Is the Celtic Knot really Irish?

The Celtic or interlacing knot pattern is found as early 300 BCE, in Roman floor mosaics. There is no evidence however of this motif in pre CE Ireland. Are we to then assume that the Celtic knot is not of Irish origin? Maybe. Or maybe not.

It is important to keep in mind that many cultures of that time worked with wood. Because wood does not stand the test of time, it is not impossible that the Celtic knot was used in countries, such as Ireland, earlier on making it difficult to say with certainty that the knot originated in Rome. It is known that many cultures used an interlacing knot patterns. Examples can be found in Islamic, Coptic, Russian, Byzantine, Ethiopian, and European architecture, art, and, in medieval times, book illumination.

Spiral patterns, as well as key and step patterns, were strong design elements in Celtic art preceding the Christian influence on Ireland which began in the 4th century BCE. From there these patterns found their way in the early Christian illuminated manuscripts where they were combined with delicate lettering, flowers, plants and animals to create some of the most beautiful books ever produced.

It is difficult to say exactly what the knot represented in antiquity but because of its prominent placement on Irish and other western European headstones and monuments we can assume that it had a symbolic as well as decorative significance in those cultures. Looking at the Celtic knot through modern eyes we cannot help but to see the similarity with the figure eight eternity sign current used in mathematics and elsewhere.

Did the early Celts have a concept of eternity? I'm sure that some scholars can answer that question but in my opinion the Celts had their own concept of the eternal. Not in a mathematical sense perhaps but in a way that was practical but no less profound. Their culture and others of that time had a keen appreciation of cycles and seasons and the endlessness of nature. Something we as modern people, insulated in houses and offices, no longer appreciate fully. In my opinion, it is our loss.

On this St. Patrick's day I hope that it anyone reading this will do more than drink and wear green beads and funny hats. Listen to Irish music. Go outside and look at the stars or the grass turning green underneath your feet. Think about the cycle of days and weeks and life. Really appreciate what it is and what it meant to be not only Irish but Celt.