The history of Celtic cross jewelry goes back as far as 2000 BC. This was a time that had craftsmen working in gold and silver and many nice pieces were made from wood. There are many interpretations of what all of the ornamentation was and is. However, many wearers of religious jewelry treat it as a matter of faith and enjoy the beauty of the piece, and the way that their faith is reinforced every time they look at it!
As a brief, rather staid, description of what it looks like: Celtic cross jewelry comprises a cross and a circle that surrounds the center junction of the vertical and horizontal pieces. There are usually rather ornate carvings of animals and other devices on the cross itself and these are a part of the national heritage of the countries of Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
The Symbolism:
The circle has been said to represent the love of God in its completeness; others hold that it is the Sun that was worshiped by many of the unchurched. Others have said that St. Patrick saw a perfect circle on a stone and drew the cross around it, thus making the first Celtic cross. Irish Catholic priests say that the circle represents Gods love through Christ's sacrifice.
There are other symbolism beliefs that need to be explored to some degree: It can be seen as a navigation tool. The compass that can show us the way through the seas of faith that sometimes can be rough and unforgiving. The transitions of seasons: each of the four axes can be seen as the representation of the four seasons and the festivals that are held during the different quarters of the year. The symbolic representation of night and day: the top of the horizontal bar can be seen as the day and the bottom of the bar can be viewed as the night. The circle in the middle serves as the sun going up and going down: one day.
The Popularity:
With the symbolism of the carvings, the Christian church was able to advance ideas of God's love for all men to the pagans that would look at the depictions as being some of their own. They could be shown that the church was including them in their worship, not warring against them as many had before them to their own perverted way. This matter of inclusion was a very strong draw for them and they had this representation to take with them and hang on their own walls for further proof of the good intentions of the missionaries. Celtic cross jewelry is still very popular today as a symbol of the love of God and the love that exists between God and man.
The Significance of the Celtic Cross Jewelry:
No one absolutely knows where the original Celtic cross came from. They still like the idea that something so simple can be a very large part of the Christian church history as it has changed the shape of the faith for many millions of people, today. Celtic cross jewelry: The history of faith!
Mike recommends this resource for Gold Crucifix Pendants and other religious jewelry pieces designed as a symbol of your faith.
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