It is also representative of the three elements of life – earth, air and water. With the advent of Christianity, the same symbol came to represent the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost to the early Irish Christians.

It represents The triquetra, an ancient symbol, said to date back to as far as 500 BC where it was believed to represent the three aspects of the goddess – maiden, mother and crone. It is a three-cornered design and sometimes a circle is weaved in. The solar cross is believed to represent the movement of the sun through the day in morning afternoon evening and night as well as the four seasons of the year.Īnother popular Celtic symbol of protection that has made its way into tattoo designs is the triquetra. The arms of the cross extend out to touch the edge of the circle. The solar cross is formed of a cross with equal length arms that are encircled. Odin’s Cross is based on one of the most ancient symbols in the world, the solar cross. The Celtic Shield Knot probably derived from a Norse symbol known as Odin’s Cross. In daily life, people used it as a symbol for warding off evil spirits. It is a four-cornered design, sometimes appearing as a square and sometimes encircled.Īs the name suggests the Celtic Shield Knot was traditionally used on the shields of Celtic warriors. The Celtic Shield Knot symbolizes universal protection and like all other Celtic knots represents the infinite with no beginning and end to the design. Investing in proper research before going under the needle ensures that the chosen tattoo will be both meaningful and esthetically pleasing to the wearer for life. It will also draw attention to some that are more unusual. This article explores some of the more common symbols of protections still chosen as contemporary tattoo designs. It’s also interesting to find out where the symbol originated from. These days, such talismans of protection often feature in jewelry designs as well as in body ink.įor people thinking of getting a symbol of protection as a tattoo design, it’s worth taking a little time to research what the symbol represents. The endurance in the popularity of these symbols suggests that people find strength and comfort in having them around. Whether it’s as a jewelry design, body painting or tattoos, many cultures have visual imagery of universal protection. All around the world, across many centuries humans have decorated their bodies with symbols of protection.

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