The Celtic cross today is one of the most popular and famous symbols. Its exact meaning is not fully understood; experts have proposed several versions about the origin and interpretation of this ancient sign.
Today, the direct descendants of the Celts are called the Irish, Scots, as well as residents of some areas of France and Great Britain. The traditions of the Celts, in a relatively authentic form, have been preserved on the Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea at about the same distance from England, Ireland and Scotland. The first, known to historians, mention of the Celts, as a people representing a certain community, dates back to 517 BC. According to the data collected by the researchers, the Celtic tribes had a fairly extensive pantheon of gods and used numerous symbols, as a rule, which had a sacred meaning. It is possible that one of these symbols was the sign, in our time known as the "Celtic cross".
A cross found during excavations.
On the territory of modern Ireland there is a belief according to which the Celtic cross is a symbol of the unification of the pagan beliefs of the ancient tribes and the Christian religion that replaced them. In this connection, this sign is also called "the cross of St. Patrick", in honor of the first missionary who appeared in these lands. Not wanting any strife between the Celts who adopted the new religion and who remained faithful to the old, Patrick concluded the Christian cross in a solar circle, symbolizing one of the gods of the Celtic pantheon. If we agree with the version of this legend, then the Celtic cross, as we know it today, appeared around the fourth or fifth century AD.
This theory is contradicted by another, based on archaeological finds and their analysis. In the same Ireland, stone statues in the form of a cross enclosed in a circle, decorated with patterns traditional for Celtic culture, were discovered. An interesting feature of these finds is one detail - they were not made at the burial sites. From this we can conclude that such statues were most likely installed in places of worship of the gods and were used by the priests to communicate with higher powers. Some of the images found, according to researchers' reports, were installed at least five thousand years ago.
Modern esotericists most often interpret the meaning of this symbol as the personification of the four seasons or the cyclical nature of events occurring in the world associated with natural changes. Since the Celtic cross most likely refers to solar symbols, then its effect on the wearer will be associated with the energy of the Sun. Therefore, this sign is advised to be used as a protective talisman. It should be noted that to date, no artifacts have been found where a Celtic cross would play the role of decoration or amulet.
To all that has been said, we can add that this sign is widely used in ultra-right and neo-Nazi communities, as a symbol of the superiority of the white race. But this phenomenon will be discussed in more detail in the following articles.
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