From: jane@soave.swdc.stratus.com (Jane Beckman)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
Subject: Re: where to get info on meaning of symbols
Date: 17 Aug 92 18:29:35 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc., San Jose, CA

[Lots of stuff on Celtic symbolism, etc.] 

>I have been using Celtic knotwork in some Ukranian easter egg patterns, and
>can assure you there is indeed some symbolism, most of which is subtle, and
>almost all of which is Christian. Well, at least in anything I have read.
>
>Two of the main things you want to keep in mind is that anything involving a
>complicated design drawn using a single line is in fact a symbol of Eternity.
>The Celtic designs very often involve threes ( three lines, three swirls in a 
>circle, whatever.) This in fact is a symbol of the Holy Trinity. There are 
>others I know, but I have forgotten them. I would recommend some heavy research
>before deciding... tattoos are permanent, and you don't want the Celtic 
>equivalent of "your mother wears army boots" on your shoulder for the rest of 
>your life ;-)

The major problem with these is that the three-line motif was
popular with the Vikings of the sixth century (who were very
definitely NOT Christian!) and the "Tomoe-style" triple spiral
(I use the Japanese term, because they *have* a term for it)
has been used since three thousand years before the birth of
Christ, if you look at the carvings on some of the ancient
Irish monuments.  The triple spiral, which looks much like a
yin-yang of three, is a very old protection symbol in both the
orient and the Celtic and Norse traditions.  Likewise,
"Bride's (or Brigid's) Cross" is a pagan protection charm that
was adapted to the Christian pantheon, and the Irish tend to
regard it as a melding of both.  (You can't be too careful.
;-) )  

As I said earlier, I think if you're concerned about these
things, you should take your model from a context-specific
source, such as taking a design from the Book of Kells or
Durrow, or borrowing it from a design on a stone monument, and
knowing what the monument is, and where.  And avoid stuff like
Ogham or Runic, because most of it says things like "Heimdall
was here" or "Made by Cormac".  (I would love to have some of
Jim Fitpatrick's illustrations done as tats, but I know not to
include any of his inscriptions, since the ones I can
translate say things like "Jim Fitzpatrick" --oddly enough! ;-)
If it's jewelery, you might want the context of the jewelery,
also.  "This design was on a Thor's hammer excavated from a
ship burial in Sussex" sort of thing.  (If you go back far
enough on a lot of this stuff, it gets into the realm of
archeologists arguing with each other over what it all "means"
and everyone proposing theories.  The folks who did interlace
work didn't leave too many records.)  Of course, there is
always the chance that someone used it as a phallic fertility
offering, but... ;-)  (And for anyone wanting the actual
meanings of runes, as opposed to the stuff made up by the New
Age folks, I recommend the book "Runes" by R.I.Page, which
gives you five different runic alphabets and background on all
of them.) 

Yes, I have a heavy interest in Celtic/Viking archeology and
early Irish manuscripts.

--
  Jilara   [jane@swdc.stratus.com]

I've worn high-heeled pointed-toed fashionable shoes for the past 
twenty years, and you ask me about if *getting tattooed* hurt?!