Celtic Irish Knot

The Triquetra is perhaps the most well-known Celtic Knotwork. It’s famous for its appearance in the Book of Kells, but it’s far more widespread than that.

In fact, it’s been found carved into stonework across northern Europe and is believed to be one of the oldest Celtic Knots. It’s been suggested that it dates back as far as 5,000 BC, but the first solid evidence of its widespread use dates back to the 7th Century AD.

This three-pointed knot is made up of three ovals or arcs, one in the centre pointing up, and two pointing downwards to either side. Often, the arcs are encircled by a separate loop.

Depending on your beliefs, the three points can symbolise numerous things. However, one common theme stems from the Celtic conviction that everything of relevance comes in threes.

This Celtic Knot meaning varies from group to group. For early Christians, it was easy to adapt the Triquetra to represent the holy trinity. In pagan belief systems, it may have represented life, death, and rebirth.

Alternatively, it may have symbolised the three domains of the earth; land, sea, and sky, or the passing of time; past, present, and future.

For many, it’s believed that the three points originally represented the maiden, the mother, and the crone, or innocence, creation, and wisdom.