobed yet singular design. It is believed that this symbol was adopted by Celtic culture from Germanic, as the word 'triquetra' itself is derived from the Latin words tri- meaning three and quetrus- meaning corners. There are other facts ascertaining the Triquetra's Germanic origin. Some people say that the Triquetra bears a vague resemblance to the Norse symbol of Odin, Valknut. Such a trinity-like symbol was also used extensively on early Germanic rune-stones and coins.

The Modern Trinity Celtic Symbol
The trinity Celtic symbol was popularly adopted in the Hiberno-Saxon form of art, commonly known as Insular Art. The first trinity symbols appeared in Celtic writings for decorative purposes and space-filling. One of the earliest, most famous works of illuminated manuscripts - The Book of Kells - is laced with this symbol. This book is widely regarded as the finest national treasure of Ireland and contains four gospels from the New Testament. Although it is uncertain what this symbol meant to the Celtic people, the Triquetra is the Celtic symbol meaning something that is represented as threefold such as the past, present and the future. It is also used to represent the triad of the heart, the soul and the mind. The number three was also said to be lucky in Celtic culture. Just like the Yin and Yang is used to show complementariness and harmony between the two, Triquetra shows the existence in triplets.

Later, the Christians took over the symbol and willed it to mean the Holy Trinity which represents - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Triquetra is also said to represent three fishes. In the first century AD, when the followers of Christianity were persecuted by the Pagan Romans, the Christians went underground and used the symbol of a fish to identify each other. They would draw half a fish in the sand, and if the other drew the remaining half of the fish, they would identify each other as followers of Christianity. Ironic, given that the Celtics were pagan and polytheistic!

Modern Use
The trinity Celtic symbol has returned in popular culture after a number of people decided to use it publicly. John Paul Jones, the bass player of the hugely popular rock band, Led Zeppelin, used the Triquetra as his personal symbol, perhaps highlighting his Celtic background. It has also been used in the famous TV series, Charmed, as it represented the power of the three witches acting as one. Opposed to what many people may think, the Triquetra has no evil undertones whatsoever.