The Celtic knot is perhaps the most identifiable of all Celtic art. The knot work is designed in a way that has neither a beginning nor an end to the lines and is designed with more in mind than to be pleasing to the eye. They are symbols that show us how we can all be part of the endless cycle of life and where we add our own thread in the weave of time.

However, the symbolic meanings attached to knotwork may or may not have some truth in their historical basis and are not concrete, as there are no written records of what the various Celtic knots were originally created for.

The knots are not designed to be simply pleasing to the eye. They are also symbols that can show us how we are all part of an endless life cycle, in which each of us adds our own particular thread in the fabric of time and space.

These designs are not only exquisite and beautiful … they also force the viewer to attribute the meaning of the knot, although the meanings of the Celtic knot may or may not have a historical basis in fact, and its meanings are found in the eyes of its creators. However, symbolic meanings are abstract in the sense that they relate to the universe and life rather than human emotions or the relationships we have with each other.

The endless strands indicate the ties that bind us together and as each generation passes the weaving becomes stronger and larger as this happens, the Celtic knot patterns become more complex. The strands begin to turn over each other; just as generations to come will continue to bring the next chapter of generations after that.

The intertwined lines in the Celtic knot are a symbol of how we are interwoven with those around us and how we continue into eternity just as others do. They are a reminder of how we are all involved with those who will join us in life and in later life. Each loop of the Celtic knot is individual and cannot be completely separated, just as our relationships in life do the same.

Spiritual beliefs

The interlacing of the threads is believed to be a protection against evil. Those who are united can overcome evil more than when we are alone. The more intricate the interlacing, the more powerful the protection.

Celtic knots have also been called an endless knot or mystical knot due to its esoteric or spiritual meaning that alludes to beginnings and endings. When looking at a Celtic knot it is not easy to find where the strands begin and end. This translates into our primordial selves and how we contemplate the infinite cycles of rebirth in both the physical and etheric realms.

On a less spiritual note, Celtic knots also relate to knots’ own infinite nature. The Celtic knot has an infinite path and that is why it can also represent an uninterrupted life cycle. Celtic knots can be used as amulets to prevent illness or misfortune that can disturb or disrupt our peaceful and stable existence. Celtic knots were used as an emblem and were worn or placed in a house.

The Celtic Trinity knot represents endless love, whether between lovers or spouses or between friends, and even the love that exists between a father and daughter, a father and a son. This knot is a good example of one of the symbols of Celtic love.

Mythology

There is a myth in Celtic tradition that tells of a woman named Bridget and her father. Bridget sat and meditated near her dying father. While meditating, he began to weave a Celtic knot from reeds that he found near the river. Reeds were common materials found in every Irish home and used to cover the floor. While she was weaving, her father noticed that she was tying a knot, asked her to explain what she was doing, and after she told him the meaning of those Celtic knot designs, he felt prompted to accept Christianity and was baptized before die.