The Celtic love knot is a type of knot that was used by the Celts to represent eternity and eternal love. It is believed that this knot was used to show how two people were connected, and their love would last forever. The Celtic love knot has come to the mainstream’s attention because of Disney Pixar’s 2012 film Brave. Brave centers on Scottish medieval culture and traditions and the Celtic love knot can be seen throughout the movie. If you’re looking for a way to represent your own everlasting love and enhance your Brave aesthetic like Merida, a Celtic love knot might be the perfect choice.
Celtic Crystal Design has put together an extensive design line to represent this important Celtic symbol.
Origin of the Celtic Love Knot
This classical Celtic symbol has its origins in the handiworks of the Roman Empire, around the third or fourth centuries AD. While these interwoven designs may have started as mosaic floor decorations, they were also incorporated by Byzantine architects who placed them on several structures, and they also appeared in plenty of Islamic and Coptic artistic representations.
Later, during the pre-Christianity era, motifs such as keys, spirals, and steps were interlaced with loops, braids, and knots. Out of these designs, the first representations of the Celtic knot developed until they reached the shape that is so well-known today.
As Christianity spread across Europe and reached the British Islands, traditions common to both the Celts and the Anglo-Saxons came together to create the distinctive Celtic art that became well recognized and beloved throughout the ages.
Symbol and Meaning of the Celtic Love Knot
The Celtic knot is also known as Anam Cara. This means “soul friend” in spiritual-religious traditions. Soul friends were an integral part of spiritual development within the Celtic faith since anyone who did not possess a soul friend or companion was considered equal to a body with no head.
The fact that the Celtic love knot is made up of unbroken loops refers to the love that a married couple feels for each other. A love with no beginning and no end but circulating without interruptions for all eternity. There is even a legend related to the Celtic love knot that goes like this: a couple can test the strength of their love by tying a love knot on a short tree limb. Finding that the knot stayed in place after a full year means their love is strong and will endure forever.
The film Brave represents the meaning of the Celtic love knot beautifully as it celebrates family relationships. It explores the complicated dynamics between mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters, and brothers and sisters. The Celtic love knot is a perfect symbol for the film, as it represents the emotional bond that ties families together.
Popularity of the Celtic Love Knot
Evidence of the existence of the Celtic love knot has been found as early as the Byzantine or Roman eras. However, it only started to appear in proper Celtic art around the middle of the 5th Century. The Celts soon developed an extensive and unique knotwork tradition as it made its way into Celtic handiworks.
This symbol became so well-established within the region that it has even been found in manuscripts created by Gaelic monks in monasteries throughout the British Isles. As time went by, the knot’s increasing popularity meant it could be found in its original design as well as in other manifestations to the point where it has become one of the most beloved and easily recognized artistic symbols in all Celtic history. Since Brave was released in 2012, the Celtic love knot has become even more popular. You can now find it on all sorts of products, from t-shirts to iPhone cases. If you’re looking for a unique and meaningful gift, consider something with the Celtic love knot on it.
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