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Incarnation as a Motif the Celtic High Crosses

Incarnation as a Motif the Celtic High Crosses


The most definitive symbol of Christianity is the Cross; this symbol has rallied Christians from the very beginning of Christianity. However the Celtic cross is a distinctive symbol and like most things Celtic, the cross has a distinct influence of the pre Christian pagan Celtic religion. The Celtic Cross is a symbol which predates the arrival of Christianity, this cross is also called as the Cross of Iona and differs from the conventional Christian Cross in that its arms are equal in size. The pre Christian symbol represented a man with his arms outstretched, and the circle represented the all pervasive divine love (Pennick 1997). In a more metaphysical level, the horizontal line represents the physical matter; the vertical line represents the divine influence of God. The intersection of these two lines, enclosed by a circle representing the protective influence of god can be regarded as an incarnational symbol. The circle also can represent the entire fabric of the cosmos (Pennick 1997).

It is important to understand the significance of the circle in the Cross of Iona. The circle represents the fabric of the universal cosmos, primarily because it has no beginning and no end. It is the perfect representation for the infinite grace of God as manifested in the entire matrix of creation. The circle with a dot inside it is a powerful representation of the Christian concept of trinity as the circle can show an egg with the dot representing a seed which carries the promise of future life. The panentheistic nature of Celtic Christianity also finds an expression in this symbol as it can be taken to represent the presence of god in the hearts of all mankind. This has incarnational overtones as it also implies that the entire creation of god is a part of his divine manifestation (Egerton 1986).

Once the cross started to evolve as the most visible symbol of Christianity, the early proponents of the Christian religion in the British Isles combined the existing pagan symbol of the cross and juxtaposed it with the symbol of the most important Celtic pagan deity, the Sun. This juxtaposition was essential in order to endow the early Celtic Christians with the veneration to be shown to the cross. This circle also indicates the wheel which can be construed as a symbol of continous change (Egerton 1986). The image of the Celtic cross has been found in a variety of media and is arguably the most common symbol of Christianity. It is found in architecture (buildings), sculpture, jewelry, tattoos and manuscripts. In fact the Celtic Cross is the symbol of an extreme right political party in Scotland. The Celtic cross is also found in graveyards and tombstones.

The Cross of Iona is normally embedded on a wide pedestal or a base. If the base is considered to be an embodiment of earth or matter, the Cross of Iona clearly represents his soul. This can be interpreted as a reference to the non destructible nature of the human soul which survives death but exists in an elevated environment while the physical body lies underground (Pennick 1997). The Cross of Iona also occurs in conjunction with several symbols in Celtic art. The most common symbols which accompany the Cross of Iona are the vine and the tree of life.

The vine is a symbolical representation of Jesus Christ. The tree of life is however a pagan concept (Egerton 1986). The ancient Celtic pagan religion had divided creation into many worlds which were vertically above each other. The tree of life was the common link to all these worlds. The roots of the tree were in the netherworld, the trunk of the tree of life spanned the middle world, which is our plane of existence. The branches of the tree of life were contained in the upper world while the tree of life itself stretched until it reached the plane where the supreme deity resides (Egerton 1986).

The Celtic High Crosses are another example of the occurrence of the Cross of Iona. These crosses were usually erected in public places. They were in rare cases monolithic, but were generally made of multiple stones (Pennick 1997). They were erected to commemorate various public events. They were covered with various artistic depictions of scenes from the bible and various Celtic symbols (Pennick 1997). In all probability this also facilitated their use as a teaching aid during public sermons. The Celtic Crosses are also used as finials in buildings (Pennick 1997).

This study has examined the concept of Celtic spirituality and the relevance of the concept of incarnation to Celtic spirituality. We examined the distinctive nature of Celtic Christianity and highlighted the various features which contributed towards its distinctive nature. The underlying reasons for the differences between the orthodox Christianity and Celtic Christianity were analyzed. The next step was a limited literature survey to identify the various representations of the concept of Incarnation in Celtic art. A vast amount of material was identified which confirmed the relevance of incarnation in Celtic spirituality. This survey extended to all the relevant Celtic art forms. The necessity of studying symbology before the study of Celtic spirituality was examined and in the processes the important Celtic symbols which are a recurrent motif in Celtic art was identified and their meaning explored. Once the meaning of these symbols are identified, the next step was to study three examples of the works of art which are most representative of their genre. The works of art which were examined for the presence of the various symbols which imply incarnation were the anthology “Carmina Gadelica� compiled by Alexander Carmicheal (1992), the Book of Kells and finally the Celtic Cross.



REFERENCES

Caesar, Julius, 1980 (new trans.) The Battle for Gaul, Boston: David R. Godine [Out of Print]

Burton-Christie, Douglas. 1999 (January). "The Sense of Place." The Way" 39:1

Baggot. A. 1999. Celtic Wisdom. London. Judy Piakus

Nash, James A. Loving Nature: Christian Responsibility and Ecological Integrity. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1991

Monks Kallistos and Ignatios, "Nastavlenije bezmolstvujushchim" ["Instructions for Hesychasts"], in Dobrotoljubije (Jordanville, NY: 1966), Vol. V, p. 221

Dewaal, Esther, The Celtic Way of Prayer: The Recovery of Religious Imagination. Servant Publications, Ann Arbour, MI. 1991.

Fitzgerald, John W. A Contemporary Celtic Prayer Book. ACTA Publishing Co. Chicago, IL. 1998

Cowan, Tom. Fire In the Head: Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit. Harper San Francisco, San Francisco, 1993

Green, Miranda. Celtic Goddesses: Warriors, Virgins and Mothers. British Museum Press, 1995

Carmichael, Carmina Gadelica (Edinburgh: Floris Books, 1992

Bain, Iain. Celtic Knotwork. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1992.

Bologna, Giulia. Illuminated Manuscripts – The Book Before Gutenberg. Avenel, New Jersey: Crescent Books, 1995.

Posted by: Natalie Saturday

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