Celtic Cross – Ancient & Christian

How the Celtic Cross Form Came to Be

The Celtic cross, as represented by the few remaining standing crosses in Ireland, flourished as a religious and art form during the early Middle Ages. During this time, Ireland slowly converted from druidism and other so-called “pagan” religions to Christianity, though the conversion was never complete. In fighting for the souls of the Irish, Christian authorities used a tried-and-true tactic: rather than forcing the locals to discard their religion, they assimilated it.
The Celtic cross is a cross superimposed on a circle (not, significantly, the other way around). The circle is thought to represent the sun, the object of many ancient religions; a representation such as is seen on the Celtic cross is called a nimbus. Though no writings survive that explicitly say it, it is thought that the cross-with-nimbus symbolized the acceptance of the old druidic religion (by showing the nimbus) but also its being eclipsed by the new Christian religion (since the nimbus is clearly behind the cross).
Of course, there was a simple practical advantage to this design as well: the circle served to buttress the cross’s horizontal arms. In fact, Celtic crosses without the nimbus usually did not survive long; weathering and age caused such crosses to lose their arms or heads.

The Art of the Celtic Cross

The intricate filigree-like carvings on the surface of Celtic crosses are of a style known as “insular art,” which literally means “art of the islands.” This style combined motifs from earlier runic art with intricate swirls and patterns to form a visually striking mosaic. This made the standing crosses very visually impressive, particularly in a hardscrabble medieval world where very few things were ornate, decorative, or beautiful for their own sake.
You can also see insular art in manuscripts such as the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels. If you study it closely, you might be struck by how abstract the art is; even when people are clearly depicted, they are not drawn in a factual style. The more important element is that such depictions be visually arresting.

The Viking Influence

The flourishing of insular art is thought to have been stifled by the Viking raids and invasions of the 8th, 9th, and 10th centuries. At first, the invaders looted, killed, and took slaves, but later, they came back to stay; Dublin and Waterford, Ireland’s first two cities, were founded by the Vikings. They brought their own decorative styles and versions of Christianity with them, and the old Celtic/Druidic form of Christianity was supplanted.
Ireland during the early medieval period was not a unified country by any means; it was a collection of small, often mutually hostile kingdoms and chiefdoms. Thus, when the Viking raids came, first to the west coast and then to the rest of the island, there was no way to organize a unified force to resist them. The Vikings took home as loot many examples of insular art, such as manuscripts, metalwork, and wall hangings; very few such artifacts have survived, as the Vikings also usually destroyed what they could not carry back with them.
The development, both cultural and economic, of Ireland was retarded for centuries by the Vikings; many coastal settlements were abandoned after Viking raids. It was simply too much to painfully build up a small measure of wealth and prosperity and then see the fierce Viking warriors swoop in from the sea and take or destroy it all. Many Irish moved inland, out of the reach of the raiders.

The Stone Celtic Cross as the Symbol of Resurrection

Imagine that you are a poor farmer in a village on the east coast of Ireland. You have heard terrible stories about the Vikings but so far, they have never come to your village—until one fateful morning, a lookout screams “Longboats!” You gather up whatever you can carry and flee to the hills with your family—no one has the weapons to repel dozens of axe-wielding Viking raiders!

 

You watch from a safe distance as they methodically pillage your village, killing those who were unable to flee in time.
After the raiders are gone, you return to the smoking ruins of your house, which has been burned along with all the other homes in the village. All the livestock are gone, and the bodies of many of your neighbors are lying in the fields. The only thing intact is the stone church, which has been stripped of everything—but the Celtic cross still stands! You and the other survivors gather around it to pray, taking reassurance from its permanence and endurance.

 

You will rebuild.

 

By Kevin M. Lewis