Celtic Art and Spirituality
From the lavishly decorated weapons of the Bronze age to the illuminated manuscripts of Irish monasteries, to present day revivals of the process, Celtic art has retained many of its recognizable characteristics. Much discussion has centered around the meaning of the fascinating designs, but they remain a mystery. There are, however, some qualities in Celtic art that are connected to prayer and spirituality and Cindy’s workshops and talks center on these.
The Celtic values include interconnectiveness with all parts of creation, respect for nature, sense of community, love of music and storytelling, and the concept of a non-dual relationship between the spirit world and the material world. They are related to the Celtic art motifs of interlacing knotwork, spiral and circular designs, key patterns, zoomorphic human and animal figures and illuminated lettering, making up a vocabulary for expressing those values. Groupings of these motifs such as we see in the illuminated pages of the Book of Kells and other medieval manuscripts, have their parallels in the praise and protection themes common in Celtic prayer. Repetition of lines in Celtic prayer relate to the repetition of shapes, metamorphosis and shape shifting seen in Celtic art. Numerical significance and sacred geometry, especially the "threeness" common in Celtic art, echo the Trinity.
Historians say the work of Celtic monks and nuns was a result of meditation and communion with God, thus the role of prayer in creating the works. Ornamentation of gospel books perhaps developed through meditation on a theme. Earlier Celtic art may have sprung from meditative practices related to druidic rituals.
Elements of Celtic Art:
- Interconnectiveness -- over and under designs, no loose ends -- we are all part of creation
- Spirals -- importance of the circle to Celts, sun worship, stone circles, raths, crannogs-- flow of energy, spirals interconnected, Native American sacred circles
- Repetition of shapes, metamorphosis, examples of this in prayer as lines change slightly each time. Patterns within nature, thread of life.
- Numerical significance--threeness (Trinity, shamrock, triads), fours (evangelists, elements, directions, seasons), fives (senses).
- Connection with Nature -- Tree of Life designs, vegetal designs, birds and zoomorphic creatures, thread of life -- Life Force, rhythm of the earth.
- Symbols -- mysterious language of the past, examples of kerb stones, recycling of symbols from megalithic, La Tene and Christian periods, still in use today with perhaps differing interpretations. Scripture crosses of medieval period.
- LCeltic Faces -- eye wide open, looking through you, stylized, somewhat androgynous, tied up in knots, twisted into other figures, repetitious, inverted positions.
- Zoomorphic creatures -- twisting, writhing, supernatural positions. Animals were often used to depict human behavior, emotions, vices.
