The mystic of the Trinity Knot in Celtic Jewelry

As a familiar symbol of celtic and Irish jewelry, the Triquetra (also known as the Trinity Knot) originally referred to a "triangle" shape and was commonly used in reference to a range of three-cornered shapes. 

More recently,, it has come to exclusively signify a particular more complex shape which is formed of three vesicae piscis, which is often complimented by an additional circle in or surrounding the symbol. Within the realm of Celtic knot jewelry the symbol is more commonly known as the "trinity knot," and the design often utilized as a religious symbol by both those of the Christian faith and polytheists.

The Trinity Knot can often be spotted on various forms of Insular celtic artwork, especially on pieces of  celtic metal work and in illuminated manuscripts such as the much loved Book of Kells. 

Early Christian artwork such as celtic crosses and slabs often bear the Trinity Knot symbol. The symbol was rarely used as a standalone piece within the medieval celtic artwork and was often integrated in with other design elements.

Over the last century, the symbol has seen a revival in Celtic art and the knot has been recognized as singular symbol that has been used as a sign of special things and persons as a triumvirate. At Blarney Woollen Mills, our extensive range of celtic knot jewelry includes many celtic earrings and celtic pendants which are beautifully ornamented with the Trinity Knot symbol and can often make ideal Irish gifts.

The significance of the Celtic Pendant

Celtic Jewelry can be traced back to a very distant past roughly during the period bwteen 2000 BC and 550 AD when silver and gold was used by Celtic craftsmen to create exceptional pieces of jewelry decorated with a variety of Celtic symbols. Celtic pendants were one of the earliest types of bodily adornment to be crafted by these ancient civilizations.

The word pendant orignates from the French word "pendre" and also the Latin "pendere" which translates as "to hang down". Pendants are a loose-hanging piece of jewelry which tend to be attached to a necklace by a small loop. This piece of Celtic jewelry can also be referred to as a "pendant necklace".

Pendants as pieces of Celtic jewelry can serve a variety of functions, which can also be combined:

• Award ( for example the Order of CúChulainn)
• Identification
• Ornamentation
• Ostentation
• Protection
• Self-affirmation

There are a multitude of specialized variations of pendants in use today including lockets which open and pendilia, which hang from larger objects of metalwork.

There is a wide range of Celtic pendants available from Blarney.com making the perfect Irish gifts and also a great piece of jewelry to accentuate any outfit. These pendants are expertly handcrafted from Sterling Silver or gold or even traditional Irish bog oak.

As ornate pieces of Celtic jewelry, they evoke the rich and varied history of the anicent Celtic world by utlising the various symbols of that period such as Celtic crosses, shamrocks, trinity knots, claddaghs, trinities and such. The Blarney collection is populated with a variety of works by Ireland's finest Celtic jewellers.

Celtic Jewelry: The ancient Ogham alphabet and its origins

Ogham, or referred to in Old Irish as 'Ogam', is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write in the early Irish language between the 4th and 6th centuries and later the Old Irish language between the 6th and 9th centuries. 

It is estimated  that there are roughly 400 surviving orthodox inscriptions on stone monuments throughout Ireland and western Britain. The vast majority of these inscriptions can be found throughout the south of Ireland, in the counties of Kerry, Cork and Waterford. Traces of the Ogham inscriptions have also been discovered in parts of Pembrokeshire in Wales. The vast majority of the inscriptions consist of personal names.

The earliest inscriptions in Ogham date to about the 4th century AD. It has been suggested by scholars that the Ogham language drew inspiration from a number of sources such as the Latin, Elder Futhark, Runic and Greek alphabets.

Theories on how this form of ancient alphabet originated can be categorised into two distinct trains of thought. The first theory is that Ogham was created by ancient Irish scholars or druids as a cryptic alphabet designed purposely so that it would be extremely difficult for those with a knowledge of the Latin alphabet to decipher.

The second theory is that Ogham was devised by the first Christian communities in early Ireland, out of a wish to create a unique alphabet for writing short messages and inscriptions in the Irish language. It is considered that the necessity of such an alphabet was due to the fact that Primitive Irish was regarded an extremely difficult language to transcribe into the Latin alphabet, so the creation of a unique alphabet was addressed.

Legend has it that Ogham was first invented soon after the fall of the Tower of Babel, along with the Gaelic language, by the legendary Scythian king, Fenius Farsa. It is sometimes called the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", based on a high medieval Bríatharogam tradition ascribing names of trees to the individual letters.

This ancient and highly distinctive alphabet adorns many pieces of Celtic jewelry to this day, whether it be Celtic pendants or Celtic earrings. Ogham is often used personalize a piece of Irish jewelry with names usually being translated into the ancient Celtic alphabet.

18 Carat Gold Ogham Pendant